Earth and Environmental Geoscience

Department Head: Lisa Greer; greerl@wlu.edu; 540-458-8870

Academic Division: The College

Earth and Environmental Geoscience offers a highly relevant, integrative, scientific avenue of study for managing our interactions with the environment, providing adequate resources, ensuring the safety of the built environment in the face of natural hazards, and solving the complex history of earth and its continuing evolution. We make extensive use of the extraordinary geology of the Appalachians and other locales around the globe, including Iceland, the Colorado Plateau, Hawai’i, Belize, New Zealand, Indonesia, and Greece. We offer many research opportunities using scientific computing, field programs, laboratory analyses, and GIS mapping.

Students interested in environmental science, geophysics, or engineering geology should consult with an Earth and Environmental Geoscience faculty member to ensure that the proper courses are selected for advanced study or the pursuit of a particular career path.

Students interested in a career in secondary science education should consult with faculty in Earth and Environmental Geoscience and the teacher education program as early as possible.

Honors: An Honors Program in Earth and Environmental Geoscience is offered for qualified students; see department head for details.

Offerings

Earth and Environmental Geoscience, B.A.  

Earth and Environmental Geoscience, B.S.  

Faculty

First date is the year in which the faculty member began service as regular faculty at the University. Second date is the year of appointment to the present rank.

Nicholas D. Barber, Ph.D.—(2023)-2023
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience
Ph.D., University of Cambridge

Madhumita Chakraborty, Ph.D.—(2022)-2024
Assistant Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience
Ph.D., Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur

Christopher D. Connors, Ph.D.—(1999)-2012
William E. Pritchard III ‘80 Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience
Ph.D., Princeton University

Mary Lisa Greer, Ph.D.—(2003)-2015
Harry E and Mary Jayne W. Redenbaugh Term Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience
Ph.D., University of Miami

David Jorgensen Harbor, Ph.D.—(1992)-2004
Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience
Ph.D., Colorado State University

Margaret Anne Hinkle, Ph.D.—(2017)-2025
Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience
Ph.D., Washington University, St. Louis

Elizabeth P. Knapp, Ph.D.—(1997)-2014
Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience
Ph.D., University of Virginia

Jeffrey M. Rahl, Ph.D.—(2006)-2018
Professor of Earth and Environmental Geoscience
Ph.D., Yale University