91¶ÌÊÓƵ

Teaching

Awards

2022 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Office of Undergraduate Research Outstanding Mentor Award for the College of Science Nominated by research students

2019 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Presidential Teaching Excellence Award Annual award that recognizes up to twelve faculty members who are outstanding teachers. 

Courses Taught at 91¶ÌÊÓƵ

GEO 1030: Earthquakes & Volcanoes

  • Introduction to physical geology, with a focus on causes and hazards of earthquakes and volcanoes (especially in the region we live in). Collaborative projects introduce students to applications of physical geology.

HNRS 1500: Co-Evolution of Life & Earth

  • The processes that shape the surface of our planet's chemistry cannot be understood without also understanding the influence and evolution of life. At the same time, dramatic and subtle changes in our planet shaped the evolution of life on our world and have left permanent records in our DNA. This course explores the intimate co-evolution of life and Earth from the first cells through the modern era of human influence.
  • Check out the to see final projects and more!

MICR 2054L: Principles of Microbiology (Lab)

  • Methods of laboratory microbiology, including detection, cultivation, characterization, and identification.

GEO/MICR 3753: Geomicrobiology

  • Course explores geological change mediated by microorganisms, microbial evolution driven by geologically diverse habitats, and applications of geomicrobiology. Course includes laboratory exercises, field trips, and course-based undergraduate research. Check out the course for fun posts about all things geomicrobiology by course students.

GEO/CHEM 4550 & 4570: Geochemistry

  • Geochemical evolution of the Earth and the methods used to interpret Earth's evolution. Focus is on the use of chemical methods to reconstruct and interpret the rock record and understand Earth systems, with a particular emphasis on the stable and radiogenic isotope record of Earth processes. Includes laboratory exercises and course-based undergraduate research.

GEO 4560: Environmental Geochemistry

  • Applications of chemistry to understanding Earth system cycles and assessing environmental health and safety. Course emphasizes modern surface geochemical cycles operating in the lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere. Applications of aqueous chemistry, geomicrobiology, and isotope geochemistry. Laboratory introduces practical skills and real-world applications.

GEO 4990: Earth Science and Society

  • Case studies, readings, presentations, and/or seminar-style discussions related to natural hazards/disasters, natural resources, climate change, and environmental issues. Guest speakers highlight a range of careers in earth and environmental science.

GEO 4800: Great Salt Lake Science & Society

  • Weekly seminar series covering Great Salt Lake geology, chemistry, ecosystem, and influence on local environment, health, and society. Includes a field trip to the lake.
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Courses Taught at Other Institutions

  • Five-week intensive residential summer course for graduate students that combines field- and lab-based approaches to studying geobiology, with an emphasis on microbial mat communities and stromatolites.

  • Intensive six-week summer course for graduate students, postdocs, and established scientists that teaches principles and techniques of enrichment, isolation, cultivation, and investigation of environmental bacteria.

Open-Access Contributions

Physical Geoscience Freeware

With colleagues in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, created course materials, including tutorials, interactive question banks, videos, etc., to replace pay-for publisher materials with free eMaterials for students. Materials are used in GEO 1030 Earthquakes & Volcanoes and GEO 1110 Physical Geology.

Created and contributed illustrations for Earth science teaching, shared under Creative Commons licenses on Wikimedia Commons.