APEX Fellowship gives environmental studies major hands-on urban farming experience
When Cady Eakins ’25 went on a field trip to Akron Cooperative Farms with a class, she never expected that she would also gain […]
Overview
Minor in Earth Sciences at The College of Wooster
Earth Sciences combines principles of physics, chemistry, and biology to understand Earth history and Earth processes. Students with an interest in geology and environmental science can add an Earth Sciences minor to nearly any major course of study and still graduate in four years because of the interdisciplinary nature of the curriculum at Wooster. To earn a minor, students must complete a course in Earth Systems and five other classes in the Earth Sciences discipline.
View 2022 Annual Report (PDF)Learn about Wooster’s STEM community through the STEM Success Initiative
Faculty & Staff
Meagen Pollock
Lewis M. and Marian Senter Nixon Professorship in the Natural Sciences
Timothy Siegenthaler
Instrument and Lab Tech/Machinist - Biology, Chemistry, Earth Sciences, Physics
Latest Earth Sciences News
Triple major studies differing resources and utilizes multiple research styles
When Athena Tharenos ’24 first arrived at The College of Wooster, she didn’t consider herself much of an academic, nor did she see a […]
Environmental geoscience major combines two passions for senior research
Virginia native Corey Knauf ’24 has played the game of baseball for nearly his entire life. Just like a pitcher comes set for each […]
Annual Osgood Memorial Lecture to feature earth scientist and museum educator Lisa White
The College of Wooster Department of Earth Sciences will welcome Lisa White, director of education and outreach at the University of California Museum of […]
Minor
Six courses in Earth Sciences must be completed to earn a minor.
Completion of the course Earth Systems is required.
The remaining five courses can be Earth Sciences elective courses of the student’s choosing, with no more than two courses at the 100-level.
View CoursesIndependent Study
In their junior year, Geology and Environmental Geoscience majors undertake a Junior Independent Study (I.S.) project in close collaboration with their peers and a faculty mentor. Students study the concepts and techniques of Earth Science research to prepare for their senior I.S., a capstone experience that challenges them to design and pursue a research project that makes an original intellectual contribution to the geosciences. Because Earth Sciences are best learned by doing, majors often participate in extended field/lab work or a research program during the summer between their junior and senior years. In recent years, students have undertaken field studies in diverse places in the U.S. (Alaska, California, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington) and across the globe (Bahamas, Belize, British Columbia, Cyprus, Mongolia, Iceland, Israel, and western Europe). Our students have worked alongside researchers in labs at The Ohio State University, UNC Chapel Hill, UMass Amherst, and the American Museum of Natural History, among other institutions.
Search the I.S. Database
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When Athena Tharenos ’24 first arrived at The College of Wooster, she didn’t consider herself much of an academic, nor did she see a […]
Environmental geoscience major combines two passions for senior research
Virginia native Corey Knauf ’24 has played the game of baseball for nearly his entire life. Just like a pitcher comes set for each […]
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Alumni
Graduates from Wooster with Earth Sciences training go on to jobs specializing in natural hazards, non-renewable and renewable energy, and water resources. They work for natural resource companies, consulting firms, and government agencies with job titles ranging from project manager and lab director to engineer and data analyst. Some go on to careers in science education in schools, national parks, museums, and non-profit organizations. Others pursue careers in communication as journalists, illustrators, and editors for media outlets, such as National Geographic. Many of our graduates make their way to top-tier graduate or professional programs to build careers in research, law, and more.
Related Articles
Geology alumna awarded fellowship for climate research
The research opportunities at Wooster prepared Sarah McGrath ’17 for her graduate studies
Geology alumna researches landslides after natural disasters
As a geologist for the United States Geological Survey, Kelli Baxstrom ’16 put much of the expertise learned from her time at The College […]
Involvement in student organizations prepares alumnus for leadership role
CEO of California’s Milk Advisory Board, John Talbot ’81, supports dairy farmers through challenges of pandemic
Lectures
The Richard G. Osgood, Jr., Memorial Lectureship in Geology
The Richard G. Osgood, Jr., Memorial Lectureship in Geology was endowed in 1981 by his three sons in memory of their father. Dr. Osgood was a paleontologist with an international reputation who taught at Wooster from 1967 until 1981. Funds from this endowment are used to bring a well-known scientist interested in paleontology and/or stratigraphy to the campus each year to lecture and meet with students.
Past Lecturers
- 2023 – Terry Wilson, The Ohio State University
- 2022 – Andrew R.C. Milner, Paleontologist & Curator at the St. George Dinosaur Discovery Site
- 2020 – James White, College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder
- 2019 – Alycia L. Stigall, Department of Geological Sciences, OHIO Center for Ecology and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University
- 2018 – Maureen Raymo, Bruce C. Heezen Lamont Research Professor, Lamont-Doherty Core Repository Director, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University
- 2017 – Rob Thieler, U.S. Geological Survey, Coastal and Marine Geology Program, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
- 2016 – Patrick O’Connor, Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine
- 2015 – Scott White, University of South Carolina,
- 2014 – Jessica Conroy (’03), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- 2013 – Michael E. Mann, Penn State University
- 2012 – George Davis (’64), The University of Arizona
- 2011 – Dr. Susan Lozier, Duke University
- 2010 – Dr. James W. Hagadorn, Amherst College
Lab Facilities
The Department of Earth Sciences is housed in Scovel Hall, one of Wooster’s most attractive buildings. Equipment available to earth sciences majors includes binocular and petrographic microscopes, a video system attached to a microscope, computers, photomicroscopes, zoom transfer stereoscope, fluid inclusion system, variable magnification scanning stereoscope, diamond saws and and rock grinding equipment, photography labs, thin-section machine, mapping projector, seismic station, and large sedimentological, paleontological and mineralogical collections. The earth sciences library holdings are unusually complete for a small college.
Paleontology
The paleontological facilities at Wooster include standard rock saws and grinders, along with Nikon microscopes, digitial imaging systems, and fossil preparation tools. We also have extensive research collections, particularly for carbonate hardgrounds, ancient bioerosion, Ordovician invertebrates, and Jurassic limestones and fossils.
Sedimentology
Ohio is a wonderful place to pursue undergraduate research in sedimentology and stratigraphy through Wooster’s Independent Study program. The local rocks provide an excellent sample of Paleozoic paleoenvironments and rock types. Our equipment includes GPS devices, computers, digital imaging equipment, numerous Nikon petrographic and dissecting microscopes, and the standard rock preparation tools, such as saws, grinders, and thin-section machines.
Wooster Tree Ring Lab
Dendrochronology, also known as tree-ring dating, is the method of scientific dating based on the analysis of tree-ring growth patterns. The tree-rings extracted from old wood can be calendar-dated and thus we can determine the calendar date the tree was cut. The tree-ring series are also records of past drought. We are interested in sampling historical structures for their tree-ring records. Our goal is to assemble long tree-ring chronologies from oaks by sampling both living trees and old wood. The data will be used by us and others in modeling past droughts in Ohio and together with similar records across North America.
X-Ray Lab
The acquisition of an X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer (XRF) and an X-ray Diffractometer (XRD) was funded by the National Science Foundation to support Wooster’s robust undergraduate research program. In addition to providing our students with valuable hands-on analytical experience, we hope that the instruments will foster creative collaborations and interdisciplinary research. Please explore this site to learn more about the instruments, who we are, and the research possibilities.
Unique Opportunities
GeoEXCEL
GeoEXCELWe recognize that you are uniquely you and we want to support you on your personal pathway toward a successful STEM career.
GeoEXCEL explores geoscience careers and develops workforce skills to help BIPOC and students from underrepresented communities succeed and thrive in STEM. Thanks to a grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), Wooster is excited to be able to grow these unique opportunities for interested students.
Read about the grantSummer Paid Research and Internship Position
Gain hands-on experience in a STEM field through a paid summer research internship!
If you are interested in a STEM career that makes a difference, apply for our AMRE program with community partners focused on local issues. This is a paid summer research and internship position in which all costs – housing, travel, food, and all project costs – are covered.
No experience is required. We’re looking for rising sophomores who are members of groups underrepresented in STEM careers. If you’re curious about the natural world, want to help the community, and are willing to try new things and work with new and different people, we want you to apply.
What will you gain?
What will you gain?- You’ll learn technical and non-technical workforce skills that apply to a wide range of careers.
- You’ll expand your professional network and develop your professional application materials.
- You’ll explore the possibilities of a variety of STEM careers.
Find the Community Climate Change Project application on the AMRE site.
- What interests you most about the Community Climate Change Project?
- What background, skills, and experiences will you bring to our diverse and unique Community Climate Change team?
- What are your short and long-term goals and aspirations? What motivates and inspires you to move toward those goals?
- What are your expectations of the summer AMRE experience? What do you hope to accomplish? What do you expect from your faculty advisors? From your Community Climate Change team? From the larger AMRE community?
Experiential Learning Course
Thinking about a STEM major? Wondering what you can do with your STEM degree?
Look out for our experiential learning course in Spring 2023.
- Explore a wide variety of careers in the Earth sciences.
- Develop your unique sense of yourself in STEM, building on your values and prior experiences.
- Explore career possibilities and mentoring opportunities in the Earth sciences.
- Connect with STEM professionals at our partner organizations to learn about their day-to-day experiences, academic and professional preparation, and what they find rewarding about their Earth Science careers.
- Prepare for the next step in your STEM journey.
Join Our Peer Support Network
Students in GeoEXCEL can take advantage of our unique peer support network, designed to match you with mentors who can serve as role models and who understand the academic and social challenges at the beginning of a STEM journey. If you’re interested in becoming a GeoEXCEL mentor, contact Dr. Meagen Pollock.
Faculty Emeriti
