SLUGAC 7 ST. LAWRENCE GEOLOGY FROM POLE TO POLE: AS EXEMPLIFIED BY THE ACHIEVEMENTS OF ALBERT P. CRARY '31 OCTOBER 8-10, 2010
Conference Web site: http://it.stlawu.edu/~geoclub/alumni/slugac7.html
The SLU Geology Alumni Conference is a student-oriented event designed
and originated by Alumni to inform Geology students about all aspects
of the profession. In our experience this is a unique hallmark of our
department and University because it is driven by Alumni volunteerism
and altruism in support of undergraduate education where the
theoretical becomes practical so that students can imagine themselves
“doing that” after St. Lawrence. Many alumni come to the
Conference to
reunion with fellow graduates. About half of the alums present very
brief talks about their professional projects. Some lead discussions,
answer questions from students or reminisce a bit. The meeting is
casual and generally allows networking between alumni, students, and
faculty. Alum Jeff Chiarenzelli '81 will have just taken over the
reigns as department chair at the time of the conference. Students get
first-hand information about careers in Geology and related disciplines
and they learn pathways to career goals and graduate programs. Alumni
use the occasion to inform themselves about department and university
programs, goals and needs, and to network with their peers. The Geology
Alumni Council, comprised of those alumni attending SLUGAC, meets to
discuss their insights about the profession and their new insights
about St. Lawrence. Your support is both essential and appreciated.
SLUGAC 7 will focus on work alumni have done at the polar regions and
everywhere in between in honor of Albert P. Crary '31 who was the first
person to have stood on both poles. We hope that many alumni will
be
able to return to campus to share their work and life experience with
students. We wish to remind you that even if you are not
currently an
“active geologist” your experiences are most valuable to
the students.
Those of us who have gone on to careers in other fields also have a
wealth of information to share that the students (and alumni alike)
find very useful. I often view SLUGAC as a way to share with
students
the notion of “what have I done and learned from my St. Lawrence
Geology education.” We all have a story to tell; and our
collective
story to be shared with the students is a key component of SLUGAC.
Below you will find a list of tentative activities and important
dates. Since we need to have some idea of attendance, there is
also a
a link to the registration form for you to fill out and return. Having
this information will be useful for planning particularly for reserving
rooms and for university support. Returning a hard copy of the form is
most desirable, however response via phone or email is also possible.
Our contact information is listed below. We will post a running list of
those who have expressed interest so get your friends together and let
us hear from you. This list will be found off of the conference
website. You can also check out the event on our facebook group
as
well.
Some activities will include:
• Talks for and with Geology students (research, work experience,
new
developments)
• R. O. Bloomer Alumni Banquet on Saturday Evening
• R. O. & Vera Bloomer Lecture on Friday Evening will be given
by
Andrew Fountain ’75 - hit talk is entitled “Glaciers and
the near
future of global sea level change.”
• Tree dedication in the memory of Alice Quackenbush, long time
department secretary
• Seminar (Preparing for Graduate School, Working in Industry)
• 4th W. T. Elberty, Jr. Memorial Auction after dinner on Saturday.
• Awarding of W.T. Elberty, Jr. Medal
• Tour of campus - many new buildings and renovations
have taken
place over the past few years.
• Presentations by students
Summary of Important Dates:
* Intent to present a talk or attend: ASAP
* Abstract Submission deadline: July 15, 2010
* W.T. Elberty Medal Nominations: July 15, 2010
* Alumni Resume Submission deadline: August 15, 2010
* Alumni Brief Description deadline: September 1,
2010
* Early Registration: September 1, 2010
* Current Student Resume Submission deadline:
September 10, 2010
* Conference Dates: October 8-10, 2010
It would be most helpful to have registrations before September 1st, so
the sooner the better. Please refer to the web site and below for
instructions on the submissions. Even if you do not submit a
resume,
we would like a "brief description" from all alums for the students.
Contacts: Mark Erickson: meri@stlawu.edu
315-229-5198
Sarah McElfresh: sarah_mcelfresh@hotmail.com
412-241-4896* Please have SLUGAC in the subject of all emails to ensure that it
gets through SPAM filters.
*after June 30, use email and not phone.
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About the Proceedings: The Proceedings will include the Schedule
of Events, abstracts of talks, and resumés from current
students,
attending alumni, and faculty. We are looking at the possibility of
having the proceedings on CD with only something needing to be printed.
Abstract Submission: Send a 200-300 word abstract about your
talk to sarah_mcelfresh@hotmail.com
with the subject: SLUGAC7 Abstract.
Format: Pasted into the body of the email, or attached as Word or Text.
Brief Description Please send this whether
or
not you intend to submit a resume. Please send a brief
description of yourself for the printed materials.
This will be
given
to the students ahead of time (and alumni at the conference) to give
everyone an idea of what it is you do or have done. This may be most
useful to the students to let them know who is coming and be more
comfortable with whom they want to ask questions during the conference
Suggested Format:
Name 'XX, (majors;
minors)
Masters in X at University Y, PhD in X at University Y.
Currently hold position X at Company doing XXX. In
the past I have done work in XXXX and XXXX. Contact Info
(phone
and/or email).
The idea is to let the
students know what type of geology or other things you have done since
leaving SLU but in a succinct a way as possible. Even if you
are not a traditional geologist, it is still important to send this in.
Those of us not doing geology are able to highlight the types
of things you can still do with a liberal arts degree in geology and
perhaps how the geology training makes you do that differently.
Resumés: It may seem strange to send your resume to the
proceedings of the conference but even brief work histories and
summaries of educational background are very useful and informative to
our students.
>From the student perspective, they may be the most helpful part of
the
Proceedings. This serves several purposes. It allows the students to
present themselves to the alumni and vice versa. It serves as an ice
breaker for conversation as it were. Also, the students are better able
to appreciate the variety of pathways their futures may take with their
Geology degree. The resumé should also have contact information,
so
that long after SLUGAC the students will still be able to contact
alumni with questions.
Guidelines for resumé submission: no more than 2 single pages, 1
inch
margins, nothing in the header or footer, in text or MS Word format
preferable.
Submit via email to: sarah_mcelfresh@hotmail.com
subject: SLUGAC7 resume
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Call for Nominations for the William T. Elberty, Jr., Medal
Dear St. Lawrence Geology Alumni and Friends,
In 2004, the Geology Department instituted a tradition of awarding a
medal, named for William T. Elberty, Jr. to recognize those alumni with
long standing support and dedication to the St. Lawrence University
Geology Department. This medal was named after Bill to recognize his
long history of dedication to his students, the Department and the
University, and will be awarded every three years as part of the St.
Lawrence University Geology Alumni Conference (SLUGAC). This year's
award will be presented at the R.O. Bloomer Banquet during SLUGAC 7
this coming fall, and award nominations for the Elberty Medal Award are
currently being sought.
Eligibility: Awardees may be St. Lawrence alumni, faculty/staff,
current students or friends of the Geology Department. The award is
intended to honor a sustained pattern of acts of service to the Geology
Program, to its educational mission in classroom, laboratory or field,
to its students, faculty or staff in their teaching/research endeavors,
or to
its alumni in their activities related to the St. Lawrence Geology
Department.
Nomination process: Nominators must submit a letter of nomination that
includes a history and description of the service and support
activities for which the candidate is being nominated. Letters may be
sent via email or US Mail to:
* Conference Chairs: J. Mark Erickson and Sarah
McElfresh '98
* Papers Chairs: Heather Cunningham '98 and Sarah
McElfresh '98
* Publicity Chair: Christopher Stevens '04
Thank you and we look forward to seeing you on campus in the fall.