St. Lawrence Geology Alumni
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St. Lawrence University
Geology Newsletter
Winter, 2007
SLUGAC 6
SLUGAC6 by the Numbers: 38 alumni and friends, not including spouses and children, returned to campus. Class years ranged from 1964 to 2007. With those from the ’00 toping the list with 11, followed by 9 from the 70s, 7 from the 90s, 5 from the 80s, and 3 from the 60s. We also had 5 spouses and 5 children ranging in age from 2 months to 4 years – we’re starting early on getting them excited about geology. We were happy to have Rick Healy ’87, a physics major, who is doing some interesting work at Woods Hole. A challenge has been put forth for SLUGAC 7 to get all class years rather than decades represented. It’s a lofty goal, but one definitely worth aiming for! We hope that many more of you will be able to come to future SLUGAC’s. SLUGAC6 was an exciting informative event! Thursday evening many of us met at the Asian Buffet (yes, there is an Asian Buffet in Canton) where we took over a back room and got caught up on personal and professional news. The conference started on Friday morning. Over the two days, we had 2 panels and 14 talks including Bloomer Lecture by Bill Van Wie ‘67 and a talk given by a student – Wade Jones ’08. We also had a presentation on the Bewkes Hall renovation project by Psychology Professor Tom Greene and Vice President of Administrative Operations and Tom Coakley. Thank you to everyone who presented a talk or served on a panel. The speakers spanned most of the decades and talks ranged from traditional researching structural geology to new horizons in scientific communication via the web to different types of project that environmental consultants might do to things you may never think you could apply your geology degree to– yet these guys do it pretty successfully. For more information and links to abstracts visit the SLUGAC6 web site: http://it.stlawu.edu/~geoclub/alumni/SLUGAC6.html.
On Friday after the presentations, Dr. Tom Greene gave a tour of the new Sarah Johnson Redlich '82 Hall of Science where Biology, Chemistry, and Neuroscience are housed. This was followed by a reception at McAllaster House hosted by President and Mrs. Sullivan. Following the reception we departed for Eben Holden for the very fine Bloomer Banquet. During the banquet, the William T. Elberty Jr. Medal was presented. Three medals were awarded under some clouds of secrecy beforehand. The recipients were Alice Quakenbush, Mark Erickson and Sarah McElfresh '98. As many of you know
Mark and I were the ones dealing with SLUGAC arrangements and I was chair of the Elberty Medal committee. So how do you do it? I still have no idea how things went down for discussions about my medal other than one day on the phone Mark told me he wanted Rick Standish ’71 to be at the microphone at some point during dinner. For me, I just had to get Mark to send me the blank medals so I could get them engraved so that he didn’t know he was getting one. Once I got on campus though things were a little trickier and Chris Stevens ’04 had the task of keeping this from both of us as he made up certificates for recipients past and present. All in all the secrets were kept, and I was certainly very surprised. I am truly honored to have received the Elberty Medal at this time, especially to receive it with Mark and Alice.
Following the medal ceremony we heard from Bill Van Wie, ’67 V.P. for Global Exploration of Devon Energy, who gave the Bloomer Lecture. He spoke about the status of oil and gas exploration in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Many of his animation's combining geophysical and statigraphic data captured the audience's attention and explained the costs of drilling in water 8– 10,000’ deep!
The evening concluded with the W.T. Elberty Auction and a roasting of Mark Erickson. Items in the auction included an inflatable rubber duck, a near pristine Leroy set, to items with the SLU Geology Logo, texts, buttons with geological humor, a T-rex model from the Smithsonian, and miscellaneous items from days gone by - who knew a sample bottle was worth $7?
We decided to honor Mark Erickson and all he has done in 36 years at SLU. We assume he’ll retire some day, and may even let us know, but we weren’t going to take any chances, and decided to pay tribute now lest we be caught off guard when the time came. We started with a slide show put together by Trisha Smrecak ’06 with pictures and quotes she gathered from various alumni. A sample of these quotes can be found on the SLUGAC6 online photo album. Then we interspersed the auction with our favorite JME stories from field trip disasters (hitting a skunk with the van, the bus getting stuck in a parking lot, the septic tank freezing on the RV etc.) to numerous examples of what can happen when you don’t know your taphonomy or stratigraphy (lose a fossil to the collection), to heartfelt stories of how you knew you can always count on Mark to be there when you need him, albeit sometimes with a firm hand.
SLUGAC 6 was a great success. Thank you to Chris Stevens ’04 for all the work he did and to the members of the Geology Club and SGE especially Dave Baker ’08, Lauren Chrapowitzky ’08, Brian Congiu ’08, Matt Zabik ’08 and Kate Zubin-Stathopoulus ’08 for helping with registration, taking pictures, picking up breakfast and lunch, and many other things. Apologies to those I may have missed.
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By Sarah McElfresh ‘98
PICTURES IN THE PDF
GSA Denver 2007
October 27-31 saw more than 35 Laurentrans participate in the GSA annual meeting. Five faculty members presented papers/posters on a wide range of subjects. Students too, presented a wide range of research. Some of the titles of student work included:
Thirty-two alumni and friends attended the SLU reception at GSA. It was an absolutely excellent affair.
Thanks go to Dr. Shrady for planning and supporting this event. People did not wander in and out of this one; they came and stayed for the entire time. It was a great group. Mark mentioned what a pleasure it was to see Andrew Solod ‘01, Nate Page ’02 and David Brewster, but there were many others who we don’t get to see very often. Andy Fountain made it this time even though he is now Geology Dept. Chair at Portland State University, Oregon! All three Tewksbury’s (Barb ‘73, David ‘75, and daughter Carolyn) gave papers at this meeting, an interesting occurrence. The now retired Jay Fleisher ’61 was there to visit. He seems very happy and still geologically active as ever. Some also did not make it to the reception but visited with Mark included Bob Shuster ‘76 and Neil Sammis ‘74. Neil has been with Exxon for many years and says he has really enjoyed his career. He remembered some of the defining experiences of his days as a geology student. That was unusually fine stratigraphy class come to think of it! Dave Griffing ‘83, who is now a tenured faculty member at Hartwick College, visited for a short time. He is enjoying his teaching. Dave Waugh ’99 presented more of his dissertation research on crab cuticle. He is now happily married and so he is domestic as well as academic. Seems very happy. All in all St. Lawrence made an outstanding contribution to the GSA meeting.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Lauren Chrapowitzky ’08 receives an award for the best student poster from officers of the geology honor society Sigma Gamma Epsilon. What a great evidence that our students are competitive at
the national level! In the photographed with Lauren are (right) National Treasurer, Charlie Mankin and (left) National Editor, Don Neal. [See PDF for picture]
We have set up a Listserve through Yahoo Groups for alumni and faculty to discuss various things. You have to subscribe to this list and be approved.
-- Please See the PDF file for this information.
Jeff Chiarenzelli ‘81
Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season. Since the last newsletter much has happened including SLUGAC 6 in early September. The event was a wonderful success and a clear indication of the health and uniqueness of our program and department. Thanks to all of you who attended and all those who wished they could have made it. We also had a very nice alumni reception in Denver at the annual Geological Society of America meeting.
At the GSA meeting, Lauren Chrapowitzky (08’) won first place from Sigma Gamma Epsilon (the geology honorary society) for her poster on the metasedimentary rocks exposed at Chimney Mountain in the Central Adirondacks. Lauren reported on the SHRIMP (sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe) results she collected while in Australia. Evan Blumberg (’08) collected some additional geochronological data this November in Tucson Arizona by analyzing the U-Th-Pb systematics of titanite at the University of Arizona’s LA-ICP-MS (laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry lab). The James Street Fund helped support the travel involved in both these opportunities and I sincerely thank all who have donated to this fund. In addition to Lauren’s work, Brian Congiu (08’) and Matt Zabik (08’) spent the summer working with me on the SLU fellowships they were awarded. Brian spent his time studying lake water quality in St. Lawrence and Franklin counties while Matt worked on survey of groundwater quality throughout the central part of St. Lawrence County. Both of these young men are currently analyzing their data using Geographic Information Systems with the help of Carol Cady and Bill
Olsen in the GIS lab. Their posters and maps are legendary and award winning. It was a real pleasure to work with students of this caliber even if we almost sunk Brian’s boat on our first sampling attempt! Evan Blumberg (’08) is also working with me on my ACS-PRF grant studying shale geochemistry through time. We are currently analyzing many of the samples in Neal O’Brien’s (Potsdam Emeriti Professor) and will soon draw upon many of our colleagues from around the globe to provide us with additional samples.
Earlier in the summer Dr. Shrady, Steve Alexander (’03), and I had a very enjoyable trip in the Snake River Plain-Grand Teton-Yellowstone area with six of our students. Steve served as our guide and logistical planner and did an outstanding job. From standing on pristine lava flows, to brushing snow off our tents in the Norris Geyser Basin in late May, to visiting one of the coolest petrified forests I’ve ever seen, it was a wonderful trip! We finished the trip at Chico Hot Springs treating ourselves to a long soak in the 109oF water. I spent the rest of the summer working with Matt and Brian, and instructing at
the SUNY Oswego geology field camp at various locations in the Adirondacks.
I really enjoy working with my new colleagues Antun Husinec and Alexander Stewart, and trips to the bookstore for a caffeine fix with Matt Van Brocklin. John Bursnall is teaching me how to play squash and I’m enjoying the chance to get some exercise on the fine new courts we have. I also had great visit with Frank (’81) and Jeanne Henderson who stopped by with their son, Colin, one sunny day this Fall on their way to Lake Placid. As always Matt VanBrocklin and Sherrie Kelly provide us with wonderful support, expertise, and friendship.
Stephanie Peek ‘06
Stephanie just completed the first year of a masters program in geology at the University of Wyoming, in Laramie Wyoming. Laramie is a great metropolis after 4 years in Canton (it has 2 McDonalds, whoa.). The west is great, it is a different culture more polite, more relaxed, and much more conservative. The geology is awesome without those pesky plants and glacial deposits covering rock outcrops!
Her project is in vertebrate paleontology, looking at the place of marine mammals in food webs and how that has changed over time. She’ll graduate in May of 2008. After that…..who knows. The university of Wyoming offers many opportunities in geology and geophysics and offers a very different lifestyle. She said it’s a wonderful learning experience (not just geologically speaking). Mark enjoyed having his poster across from Steph’s in the Paleo session!
Alexander K. Stewart
Glacial Geology/Geomorphology
Since August, I have been a sabbatical replacement for Stephen Robinson, teaching Hydrolgy/Hydrogeology, Geomorphology, Glacial Geology (Spring), Glacial Field Methods (Spring) and
service courses.
At the beginning of the fall semester both David Baker and Hillary Siener asked me to be their thesis advisor – I eagerly said “Yes.” David is continuing a remote-sensing(!) project on Martian geomorphology, which he began while interning at Brown University. He is attempting to better understand the “upland” and “lowland” components of the Martian dichotomy boundary, or the region where an ancient ocean may have lapped against highlands.
Hillary is working a glacial-flow project in the St. Lawrence Lowland and Adirondack Highlands. Her project is augmenting the glacier-flow indicator data in the North Country by collection of new data and placing it (and published data) into the SLU GIS program. Both students are coming along well with likely presentations at the Northeastern section, Geological Society of America Meeting this spring in Buffalo, NY.
As for me, I am continuing my research into palaeotopography and glacier erosion, while searching for a new academic job!
Greetings from Washington!!!
I love my job here at the Department of Ecology and am getting some really good practical experience. The Dept. has around 1200 employees all working on different aspects of environmental science
and policy and my project is studying coastal erosion. I will get a chance to shadow people working on hazardous waste cleanup, etc.
Emilee A. Mroz ‘07
Ed Cavallerano ‘03
Everything here is going well. I've finally finished up my training classes and am a bit more settled now, though they had me out on a rig in Oklahoma all this week. BH has a test facility here where they
test the new tools before they are commercially released and we've been able to see some of our new technology. I had a good time sitting up by the shale shakers looking at the cuttings and following
the lithology guide along. I am on vacation all next week and will be taking my parents to Big Bend National Park. Before we head out of town we're off to see the Lucy exhibit though.
Carl Pierce
Well it’s been an interesting fall semester. We welcomed Dr. Antun Husinec and Dr. Alexander Stewart to the department. I am glad that I have spent some time with them and enjoy their company very much. Antun makes a wonderful addition to the faculty with his research in carbonate sedimentology. I learned some interesting things about carbonates when talking to him during his poster session at GSA. Alexander, although he’s only with us temporarily, has made a great impression on me with his many humorous statements, about geology and life in general, at the hotel in Denver. I wish him the best in his search for a permanent position as a college professor.
I also want to thank Cathy, Jeff, Mark, Sherrie, Matt and the students for their continued support and assistance. I would like to wish Stephen Robinson good luck in the London Program. I am glad to be here and would like to extend a Merry Christmas to all!!!
SEE YOU ALL IN THE SPRING!!!
Received by the State of South Carolina, Maureen A. Jackson’s ’97 nomination recognizes the superb effort she has made to help Worsley Companies get on top of the compliance curve. You can find this
in UST News (Spring 2007).
Brett Harvey '02
Well, bummer I couldn't make it to the conference when it was in Denver, I was really looking forward to catching up and meeting other alum in the area. (Besides A. Solod and N. Page who I spend lots of free time with). I've been in the field a lot lately, which I'll take over the office for the time being. I'm working with Black Range Minerals, an small Australian-based exploration company. This fall I was based up in Wyoming where we were drilling at an old copper mine. Now I'm in Canon City, Colorado looking for uranium, which seems to be in the midst of a boom out here. I'm learning lots and it's good to wipe away the cobwebs that have formed over what I learned at SLU years ago. Also, I am engaged to Hattie Shelton '02 who is working her way towards a doctorate in school psychology!
Dear Friends,
Thanksgiving provides the time to write the news of the last six months. Lots of things going on this Summer and Fall.
I spent June in a tent with students in North Dakota! Some of you know about the weather and me in N.D. This year was a perfect example. It rained almost everyday in close proximity if not directly on us. So much rain fell that the State declared that the perpetual drought in the SW was broken! Tents blew down twice — we had some fierce winds. Even with all of this the students were mostly able to persevere. We saw hard rocks and soft rocks starting with Gowganda Tillite and ending with the N.D. Pleistocene. We worked closely with geologists from the N.D. Geological Survey and the Pioneer Trails Museum in Bowman, ND as they excavated mosasaur, Triceratops, and even some mammals fossils. At various times we were joined by Trisha Smrecak, Matt Burton-Kelly, Tanya Justham, and Tom Fitz. Actually, on the return trip we stopped at Tom Fitz’s home in Ashland, Wisconsin and he gave us the latest interpretation of the Sudbury Complex including interpretations of the impact breccia that has now been recognized over wide region. Thanks for that Tom. Wade, Kate, Maggie and I got back to Canton just in time to work on GSA abstracts.
I was more than happy to do some real vacationing late July and August as the lake finally went down to normal. All last year Lake Champlain was above average and was in flood (above 100’ msl) most of the summer. Bowfin were everywhere for a few days! While at camp I spent a good deal of time preparing for a special course offering called insect Origins based on the text Evolution of the Insects by Grimaldi and Engel. We have barely scratched the surface of this text this semester but we have learned a great deal about insects just the same. Most invert paleo classes simply underestimate the importance of the insects for the evolution of most groups during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic. It has been a good group.
As soon as the semester began a group of alumni began to put the finishing touches on plans for SLUGAC 6. The week before SLUGAC was Labor Day weekend which found me at the wedding of Andrew and Allison Fetterman in Lake George. On the way I stopped in Saranac Lake to visit with Brett Palmateer and his family who had gathered for his sister’s wedding. Brett and Jas have a new son. Had a good visit with Tony Abrantes while at Andy’s wedding and renewed my acquaintance with Andy’s whole family.
SLUGAC 6 was the high point of the semester. You can read about it in the SLUGAC article so I will give you just my personal views. I am continually impressed by the willingness of alumni to devote their time and resources to help our students comprehend the opportunities the real world holds for students with a geology degree. I was delighted to see more than 30 alumni here. I was particularly pleased to meet Bill Van Wie and to learn about prospecting in the deep water Gulf. Dan and Ann Sullivan were gracious hosts for the group and that pleased me so well. But the most humbling and gratifying was the surprise they gave me by presenting me with the Elberty Medal. Mine was one of three awarded, Alice Quackenbush and Sarah Zimmerman were the others. I was in very good company, and I can assure you the standing ovation was as touching as the honor of the medal itself. Many thanks to all of you for the enjoyment of working with you over the years. It’s wonderful to be honored for something so enjoyable!! THANK YOU.
I have had personal visits or phone visits with many of your, and I may not remember them all. I remember that Glenn Keys is building a house over in the Hudson Valley. Booth Platt and McKenzie have bought a house in Michigan. Scott Carpenter is so busy developing his own business—building a computer guide sampling device for isotope microsamples that I seldom hear from him anymore. Joanne Cavellerano actually took a break from her busy work schedule to pay us a visit. She is doing very well with SNSR in Massachusetts. It was especially good to see Myron Getman at SLUGAC.
He has a great family and an impressive mosasour tattoo!
I particularly want to thank Dale Chayes for his visit and his talk about Arctic research techniques this fall. He kept his promise for missing SLUGAC! Great talk, Dale. My other excitement for the Fall has been Denver. The usual preparations and execution for talks at GSA. We had five faculty and at least eight students attending in Denver. Each of the faculty presented and several students did as well. Loren Chrapowitzky was awarded best poster in the Sigma Gamma Epsilon poster session for her work with Jeff Chiarenzelli. We also held an alumni reception which had 32 participants including folks like David Brewster ‘81 whom I had not seen for many years. David’s Colorado-based exploration company has just drilled the first discovery well in Belize. Nate Page, who is now in a Masters program and Andrew Solod who is working with an environmental consulting company also attended from the local area. (See the GSA news for more info.) Jay Fleisher, who is now retired but continuing his glacial research, joined us as well. GSA gave several students a chance to investigate graduate schools and they seem to have gotten some good ideas. All in all it was a good experience.
Now we are preparing to windup the semester. You remember what that’s like. I extend Season’s Greeting and Best Wishes to you all. Hope 2008 is generous to you and all of yours.
Best wishes,
Mark
Note From The Chair:
The Fall semester has flown by; it seems like only a couple of weeks ago that some of you were here for SLUGAC. A full report can be found elsewhere in this news letter but it was certainly a successful event. Thanks especially to the hard work of Sarah McElfresh and Mark Erickson and to all of you who were able to come! No other department has anything like this and the message your support sends to the University is very important, indeed. And there is no doubt that our current undergraduates benefit immensely. The contacts they make with you, listening to your experiences and opinions all are valuable in ways that may only become apparent in the future. The time and expense you go to for this department and its students are very, very much appreciated.
In a similar vein, your contributions to our various funds make a tangible difference. At least seven of our students attended GSA in Denver; given the distance and expense, this is an impressive number. Three of them presented their research and the James Street Funds helped to support student attendance and, for some of them, their research. Elsewhere in the newsletter you can read about the award that Lauren Chrapowitzky received for her poster. Two of our students presented at a GIS conference earlier in the fall, and Brian Congiu won an award for his poster based on his summer research. We have a very active and excellent group of students (as always)!
It is with pleasure that we welcome Antun Husinec to the department as our new sedimentologist and Alexander Stewart who is Steve Robinson’s leave replacement for this year. They are both making much appreciated contributions to the department and creating excitement among the students. Alexander will be taking students to Alaska at the end of the spring semester as part of a glaciology course and Antun will be leading a trip to the Bahamas over spring break as a component of his carbonate sedimentology course. We are also pleased that Carl Pierce has joined us for a second year as a Jeffrey Campbell Fellow bringing his expertise in applied geophysics to the department.
Not much to report on the renovation and move to Bewkes. The most recent architects’ estimates were significantly higher than expected and it looks like not much will happen until sources of funding are identified, so we are in another hurry up and wait phase (again).
In addition to the usual end-of-semester activities, it appears that the majority of the 14 seniors are working on their graduate school applications and sophomores and juniors are beginning to plan for summer jobs, fellowships and internships. At least two will be studying in Australia this spring.
On a personal note, John is keeping busy in retirement- helping to coach the squash team and helping with rugby when he has time. He is often seen in the department and will be teaching a First Year Seminar this spring on a geological theme.
Our daughter Teya is now the happy owner of a horse having almost outgrown her beloved pony and giving me more and more gray hairs as she tackles higher and higher jumps. At last count our personal zoo consisted of: a horse, a pony, one dog, 2 cats and a kitten, 2 parakeets, 9 chickens, a rooster (the vicious rooster found himself locked out of the chicken coup and became some wild creature’s dinner), and three ducks.
All the best for a happy and healthy holiday season and New Year. Keep in touch!
Cathy Shrady
Hello from London!
This year I’ve decided to take a bit of time away from Canton to become Director of the St. Lawrence abroad program in London. Catherine and I (plus the two dogs!) came over in early August and are staying until next July, and we are all absolutely loving it (dogs included). It’s a completely different experience compared to being on campus, although with email I’m not too far out of the SLU sphere. Most of my position deals with the academic and financial aspects of running the program for up to 25 students each semester. Our first group of 25 are leaving in a couple of weeks after a fun-filled semester. I do teach one course in British culture over here, and I really like that as it brings me back to my UK roots. I took the students to the National Coal Mining Museum in Yorkshire and they loved it, especially the underground mine tour. I just had to get a bit of geology into the curriculum. We’ve managed a few trips out of the city since we’ve been here, including a week in Scotland. Completely by fluke the cottage we rented was 8 miles from Siccar Point, famous for Hutton and Playfair’s angular unconformity, so of course a day trip was in order! If anyone is passing through London in the next few months, drop me a line and we can meet up. I know a good pub or two! I also ran a really interesting trip to China for 8 students in early summer. We were looking at environmental issues and ethics in central China as well as in the southwest Yunnan Province. A great trip was had by all and we saw some amazing sites, especially on our 4 day hike through the deepest gorge in the world, Tiger Leaping Gorge.
All the best,
 Stephen Robinson
Hi all,
My name is Antun Husinec and I am a new sedimentologist here at the Department. Let me start off this note by introducing myself to everyone!
I'm coming here from a small country of Croatia situated in south eastern Europe, among other things well-known for its natural beauties and somewhat less-known for its contribution to the world of fashion – most of you probably do not know that an indispensable part of a men’s wardrobe, i.e., the necktie, originated in Croatia. I received my B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from Zagreb University, where I studied Late
Mesozoic growth and demise of the Bahama-type Adriatic platform. I started my professional career as a research scientist at the Croatian Geological Survey. This work has given me an excellent opportunity to sharpen my field skills, including sedimentology, lithostratigraphy, biostratigraphy and mapping. As a Fulbright Fellow I pursued my postdoctoral research in carbonate sedimentology and paleoclimate at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg. After Fulbright I returned for two years to the Survey, and I also taught as an adjunct assistant professor at Zagreb University. All this was an extremely valuable experience but I decided to leave knowing for sure that I was really cut out to be a teacher and academic researcher.
Four months ago my family and I made a great move and came here to Canton. We were warmly welcomed, and I'd like to thank all the geology faculty and staff for so much help and for making this transition so much easier. Cathy was extremely helpful during the entire process of moving here, and benevolently tolerated our fastidious demands regarding the housing. Jeff and his family have been helping just about everything since our arrival at Syracuse airport; from lending the furniture (and I hope that I'll keep my promise and return that dining table by the time this is published) to introduction to local geology, field trips, and interesting research possibilities in the area. I am especially looking forward to collaborate with Jeff on some of his projects. I am grateful to Mark for numerous advices and for introducing me to many SLU alumni,both at this year's SLUGAC and at the GSA in Denver. Some of these contacts will be very valuable in starting my research here. I also enjoyed sharing my impressions of the school and life in the North Country with Alexander, my fellow rookie here. Carl, Sherrie and Matt were all very friendly and helpful. What a nice bunch!
This past semester I've been teaching Sedimentology and a lab part of Dynamic Earth. I must admit I've been snowed under with lecture and lab preparation, as well as trying to find right spots for fieldtrips. I had a really nice bunch of students (see picture) and I am happy that some of them have decided to take more in-depth look into sedimentology next semester. As a matter of fact, I am very excited about the next semester. Teaching Oceanography should be lots of fun and I surely hope that it will help attract more students to become geology majors. I will also teach an advanced course on Carbonate Sedimentology. In addition to field trips to ancient carbonates of Kentucky and Vermont, the course will include a 10-day field trip to the Bahamas - the carbonate tropical paradise!
Just as signs of winter are becoming quite apparent in the North Country I am realizing that the Christmas and holidays are near. My first semester here flew in no time!
I wish you all spend this wonderful time of year with your family and loved ones.
PLEASE HELP US BY RESPONDING!!
We are sure you have noticed the request for a response to the enclosed questionnaire in the last few Newsletters. Some of you have responded and we DEEPLY appreciate that. Many of you have not yet done so – although we are sure you intended to! We are interested in this information because the University is asking each department to justify its opinions of its students’ outcomes with EVIDENCE. We need evidence from all of you whether you are doing geology or something else. Please take the time to respond so that we can satisfy the university before the Middle States Review this Spring. Do
not respond more than once – so if you have done this already MANY THANKS!  PDF VERSION
Dave Egan '95 with Marlene, Jack and Griffin. Dave has 3.5 years in at Shell, and he reports that he is now in the Rocky Mtn. Onshore group which gets him up to the Denver office now and then. He is
still based in Houston, however, so we should get to see him at next year's GSA reception!!
Holiday greetings Geo-Folks,
Well… Thanksgiving is now behind us and Christmas lies ahead with lots to complete on the in-between here in SLU Land. It is that time of the season when everyone is trying to finish up projects and ready
themselves for finals. Now that field season is done, with the exception of the structure folks… (forgive me one cruel chuckle…) my time is freed up a bit giving me the opportunity to go around and service
equipment, inventory and order supplies and get a start preparing for another roundcome next semester. A nice time of year, for me anyway…
This past semester has seen continued change in your Geology Department. Our resident Canadian, Steve Robinson, is across the big pond teaching in London this year. We are fortunate to have Alexander
Stewart filling Steve's office and teaching in his place while he is away to the east and on the other side of the mid Atlantic Ridge. Friend and educator Diane Burns has moved on to other pursuits and is now teaching at Eastern Illinois University.
Her ready smile and boisterous laugh are missed but not forgotten. With Diane's departure enters Antun Husinec, the new resident Sedimentologist for the department. It has been a pleasure getting to know and work with these two new fellows. Hopefully some of you folks will get to visit in the near future and meet them for yourselves. I will leave the lion share of the department news to the capable key strokes of the other members of your Geology Department to fill in.
The past summer once again found me conducting environmental inspections on natural gas pipeline construction in the beautiful country side of the Allegany Mountains near Williamsport, PA. Being gone all summer left Shirley holding down the farm while she also did her duties as the DEC Chief Lifeguard. Upon arriving back home and returning to my work here at SLU there were lots of chores that needed our attention around the farm. We have been busy with cutting fire wood (my life story), fixing fence (more than a few chapters of my life story), some home repair and improvements and working with the horses. All 6 horses are now saddle trained and have seen trail time. It's a good thing we have the 3 young mares under saddle since the 3 older horses are getting up in years and to the point we don't ride them much or very hard. The older horses are great for younger and/or less experienced folks to enjoy however. Seems we have an equine retirement home…
There have only been a few changes for your technician and the small farm I share with Shirley. We lost our Black Lab, Bear Dog, this past fall. At 11 years young he was the farm ram rod and all round helper. Bear was a steadfast friend and companion whether we were cutting wood, riding horses or fixing fence. He now lies to rest where he is surrounded by farm and family. Before Bear passed, however, we had brought in a new addition to our extended family.
Aspen is now an 11 month old Golden Retriever and is a blond and bubbly happy fellow. Life is good for our dogs on the small farm… Aspen is forever pestering our older Golden, Cyprus who is now 7 and since Bears passing has become the old gent of the farm. The horses are doing well and are now wearing their thick winter coats and enjoying hay. Well friends, I will leave you with a little North Country weather report.
Autumn has come along slowly with the warm weather migrating grudgingly away. However, the past few weeks have seen things turn a bit more winter like. We have enjoyed several days now of scattered snow flurries and snow showers that left the ground frosted over on several occasions. We haven’t received a snow that has stayed but… we have continued to get a fresh carpet of white every few days and snow… snow… snow… is in the forecast for the near future. I am hoping for a good old fashioned North Country winter. It has been a good many years since we have enjoyed, some would say suffered through, a long hard season but I am ever hopeful. No doubt winter can make day to day chores more of a struggle but winter also makes me feel alive. And there is no cozier feeling than coming in to a warm crackling fire after a day of chores out in the snow and cold. With the harsher weather come opportunities for outdoor activities that come along for a short while only once a year. Shirley and I enjoy time spent in the woods getting a glide with our back country skis, usually with the dogs and often with good friends. It isn't unusual to find us around a small fire in a friendly spot out in the forest. Around that fire; conversation, laughter, roasted hot dogs and chilled bota bags of favorite wine are frequently enjoyed. Now that's living! If the snow is deep, I might strap on my snow shoes and get a little grouse or
rabbit hunt in. Snowmobiling is another way Shirley and I get out and enjoy the North Country winter. We can leave from our house and get to Old Forge, Cranberry Lake, Tupper Lake, Long Lake, or any number of other destinations.
Shirley doesn't ice fish but I do… Time on the hard water is well spent with good friends trying to pull perch through the ice. As you can see winter season opens up a whole world that we enjoy.
I hope your holiday and winter seasons are full of fun, wonder and laughter with family and friends. Maybe we'll see you sometime and we can share a few winter stories…
Warm wishes
Matt
News from Alaska
Captions to pictures
STREET FUND ACTIVITIES -- FALL 2007
The faculty and students of the Geology Department are grateful to those who have contributed and who continue to contribute to the Jim Street Student Geology Fund which supports the research and “professional activities” of our students. We also acknowledge with thanks the support of the Dean’s office which matches Street Funds when students travel to present papers at various meetings. This relationship allows both the University and the Geology Department to benefit more students than would otherwise be the case.
Some examples of ways in which the Street Fund assisted students this Summer and Fall are the following:
• Three students Maggie Simmons, Wade Jones, and Kate Zubin-Stathopoulos did field work in North Dakota for the month of June as the field component of the course “From Here to the Badlands”;
• David Baker did planetary geology research at Brown University;
• Lauren Chrapowitzky, who was abroad for a semester in Australia, was able to travel from her home site in eastern
Australia to Perth to analyze Adirondack zircons for age determination using the SHRIMP with Street Fund support;
• Evan Blumberg also did age determination on Adirondack samples with the Street Fund in this case supported his travel to Arizona to use a Laser Ablation ICP;
• Eight students attended GSA annual meetings in Denver with partial support from the Street Fund and the Dean’s Fund. Three of those students, Sarah Fuller, Lauren Chrapowitzky, and Wade Jones presented papers with Lauren’s winning the SGE Best Student Poster Award as noted elsewhere in this Newsletter!
None of these opportunities, other than the support for the student presentations, would have been available to students were it not for the Street Fund! St. Lawrence Magazine for the last quarter of 2007 lists the value of the Street Fund Endowment in the neighborhood of $133,000. Those of you who follow finances will appreciate the importance of the early growth of the Fund which now continues to expand even as the students are benefiting from the interest it generates. Thanks to those who have contributed to the Street Fund in the past year (and whose names we are aware
of):
Last Updated: 
Febrary 22, 2008
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Sarah McElfresh
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