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St.Lawrence University Geology Club Geology Department Brown Hall St. Lawrence University Canton, New York 13617 |
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| Letters From You: Dale Chayes ‘73
Dale and Kim have a new daughter, Dana Lauriel, born in September. Congratulations!
Peter Cox ‘91 Peter has accepted a job as project geologist with META Environmental in Watertown, Massachusetts. It is a small firm specializing in former Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP) investigations for the electric utility industry. Christopher B. Darrah ‘86 We congratulate Chris for his certification as a professional Geologist #CPG - 9877. Pete Hudelson ‘82 Pete is working at Boeing Corporate Environmental Affairs as a project manager. Jack McLeod ‘81 For the past 11 years Jack has been teaching 9-12 Earth Science, Planetary Geology and Environmental Geology at a large high school in Everett, Washington. He writes: ‘’It’s been a great job - I really do like high school kids and helping them grow; I keep learning; I’m my own boss every day. It has its down sides, but it was definitely the right choice for me. I’ve got two kids (Molly 9, and Ian 5) who are the loves of my life (besides my wife) and I’ve been living in the Seattle area for about 14 years now. I see Todd Fairchild (‘80), Peter Loft (‘81) whose son is my son’s best friend, and Skip (Watson) Smith (‘81). All take advantage of the incredible mountains and other natural wonders of this area. It’s like Burlington Vermont on a large scale (physically and culturally).” Ellen Pflugheber ‘80 Ellen sent a summary of what she’s been doing since her graduation from SLU. ‘’Worked in the oil field in ‘80-’84, in the overthrust - then worked as a DJ in a bar in Evanston Wyoming ‘84-86. Later moved to Watertown, New York for a year, then relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico in ‘87. Worked as an apartment manager, had a daughter, Simone, in 1989. Began law school in 1990, graduating in 1993. Sat for N.M. Bar (passed), but moved to Watertown and passed my Bar in 1994. With licenses and no job, opened private practice in Watertown, doing mostly family law practice. November, ‘95 was hired as Assistant District Attorney in Jefferson County, New York. I enjoy my work!” Thanks for the update, Ellen. Robert Sachs ‘84 Bob congratulated Sarah Zimmerman ‘98 on her Web connections. He says he’d love to touch base with some of the alums from his epoch. Bethany Shepherd ‘96 Beth hasn’t let any grass grow under her feet since graduation. She writes: ‘’Since graduation, I drove cross-country with stops in the Badlands of S.D., Mt. Rushmore, Devil’s Tower, WY, and Denver, CO; headed through Las Vegas ($$!), Death Valley, Yosemite ending up in San Francisco. Then I spent a month leading 16 year-olds through the islands of Hawaii (the volcanoes were amazing!) and got SCUBA certified. What a trip! I am now living in North Lake Tahoe, eagerly anticipating the winter. I’ll be working at a nearby ski resort as a snowboard rental clerk and playing in my spare time. The career track has yet to give me my calling, so until then I’ll play and travel. My best to everyone. My tour guiding services are available for visitors! Stop in and say hello.” |
Grant E. Nelson ‘79 Grant sent
a note via Internet, from the Netherlands, where he has lived and worked
for the last 10 years. He works for Origin B.V. organizing the international
service line for Intranet and Internet services. Origin is about 12,000
people in size and found in about 40 countries, however it is hard to find
in the U.S. On the home front, he and wife, Liliane have two children,
Nicolas (7) and Terence (5). He says, ‘’In the time I have next to the
kids, etc. I have a furniture shop where I make whatever strange things
my wife designs (she’s wrapping up 4 years of studying interior design).
Later I will get back into my yacht designing and maybe some day build
one.”
Peter van Noort ‘85 While Mark was staying with Scott and Leslie Carpenter ‘85 in Dallas he was surprised when Peter walked in the room where JME was to present a seminar. Peter and his family relocated to Dallas where his wife completed her graduate study. They have one daughter and are expecting another child in a few months. He says it was great to see Scott, Leslie and Peter. David Wald ‘84 Dave also contacted Sarah via Web. He is a geophysicist (seismologist) for the U.S. Geological Survey in Pasadena on the Caltech Campus, where he got his Ph.D. in geophysics in 1992. John Williams ‘81 John writes: ‘’I am working for ABB Environmental
Services in Portland, Maine. I am Director of ABB-ES’ Strategic Environmental
Management Group working with large multinational manufacturing corporations
to assist them with the integration of environmental issues with their
overall business management. Working with ABB, I have had the opportunity
to travel extensively throughout Europe and learn first hand about the
various issues and challenges associated with being a large manufacturer.
Jeffrey Wyckoff ‘85 Jeff and his wife, Beth Bozzone ‘85, are enjoying life in New York City. He hopes to hear from others in the Class of 1985. Congratulations to Larry Robjent ‘96 and Jessica Wegrzyn ‘96, who were married July 27, 1996 at Catamount. |
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CHAIR’S PAGE Dear Friends:
Happy Holidays! The semester’s end is once again upon us and with it attendant holiday celebrations. I am still at the desk, however, trying to wrap up some extras so I will combine the Chair’s Page news with my personal doings for the sake of saving time.
I think my last letter was prior to the field season so I should report that Lance and I, seven geology students and my T.A., Glenn Kays, had another productive season of excavation at the Ash Coulee Quarry in North Dakota. The crew developed a great deal more taphonomic information and recovered many more turtle specimens. Glenn Kays will be developing his MS thesis at UND around this material. Next summer Lance and I will stay in New York where I will teach my course on freshwater mussel ecology once again.
With the start of school in August came a remarkable new sense of place as faculty, staff and students alike awaited inauguration of Dr. Daniel Sullivan as President of St. Lawrence. Now we have had time to see Dan Sullivan in action and the image is that of a fair, well-informed, knowledgeable, tough-minded listener who knows academia very well. It is becoming clear that St. Lawrence will continue to change under his guidance, yet the change will likely be informed, participatory and appropriate to both the vision and ability of the institution. I hope you will have an opportunity to meet him.
Two evaluative opportunities exist this Fall for each element of the SLU community. We have been preparing to respond to each. First is the return of the Middle States review process to campus. Each department must produce a thorough evaluation of its activities for the past 10 years. I am in the process of preparing this report presently. The second evaluation is part of an overall space utilization survey of the campus. Again each department is asked to examine its facilities and suggest important changes. We have done so.
The annual GSA meeting was in Denver this year and John, Cathy and I attended. A highlight for me as always, was the SLU alumni reception. It was especially nice to see Bill and Lucretia Romey, who are enjoying life on Cape Cod these days. Thirteen of our alums presented or co-authored 26 papers at the meeting, so we were well represented. An important activity of the meeting was the interview process for two temporary positions that will be open next year as Cathy, John and, Mike Owen will all be on sabbatical leave for the year. Our search will close January 15. We are pleased to be able to replace these important department members during their leaves.
One final very pleasant note. Many of you have given generously to support the Jim Street Fund for student research in geology. Gifts to that fund have now exceeded $17,400 on our way to a $25,000 goal. I want to emphasize one or two aspects of this. First, many of you are still contributing to the fund and those gifts are keeping it growing at the rate of about $1000 each year. I learned last week about the 2nd aspect of the fund, however, namely that the market value of the principal has now exceeded $20,000!! Growth of those early gifts has been strong in the bull market and our students will benefit. Last year the fund helped to send five students to present papers at a meeting of the North Dakota Academy of Science. They were very successful! We still need your earmarked donations to reach the $25,000 goal, but we are a lot closer than I had thought! Thanks so much!!
Well, I’m going to close by wishing each of you happy holidays and the best 1997 you can want. Please keep in touch and especially send us your e-mail addresses so we can publish a directory soon. I can be reached at MERI@MUSIC.STLAWU.EDU. Look forward to hearing from you.
NEWS FROM THE GEOLOGY CLUB
The fall of 1996 was a very busy time for members of the Geology Club. The main focus of the club was the creation of a report to be submitted to the Middle States Review Committee. This was the job of a subcommittee of the club comprised of Jeannine Mansfield ‘97, Sarah Zimmerman ‘98, Tim White ‘98, Abi Howe ‘98, Kim Power ‘98, and Heather Franco ‘97. Tim Woodcock ‘99 helped prepare the survey which gave the committee the data it needed to develop the report. The process started in October with the formation and distribution of the survey which covered issues within the department relating to facilities, class size and course distribution as well as issues in the University relating to the First Year Program, the Library and Office of Career Planning. Once returned and tabulated, the report was broken down into sections relating to each question asked and recommendations by the committee. The resulting document was given to the geology faculty and sent to the Task Force on Student Life and Co-curricular Education to be submitted into the Middle States Report.
In addition to the Middle States Report, the club sponsored two student lectures. At the beginning of the semester, Heather Franco ‘97 spoke about her summer internship researching Minnesota River Terraces. Towards the end of the semester, Scott Sharlow ‘98 spoke on the Geology of Kenya based on his semester study there. Both talks were very informative and well attended.
The Geology Club Homepage (http://it.st.lawu.edu/~szimmer/geoclub.html) also received a facelift during the semester. There is now a questbook which will allow alumni, students and anyone else who visits the page to make comments or tell us what you’ve been up to lately. It is also useful finding alumni as we have been able to locate some people for others. The alumni page still exists to have a link to an e-mail address and webpage. If anyone is interested in being added to this list please e-mail Sarah Zimmerman at x8am@music.stlawu.edu.
At the Christmas party elections for officers were held. Those elected were: President, Sarah Zimmerman ‘98; Vice President, Alane Yost ‘99; Treasurer, Deron Mason ‘98; and Secretary, Melisa Jones ‘99.
This spring the Club looks forward to repeating the 1986 field trip to Niagara Falls. We also hope to have at least three student lectures this semester. The Club is also hoping to bring back the tradition of the silver rings for those who believe in following the honor code. At this point we have a few ideas on how to go about this and still retain the true meaning of the rings, however, we are also interested in hearing from alumni to learn how this was done in the past.
Cheers!
Sarah Zimmerman ‘98 - Geology Club President
SLUGAC 3
As you know a group of alums have established the St. Lawrence University Geology Alumni Conference, an event held every three years to allow students and alums to get to know each other better and to give students insight into the “real world” of geological employment and research. These meetings have been very successful. Students recently polled asked that these conferences be continued, and we hope to do so. Quite a number of students believe the conference had an important influence on them.
To continue them it is apparent that we are going to need additional alumni participation. Generally, two trips to campus are needed. The department provides clerical support and assistance wherever possible. In the past the Alumni Relations and Career Planning Offices have been very supportive, as well. One or two mailings – paid by the department – are required. The first should be done next April or May. Before that, we need to set a time and think about a theme, format, and speakers. If any of you are interested in volunteering services please let me know! You may contact me or speak directly with Dean or Duane Eppler. We want to get some good ideas for the conference soon, so please be in touch if you have interest.
Contact:
Duane Eppler
R.R. 1, Box 223
Strafford, VT 05072
or
Dean Eppler
1243 Indian Autumn Trace
Houston, TX 77062
LATE NEWS FOR 1996 Holiday greetings have brought some late news from alums that we can pass along briefly.
Ron and Barb Budros have had a busy year in Michigan where Ron still operates Lithos Exploration. Nick, Alyssa, Emma and Michael are doing well in their various endeavors. Barb has resumed her legal practice after a hiatus with the family.
Mike Armstrong writes that he is working at GEO Insight in Londondery, New Hampshire at present and enjoys it. He did have a good teaching experience last year in Jamaica. Good to hear from you, Mike.
Dawna Chapman Fazio and her husband Jim run the Smokey Bear business in Moscow, Idaho now out of a building of its own rather than from their home. Dawn wrote that, as a member of the school board she moved approval of Adam Thornborough’s plan to naturalize a streambed along school district property. She says it has worked out “wonderfully well” (which is more than we have heard about it from Adam!). Good to hear from you Dawn.
A letter from Tina Langtry recounts her return from Norway to an assignment in Houston. More recently Tina has been moved again to be Exploration Manager in the onshore and offshore Gulf Coast for Conoco. She writes that she is looking forward to the challenge. Mark saw Tina at a UND homecoming last fall. She was obviously still enjoying her work then. We wish her good fortune in Lafayette, LA, and invite her to visit SLU if she returns to St. Lawrence County one day.
We thank the many of you who sent holiday greetings and especially those who contributed to the Jim Street Fund over Christmas. We had card, phone or e-mail greetings from Cathy Goodmen, Mark Klett, Alisa Scott, Beth Shepherd, Dean and Duane Eppler, Scott Pinsonnault, Scott Carpenter, Melissa Bartlett, Loren and Janet Bailey, Ned Baker, Larry Robjent, Barb and David Tewksbury, Doug and Cathy O’Brien, Glenn Kays and Peter Cox to mention a few.
Sally Street has been in to visit the department a number of times this year as she has been taking courses in archaeology here and at SUNY Potsdam. She is doing well and reports that Jim, Ann, and David are all well and gainfully occupied.
Mark Erickson spoke with Peter Connett the other day. Peter is in Binghamton, New York, painting and learning to work in the new medium of stained glass. He plans to take a course in New York City and then be off to Italy in the spring to paint. As he develops his portfolio he continues to develop his Christian commitment to those around him. We wish him good success.
Dr. E. has also been in touch with Andrew Fetterman several times during the semester. Andy worked last summer with Dr. David Strayer surveying the Unionid mussel fauna of the upper Susquehanna River drainage. Presently he is doing masters work at SUNY Oneonta where he is involved in nutrient cycling and geochemistry of surface water and groundwater systems. He says he is “really enjoying it.”