Why Geology? – A Declaration of Interdependence
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself, but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all these acts will be written the history of this generation.”
-Robert F. Kennedy
The Pitt-Johnstown Department of Geology & Planetary Science is a relatively small department in terms of its faculty and enrollment of majors (currently we have 31 majors). In part, our enrollments are small simply because our classrooms and laboratories are small—we are limited by spatial resources. Lab space, in particular, limits upper-level classes to about 15 students. However, we have built a niche for ourselves in the broader context of the university, a niche defined by a focus on close educational interactions between faculty and students and high quality outcomes. Within the context of our resources, both human and physical, we strive to be the best educational program possible. The following short list of Pitt-Johnstown Geology alumni offers evidence of our success:
- Neil Coleman, P.G. (Class of 1977), Senior Staff Scientist, U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and published Planetary Geologist.
- Joan Hawk, P.G. (Class of 1978), Senior Geologist, L. Robert Kimball & Associates, Inc.
- Ed Dobson, P.G., (Class of 1980), President and Principal Hydrogeologist, Mountain Research, LLC.
- J. Scott Roberts (Class of 1984), Deputy Secretary, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Mineral Resources Management.
- Mark Romanchok, P.G. (Class of 1988), Geological Operations Manager, Occidental Oil & Gas Corporation, Triploi, Libya.
- Erin Palko, P.G. (Class of 1993), Senior Hydrogeologist, Roux Associates, Inc., and Adjunct Instructor, Drexel University.
- Dr. Robert Podgorney, P.G. (Class of 1994), Research Scientist-3, Idaho National Laboratory.
- Dr. William Elliott, Jr. (Class of 1995), Associate Professor, Southern Oregon University.
- Dr. Sherry Stafford (Class of 1995), Exploration Geologist, ExxonMobil Exploration Company
- Dr. Michael Rygel (Class of 2000), Assistant Professor, SUNY-Potsdam.
- Joshua Mearkle (Class of 2007), Mudlogging Geologist, Geoservices Incorporated (an international oilfield services company).
Among the sum of our accomplished alumni, many were our best and brightest as students, but others were not. The unifying thread of the diverse professional, civic, and personal success stories of our graduates can be found in their education at Pitt-Johnstown and in the faith and encouragement that they received from the faculty in the geology department. As a faculty, we believe that a student’s potential is not defined by a standardized test score, but by attitude—in particular, the attitude that one can rise above what may seem like limiting circumstances. Indeed, some of our most successful alumni were “refugees” from other academic programs. We work for and with our students, and try to bring out the best in all of them; because our classes are small, we meet with a high degree of success. Certainly, the geology faculty is pleased to have the occasional “academic superstar” that rockets through our program, but we are equally pleased to mentor those students who do not initially appear as such, but who nonetheless parlay their Pitt-Johnstown experience into productive careers and satisfying lives. Below is a sampling of testaments from former students concerning the positive attributes of our program:
"With the solid background in geology that I received at Pitt-Johnstown, I have been able to successfully engage in various sub-disciplines such as stratigraphy, mineralogy, geochemistry, crustal evolution and hydrogeology over the years. In conjunction with the emphasis on effective written and verbal communication that is interwoven into the Pitt-Johnstown geology curriculum, I was well prepared to pursue a career in public service where the proper application of geologic analysis and interpretation is as important as disseminating that information to non-geologist managers, policy makers and the general public."
-G. Patrick Bowling (Class of 1981)
"The geology program at Pitt-Johnstown provided an excellent background for both my work as an engineering geologist and as instructor of geology at both the high school and college level. The smaller class sizes (especially in upper division geology courses) really enhanced the learning experience, and prepared me exceptionally well for the working world. The professors of geology (as well as the neighboring sciences of geography and physics) were very approachable and provided a learning environment that I now strive to meet in the classes that I teach at the junior college level."
-Richard O. Hughes III (Class of 1991)
"My experience at Pitt-Johnstown is unforgettable. Some of my fellow Pitt-Johnstown geology students became my closest friends that I still stay in touch with and see annually. I developed a passion for geology after looking at rocks in Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and New York. Being a research assistant in southern West Virginia, in association with the Pitt-Johnstown Geology Department, was one of the best experiences of my life and showed me what I love to do...GEOLOGY! The small size of the department allowed for a lot of direct interaction between students and teachers (a great thing!)."
-Ryan Portner (Class of 2000)
"Pitt-Johnstown was the best place to begin my academic career in geology. Not only were the classes thought provoking and well taught, but also the department atmosphere was welcoming and helpful. I was able to establish lasting friendships with both the students and the professors…My background education and undergraduate research projects at Pitt-Johnstown lead me to understand better the nature of science and made me more confident to pursue a master's degree at East Carolina University. I graduated in 2 years and moved to Pocatello, Idaho where I continued taking classes toward a Ph.D. at Idaho State University…I have found that the best teachers have been those who branched out and created more experiences for themselves. I have been very inspired by those who have taught me about the Earth, especially those I first learned from at Pitt-Johnstown."
-Renee Mazurek (Class of 2001)
The geology faculty also provides a quality educational experience by focusing our on role as facilitators as well as educators. This is a tradition that extends back to the beginnings of the program. In the past year alone, we have facilitated the following experiences for our students:
- nine students from the Report Writing (GEOL 1108) class led field trips in Nevada, California, and Utah over Spring Break
- one geology major attended the Iowa State field camp in Wyoming
- one student worked as a summer intern for Mountain Research in Altoona
- eight students and one teaching assistant participated in the Field Methods course (GEOL 1157), which included a 10-day field excursion in New England
- two students attended the national Geological Society of America meeting in Houston, Texas
- one student presented research at the regional Geological Socity of America meeting in Portland, Maine
- one student presented research at the national Association of American Geographers annual meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada
- three students were accepted to, and will attend, graduate school
Beyond the geology major, the department also serves a vital, general role in the university. The philosopher/historian Will Durant once remarked that “civilization exists by geological consent, subject to change without notice.” The tragedy of this statement is not so much its seemingly fatalistic viewpoint, but that too many people, including many scientists, are unaware of the deeper meaning of this remark. The public, as a whole, lacks understanding of how “geological consent” fundamentally affects their everyday lives, as well as the broader structure and tensions of society. The Pitt-Johnstown geology faculty acknowledges and accepts the challenge of mitigating this “tragedy of geologic ignorance.” We all teach at least one introductory course annually (~70 students per faculty), and with the aid of adjunct faculty we maintain a very broad selection of courses that includes Environmental Geology; Physical Oceanography; Prehistoric Life; Meteorology; Astronomy; and Earth, Climate, and Life through Time. We all answer the call of “Who speaks for Earth?" as articulated by the astronomer Carl Sagan.
Among the natural sciences, geology has many distinctive attributes that not only are fascinating and relevant, but also provide unique life skills for the “globally educated citizen.” Geology is an integrative science that requires non-linear, multi-dimensional reasoning and visualization—it is a science that emphasizes the interconnectedness of the biosphere and the geosphere and the constant feedback between them. Because geology is an historical science, it teaches one how to achieve working decisions in the face of ambiguity, uncertainty, and insufficient data. And perhaps most uniquely, geology is the only science that teaches about, and provides the basic evidence for the concept of “deep time.” Wrapping one’s head around the concept of millions and billions of years of history is as practical as it is mind-stretching. New perspectives on life can emerge from such a grand shift in temporal scale—“slow” can become “fast”, “trivial” can become “significant,” “rare” can become “common,” and “distant” can become “near.” Our “globalized” lives require us all to understand local events in a broader, more holistic context, and to recognize new connections and patterns that exist beyond provincial thinking. Geology, and the concept of deep time, can provide both the inspiration and discipline for this kind of worldview. As Sarah Andrews, geologist and novelist, has so eloquently stated in her essay Why Study Geology?,
“…let me state this very clearly: I think the geology curriculum as it stands is more relevant than your student minds can possibly imagine. I think it’s one of the best curricula available to prepare your minds to deal with the ambiguities and life-as-we-know-it-threatening problems that face our post-dot-com, brand-new-millennium world—from global warming and population crush right down to where exactly you think you’re going to find enough gold to microplate all those electronic connections in your cell phones.”
Because of its very nature and its unique position among the natural sciences, geology enriches and expands the university curriculum in ways that other disciplines cannot. The Pitt-Johnstown Geology Department embraces this tenet, and the faculty carries it as a guiding conviction in teaching, scholarship, and service. This is both our tradition and our roadmap to the future. This is the root of our success and the source of the vibrant synergy between faculty, students, and alumni that distinguishes the Pitt-Johnstown Geology Department.