2021-12-17
- Petroleum Experts has renewed a grant of a set of software packages to the Illinois State Geological Survey and Department of Geology to use in research and education. This software enhances the ISGS capabilities in subsurface interpretation and helps students pursue their undergraduate and graduate research. The...
2021-12-13 - Dr. Olivia Thurston (PhD -UIUC, now at U. of Indiana) and her advisor Dr. William Guenthner have been working to explore questions about the timing of the rocks in the Grand Canyon, using their helium isotope technique to date these samples. Check out the story from The College of LAS!
2021-12-13 - The exhibit, In Search of Lost Time, led by Geology Assistant Professor William Guenthner, will explore how the chronology of the Earth was established, with a focus on six themes that gradually led to the consensus view that the Earth is roughly 4.55 billion years of age. This age is so vast that Earth’s history seems to stretch back in time by an almost ...
2021-12-08 - Through a generous gift by Suzanne Mahlburg Kay (BS, ’69; MS, ’72) and Robert W. Kay, an endowment has been established to fund, in perpetuity, an annual award of at least $1,000 to an outstanding graduate student in the department. Sue was inspired to donate in Jim’s honor by their shared experiences as graduate students, long term friendship, and common scientific interests. Many people were...
2021-12-08 - The department is very pleased to announce the creation of the Ralph Langenheim scholarship for undergraduate geology majors. Through the generosity of Michael Bourque (MS, ’78) a $25,000 endowment has been established to fund the scholarship in perpetuity. Mike chose to honor Ralph, his graduate mentor, after reflecting on his experience at Illinois: “In the field, Ralph was generous with his...
2021-11-12 - Congratulations to this years Alumni Achievement Award winner, Dr. Jack Sharp! Dr. Sharp is the Dave P. Carlton Centennial Professor at the University of Texas at Austin. He is a past president of the Geological Society of America and studies hydrogeology, generally in carbonate systems. Dr. Sharp gave a fantastic talk on November 11th (which you can see on our ...
2021-11-09 - As the cool autumn weather moved into Illinois, the Department of Geology returned to its “Flannel Friday” tradition: Many students, faculty, and staff wear their flannel shirts each Friday. Here, a flannel-wearing group gathered on the North steps on a crisp Friday afternoon as the trees were just beginning to turn colors. Alumni, send us your Flannel Friday photos at geology@...
2021-10-13 - Professor Emeritus Alberto S. Nieto, 83, passed away Aug. 30, 2021 at his home in Champaign. Alberto taught Engineering Geology in the department for 25 years and retired in 1999. Prof. Nieto was born in Tacna, Peru, but he left South America to earn his M.S. at Washington University in St. Louis. He then came to Illinois for his Ph.D. in Geology. When he completed his...
2021-08-18 - Take a minute to check out the September 2021 edition of Scientific American for a look at Prof. Bruce Fouke's work on kidney stones! Click here to see the article Dr. Fouke's work is a great example of all the ways geology touches our lives!
2021-08-11 - Dr. Gillen Wood was recently awarded a 2021 Andrew Carnegie Fellowship for his project 'Oceans 1876', a look at the famous HMS Challenger, which was the first vessel to catalog the species, currents, and climate zones of the world’s oceans. This project will collect and digitize the vast records collected on the...
2021-07-11 - Prof. Trish Gregg’s research on submarine volcanoes is featured in the PBS Changing Seas episode "Alvin: Pioneer of the Deep”! The episode highlights the amazing discoveries made by the HOV Alvin submarine and looks to the future of research in the abyssal ocean, which will be made possible by Alvin’s new upgrades. The episode also features video filmed by Trish and her colleagues during the 2016...
2021-06-02 - Geology may play a part in solving one of the medical world's most painful problems! In a collaboration between the University of Illinois and the Mayo Clinic, researchers have shown that understanding the principles of rock formation can help us understand how kidney stones form and dissolve. Dr. Bruce Fouke, a Geology Department Professor and Director of the Roy J. Carver Biotechnology...
2021-05-20 - PhD candidate Jon Golla has just published the first chapter of his thesis research in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters with his supervisor, Dr. Jenny Druhan. Human reliance and influence on natural resources have motivated vital research into how the Earth’s surface systems interact to store freshwater, sustain life, and regulate climate. This “critical zone” of the Earth, from...
2021-04-15 - New research by Dr. Jeffrey Kwang (UMass Amherst, formerly a graduate student at the U of I), Dr. Abigail Langston (Kansas State), and Dr. Gary Parker (U of I) has led to new insights into why rivers form tree-like, dendritic patterns in their drainage networks. Today, river systems often form patterns that look like tree branches when viewed from far above. However, these patterns have been...
2021-03-24 - The Geology Department is happy to announce that Senior Rishi Chandra has been awarded a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship! Rishi will graduate this May with a B.S. in Planetary Science, the very first awarded from UIUC. The Planetary Science B.S. is a special degree program developed by Rishi and approved by LAS as an independent joint major in both ...