Message From the Chair

Welcome to the UST geology department's web site.  As chair, I hope that as you explore these pages, you will discover something new about the geosciences.  We are not just about classifying rocks.  We are fundamentally interdisciplinary, using chemistry, physics, engineering, and biological principals to understand Earth processes and to create scientists that are critical-thinking stewards of our planet.  Some of the things that I am most proud about our program include:

A committment to welcoming non-scientists into the sciences.  We are a unique department in the sciences because of our ability to create scientists from students that never considered themselves scientists.  I did not arrive in the geosciences on a straight and narrow, linear path; I became a geoscientist late in my master's degree program, when I became fascinated with the field of sedimentology due to a particularly inspiring faculty mentor.  All of my teaching and research are informed by this experience, so I feel that it is critical that the geology department be a welcoming place for students with and without a strong science background.

A sense that science should be applied to addressing real issues that face humanity.  This includes issues such as global warming, encouraging sustainable resource use, the lopsided impact of natural disasters on developing countries, and, perhaps most importantly, developing an educated and critical-thinking populace that can make compassionate, well-reasoned decisions about the future of our planet.  I believe that one cannot address these issues without a fundamental knowledge of how the Earth works and that is what we teach.

A belief that faculty-student collaboration and research are integral to good science teaching at the university level.  Each member of the geology faculty has a strong committment to working collaboratively with undergraduate majors on research projects.  With projects in Minnesota, Nevada, and South America (and with past projects in Mongolia), we have fundamentally integrated our students into real research.  We feel that this is the best training ground for future geoscientists and, as a result, most of our majors are involved in some type of student-faculty collaborative research project.

A strong sense that geology must be done in the field AND the lab.  All of our courses include a field laboratory component and we offer a January-term field methods course in the desert southwest that serves as a solid second course in the major.  This field course, in particular, is unique in that we encourage students with only one introductory course to go out into the field and learn how to map, to undertake field investigations, and to work collaboratively on some aspect of a faculty member's research. 

Our ability to place students into excellent careers.  Our students have moved into careers in the environmental consulting field, K-12 education, environmental management, and a host of other disciplines.  They are also increasingly being placed in excellent graduate programs.  Our basic philosophy is that we train students to be critical thinkers, excellent communicators, and analytically-minded scientists first, geologists second.  As a result, our students are prepared for the dynamic and changing job market that they face when they leave St. Thomas.

Our success at growing a geoscience major in times when numerous programs are contracting.  Since 2000, the geology department has grown from four to twenty majors, and this growth continues apace.  We are also more integrated into UST's Environmental Studies program, with anywhere from a quarter to a third of all Environmental Studies majors following a geology concentration area.  This growth runs counter to national trends in geoscience programs.

In closing, if you have any questions about our program, do not hesitate to contact me.  If you're in the area, come visit.  We're always happy to show folks why we love what we do.

Cheers,

Melissa Lamb, Ph.D