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newsletter • 2007-2008

Department of

Our mission is to provide our studentswith an outstanding education in Geology

that will prepare them to address major questionsabout our environment and natural resources

Said M. AbusadaRobert AndrettaMargaret Andronaco & Donald ThompsonArcadisBrian ArmstrongAnn & Robert Bretnall Jr.Leah & Julian CaballeroEileen Rodriguez & Steven CampCanaveral Mineral & Gem SocietyRuth & Todd ChavezJim ChenJian ChenDeidra L. CirielloMichelle & John ClarkeChuck & Laura ConnorRoger A. Countryman IIRichard DavisBeth Ingram & Associates Candace & Eric DeHavenDaris & Bernard DewHelen & David DewittNicole A. ElkoGabrielle M. EnosNoreen A. FlocksLee J. FloreaLanora Sava & Michael FranzeseAnne & Jeffery GartnerGeologic & Environmental TestingGeosyntech ConsultantsGeosyntech ConsultantsGeoview Inc.Sharon GilbergSheila Gobes-Ryan & Jeffrey RyanJames E. GoetzGolder AssociatesLouise & Joseph GouldVirginia & Terry GriffinSue & Games GriffithKathryn & Hunter HamrickJudy HardenPeter J. HarriesKaren & David HarroLoretta & Michael HoltkampHSW Engineering Inc.Tai & Craig Hutchinson

Integrated Water SolutionsPliny Jewell IVCathleen& L. Bruce JonasJudith Fouts & Gregg JonesSarah Kruse & Thomas JusterSandra L. KinnamanJames H. KirbyFredrika & Jonathan KlayShannon Joyce & Bruce LafrenzPamela Manley-Lawn & Andrew LawnPamela & Thomas Lawerence Jr.Dasheng LeiTamera & William McBrideMCD of Central Florida Inc.Morgan Stanley Co.N.S. Nettles & AssociatesNestle Waters North America Inc.Bogdan OnacMarianne O’Neal-Caldwell & Kenneth CaldwellPetra Exploration & Production Company Inc.Bower Kriz & Stynchomb LLCSue & George PreeceQore Inc.Quietearth Consultants Inc.Mark C. RainsRare Earth SciencesDenise & Christopher ReichGlen A. RubisTom ScottThomas M. ScottSDI Environmental Services Inc.Shaw environmental & Infrastructure Inc.Solana Environmental AssociatesRichard M. SpechlerTara K. M. SpielerMichael J. StarksSubsurface Evaluations Inc.The In-Situ Group Inc.Sheryl Levine-Turpen & James TurpenUS Biosystems Inc.Mary & Henry VacherXiaojun Li & Ping WangDavid L. WoolleyDiana Roman & Jonathan Wynn

Your generous support is what sustains our Geology Department! Thanks so much to donors of 2007.

Thank You!• Geology Donor Roll (2007) •

The Geology Department has a full house, with a burgeoning faculty, our highest graduate student enrollment ever, and high undergraduate enrollment. It is truly a great time to be part of our fantastic department. Please take the time to check out developments in this brief newsletter. It does not begin to cover everything that is happening in the department, but hopefully it will provide you with some surprises, insights, and updates. I cannot resist mentioning a few of the really great developments that are launching our department to the next level! We now have fifteen tenured and tenure-earning faculty members and three instructors serving diverse undergraduate and graduate programs. Newest additions to the department include Professors Jonathan Wynn and Diana Roman, who both joined the department in the Fall of 2006. You may already know Jonathan and Diana from their research on the Dikika hominid fossil of Ethiopia, featured on the cover of the journal Nature, and on the cover of Scientific American. For this work they have been nominated for the extremely competitive USF Outstanding Faculty Research Achievement award this year. This year Professor Thomas Pichler is also nominated for the award, for his groundbreaking research on Arsenic contamination in drinking water of Bangladesh, published this year in Science. They will be in good company. Last year Professor Greg Herbert won this award for his research on Florida fossils, published in Science. These are just some highlights of department research, which has never been stronger. Perhaps the strongest achievement in department research goes to Professor Ping Wang, who was awarded tenure and promotion to Associate Professor this year. Ping’s efforts in describing coastal sedimentation and transport have carried on the Skip Davis tradition in the department, with lots of research grounded in physical observations in the ‘swash zone’. You can read more about development of the Coastal Geology program in this newsletter. The Department continues to be a great place for undergraduates. During the last several years we have been running a highly successful field program, during which students stretch their skills in four different two-week intensive sessions. These sessions give our students a chance to experience geology in action and to structure their experience in one super-intense shot, or to spread field-related coursework over a couple of years to fit their schedules. This approach has brought great reviews from students and nationwide attention from other geology programs. All of our graduate and undergraduate students become alumni and I am happy to report that our alumni organization remains the best at USF! Other departments can literally only dream of events like the GeoExpo and the RockBreaker, and, of course, the GAS Banquet. These traditions are really wonderful. Moreover, your contributions, in time, energy, and dollars are really the lifeblood of our department. Thanks for energizing the geology community at USF! Please enjoy the newsletter, check out what is going on with your colleagues, and be sure to let us know how you are doing!

Chuck ConnorChair, Department of Geology

Chuck Connor, Professor and Department Chair, enjoying a field lecture in southern Utah.

news from the outcrop

Our graduate program is really thriving and all Geology Faculty are really proud of the strides the department has made in training our next generation of academic and industry leaders. In the last year the department awarded four doctoral and eleven Master’s degrees. This cohort really represents a sea change for the department, which now has 31 doctoral students in the program and 53 graduate students in total. This makes the department one of the largest graduate programs in Geology in the Southeast, and a busier place than ever. One sign of this activity is the diverse field areas of our graduate students. Current research sites include Baja California, Yemen, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Ecuador, and Japan to name just a few. Literally our graduate students are pursuing geological research all over the Earth.

• Recent Graduates •

Doctoral Students

Lee Florea was awarded a Ph.D. in Geology in Fall, ’06, for his research on karst geology of west-central Florida. Lee has been awarded a prestigious Mendenhall Fellowship from the US Geological Survey and is continuing his groundwater and karst research in their Miami research lab. Parts of his dissertation were recently published in the journals Groundwater and Geology.

Joe Hughes was awarded a Ph.D. in Geology in Summer, ’06. His research, conducted in collabo-ration with the U.S. Geological Survey, involved development of new salinity- and temperature-dependent groundwater flow models for the Floridian aquifer. Joe has recently published his results in Geology, Water Resources Research, as USGS Open-File reports, and in related venues. Joe is now continuing his active career in groundwater modeling with DHI in Tampa.

Rick Bowersox was awarded a Ph.D. in Geology in the Fall ‘06. His research focused on environmental changes that lead to the extinction of marine mollusks in the San Joaquin basin of central California. Rick is currently an instructor at the University of Kentucky, Lexington.

Nicole Elko was awarded her Ph.D. in Geology in the Summer ’06. Nicole is now the Coastal Coordinator for Pinellas County, Florida and a Director of the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association. Nicole’s research focus is the profile and planform adjustment of beach nourishment and the influence of storms on nourished beaches. She has already published 4 peer-reviewed journal articles on these topics.

Master’s Students

Heather Lehto received a M.S. in Summer ’07, completing her research on self-potential time series at the active Masaya volcano, Nicaragua. She is continuing her research as a doctoral student working in volcano seismology and her first project involves study of earthquakes from 2004-2005 activity at Mount St. Helens, Washington.

John Petriello received his M.S. in the Summer of ’07. His research involved ground penetrating radar investigations of the Puluahua, Ecuador, volcano low-aspect ratio pyroclastic flow deposits. John used these data to estimate velocities of the pyroclastic flow, which inundated the valley around the volcano 2450 years ago.

Rick MacNeil received his M.S. in the Fall ’06, completing his research on transient electro-magnetic soundings in Masaya caldera, Nicaragua, and modeling of groundwater flow in this active caldera. His results were published in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. Rick currently works in geophysics in Denver.

Paul Knorr received an M.S in Fall ‘07, completing a study of early Pleistocene sea-level fluctuations as recorded in exposures of the Bermont Forma-tion from the Longan Lakes Quarry near Naples, FL. He received the department’s Outstanding MS Thesis award for his work, and is continuing on as a PhD student.

Kyle Kelso received his M.S. in the Summer of ’07. His research involved natural and anthro-pogenic influences on flow patterns and sediment characteristics in the Dona and Roberts Bay Estuarine System, Sarasota County, Florida. Kyle is currently working with USGS in St. Pete. He is continuing his research along the Louisiana coast studying the dramatic coastal subsidence and impacts from recent hurricanes including Katrina and Rita.

Update on Graduate Research

Ann Sava received a M.S. in Summer ‘07, completing her research related to the inverte-brate fauna at the BLM Ammonite Research Area in Kremmling, CO. She has just started working for BCI Engineers and Scientists.

Joshua Anderson was awarded a M.S. in May ’07. Josh’s research explored the sedimentary and geomorphic record of hydrologic changes across a mid-Holocene climate transition in southern Yemen. His work was part of a larger collaborative project with archaeologists from Ohio State and Yemen, investigating the human and environ-mental response to Holocene aridification in southern Arabia.

Kali Pace-Graczyk received her M.S. in Summer ’07. Her research focused on isotopic investigations of cave drip waters and precipitation in Central and Northern Florida, USA. This was the first study of this kind in Florida to monitor the isotopic signals in water, both at the both surface and in the cave in order to provide a better understanding of the paleoclimate information archived in cave deposits. She is now home in Wisconsin searching for a job.

Ana Jimenez graduated with an M.S. in 2007. Ana’s thesis work investigated the relationship between shallow groundwater conductivity and rates of evapotranspiration in small drainage basins. Ana is now working as a hydrogeologist at SDI, Tampa.

Jason LaRoche graduated with an M.S. in 2007. Jason studied the influence of shallow aquifer hydro-stratigraphy on the response of the Floridan Aquifer to pumping stresses. Jason works as a hydro- logist at the Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Kathryn Murphy was awarded a M.S. in Spring, ’07. Her research was on the hydrological connec- tivity between clay storage areas and the surrounding hydrological landscape in the phosphate mining district of peninsular Florida. A manuscript based on this work is in review at the Journal of the American Water Resources Association. Kathryn is now a consulting hydrologist with Leggette, Brashears, and Graham, Inc. in New Haven, Connecticut.

Mike Kittridge was awarded a M.S. in Summer, ’07. His research was on determining cost-effective methods for obtaining operational estimates of evapotranspiration in peninsular Florida. He is now a consulting hydrologist with Three Parameters Plus, Inc. in Palmer, Alaska, and working to write up the results of his M.S. research for publication.

Undergraduates in the Field and Lab

Virtually every Geology major enters the profession with a strong desire to do as much field work as possible. This makes sense, as field experiences are an incredibly valuable component of our discipline. Geology Faculty have made an especially strong commitment during the last several years to undergraduate research oppor-tunities and field experience. In fact, a recent review of our undergraduate program by Mark Cloos, former Chair of the Department of Geosciences at the University of Texas, Austin, listed our field programs for undergraduates as the most outstanding he has seen in his review of 40 Geology Department nationwide. This is not surprising given the field and research opportunities now available to our undergraduates. This year Professors Paul Wetmore and Chuck Connor took undergraduates to Idaho, Wyoming, and Utah for structural geology, volcanology, and mapping. Professor Sarah Kruse led a Geophysics field experience in Utah, and Professors Mark Rains and Mark Stewart led field trips hydrogeology field trips throughout Florida. The summer field experience for our undergraduates rounded out with an intensive introduction to coastal sediment transport, offered by Professor Ping Wang. In addition to these field experiences, virtually every Geology Department majors course now offers extensive field activities as part of the course. Our undergraduates really get to know the field. In more research oriented venues, Professors Peter Harries, Rick Oches, and Greg Herbert offered the final year of their Research Experience for Undergraduates in paleoenvironments of Florida, using funds provided by the National Science Foundation. This program brought outstanding undergraduate students from all over the US to the Department to study paleontological issues in Florida. Mark Rains took a group of undergraduate and graduate students to Mexico in pursuit of eco-hydrogeology research. Similarly, Paul Wetmore took a group of undergraduates to Baja to continue mapping and potential field studies at that active continental margin. n

Much of Professor Diana Roman’s research focuses on the mechanics of volcanic conduit formation – how volcanic conduits form in intact rock and evolve through the course of a single eruption and from eruption to eruption. Her research addresses specific questions about both the shapes of volcanic conduits (are they crack-like or cylindrical (resembling soda straws), and do they consist of a single conduit or multiple indepen-dent or interconnected conduits?), and the dynamics of volcanic conduits during magma ascent (do they open in a single event or change their size and shape throughout an eruption?) Since many models of key processes occurring within ascending magmas (like gas loss and crystallization, which largely control the explosivity of the eruption) depend in part on the shape of the conduit, it’s important to understand something about conduit structure and evolution for a range of magma types and in a range of volcanic settings. Also, interpretations of many of the geophysical signals of volcanic unrest that are recorded at the Earth’s surface – such as deformation and volcano-seismic activity – depend on both conduit shape and dynamics. We need this information to make accurate interpretations of monitoring data and accurate forecasts of activity based on the monitoring data. To learn about volcanic conduits, Diana analyzes small microearthquakes that accompany magma ascent. These earthquakes, called ‘volcano-tectonic’, or ‘VT’ earthquakes, result from breakage of the rock surrounding the conduit as stresses build up in the developing conduit. Her approach is to treat these events as strain gauges, which provide point measurements of both the magnitude and orientation of stress produced by the opening conduit system. This requires calculating the precise location, magnitude, and fault-plane solution (which gives information about the orientation of the stress that produced

the earthquake) for hundreds to thousands of small earthquakes per eruption, then looking at how the earthquake characteristics change in relation to changes in the volcano’s behavior. Often Diana compares the results of her earthquake analysis to other data sets from the volcano, such as magma chemistry and/or crystal content, gas emissions, or surface deformation to work towards producing a more complete picture of the processes occurring within the conduit system. Her approach has led to a number of new discoveries about the mechanics of volcanic conduits and also about the processes that cause (or prevent) VT earthquakes in various tectonic and volcanic settings. One of the most exciting discoveries has been that it is possible to detect changes in the orientation of stresses in the rock around a volcanic conduit through analysis of VT earthquakes and to use this information to forecast the onset of a new phase of eruption several weeks before it occurs. Specifically, Diana and her colleagues from the Montserrat Volcano Observatory were able to use this approach to forecast the 2005 renewal of eruptive activity at the Soufriere Hills Volcano. Another interesting discovery is that the location of VT earthquakes rarely indicates the location of the ascending magma itself, even when the VTs are located directly below the eruption vent. Instead, VTs seem to occur in places where there are preexisting faults in the rock around the conduit, sometimes over 10 km away from the magma itself. A third interesting discovery has been that the viscosity of the ascending magma has an influence on dynamics of the conduit through which it is ascending – low-viscosity magmas like basalts do not appear to push out the walls of their conduits as much as high-viscosity andesitic and dacitic magmas. The tectonic setting in which a volcano is located can influence conduit dynamics as well. Currently, Diana’s research is branching out in a few new directions, although the core component of her work remains the analysis of VT seismicity from active and restless volcanoes. She is, however, beginning to use some new tools to study the mechanics of volcanic conduit formation and to develop new models for how conduits develop and evolve. These tools include analog models of the Earth’s crust using gelatin to represent the brittle rock in which conduits form, and numerical models aimed at providing a better frame- work for the interpretation of volcano-seismic sequences. On the data analysis front, Diana is also developing a number of new techniques – specifically using more advanced analytical methods to study stress changes in the rock around an evolving conduit as recorded in VT earthquakes – and considering several new questions about magma ascent and volcanic seismi-city. One key question that Diana and her students will be exploring over the next few years is if (and how) they can distinguish between a volcanic ‘false alarm’ and an episode of volcanic unrest that will culminate in an eruption, through the analysis of VT earthquake data. This is a critical question from a volcano monitoring perspective, and also a very difficult one, but an exciting challenge as well! nProfessor Diana Roman grabs a lava sample from Kilauea Volcano,

Hawai’i during a field trip with colleagues from the University of Oregon.

Roman Reads the Signalsat Active Volcanoes

Doctoral candidate Armando Saballos measures the earth’s gravity field high on the flanks of the 1600 m Concepcion volcano.

Doctoral candidate Koji Kiyosugi monitors soil CO2 flux on the crater rim of Cerro Negro volcano.

This Fall semester a graduate student field course spent two weeks in Nicaragua conducting field geophysics and volcanology research. The field trip, coordinated by Professor’s Kruse and Connor, featured research at three active volcanoes: the very high and isolated Concepcíon volcano, located on the island of Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua; the Masaya caldera, where magma is just beneath the surface and sometimes heard sloshing in the open conduit; and Cerro Negro, a small but beautiful cinder cone that last erupted in 1999 and is overdue for its next round of eruptions. The field trip also featured nine USF graduate students working with faculty and three students from the Centro de Investigaciones Geoscientificas (CIEGO) and students and faculty from the University of San Salvador, El Salvador, to map geophysical anomalies associated with the volcanoes. It was a great collaborative experience and one bound to yield rich rewards in scientific research and international collaborations. n

Volcanic gases escape from the crater of Cerro Negro.

USF Graduate Studentson Nicaraguan Volcanoes

Over the past two years the Structure/Tectonics Research Group has been working on a wide variety of problems in northwestern Baja California, Mexico. Paul Wetmore and students have studied aspects of the middle and Late Cretaceous collapse of a fringing island arc, the Alisitos arc, against the southwestern margin of North America, as well as structural aspects of the ascent and emplacement of magma bodies into the upper crust of the Alisitos arc. During the summer of 2006, Sean Callihan, then an undergraduate student working on his senior thesis, mapped and sampled a 2 km-wide dike swarm in the hanging wall of a large east-dipping ductile shear zone that juxtaposes the Alisitos arc with North America. Sean has used his map and field data to quantify the magnitude of crustal extension represented by the dike swarm. Additionally, Sean, along with Michelle Caplinger (M.S. student), have processed and analyzed the collected samples to assess their geochemical/petrologic compositions and their age through U/Pb analysis of zircons separated from the rocks in our own new rock processing facilities here in the department. Age data will be used to constrain the timing of shear across the structure. Sean will be presenting the results of his study at this year’s national meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver. Fatin Tutak, M.S. student, has also been studying the boundary between the Alisitos arc and North America. Her investigation has been focused on the petrography and microstructural aspects of the shear zone. At the start of her project, Fatin wrote two proposals for funding to make a trip to Baja to collect samples and prepare thin sections for her project and was successful in both cases. The primary goal of Fatin’s investigation is to use the microstructures observed in the samples of the shear zone to constrain the pressure-temperature conditions along the structure. She presented preliminary results of her study to the Canaveral Mineral and Gem Society, one of the organizations that funded her project, last April and is working hard to complete her thesis this fall. A key component Paul Wetmore’s research in Baja California is investigation processes that accommodate the ascent and emplacement of arc magmas through and into the upper crust. Last Fall, Paul led a field trip to Baja for a graduate course in Magma Ascent Mechanisms. During the trip they worked to characterized magmatic fabrics within and between the various phases of the Balbuena pluton, a ~108 Ma tonalite intrusion in the northern Alisitos arc. This study, conducted with four graduate students including Michelle Caplinger, Fatin Tutak, Amanda Leonard-Hintz, and Heather Lehto, was part of a comprehensive study of this particular

intrusive body. Other components of the study have included extensive mapping of the body, geochemical, petrological, and geochronological analyses of collected samples, and a brief geophysical survey this past summer by then USF undergradates Sean Callihan and Adam Springer (both began in the M.S. degree program at USF this past fall). The Balbuena pluton has been a primary target of ascent and emplacement studies in Baja, not only because of the excellent exposures of the body and surrounding host rocks, but because of the wide variety of material transfer processes that can be demonstrated to have accommodated the movement of the Balbuena magmas through the crust. Adam Springer will be presenting the results of the entire study of the Balbuena pluton at the national meeting of the Geological Society of America in Denver and will be helping in the preparation of a manuscript this fall. Paul’s research in Baja is going to head into a slightly different direction in the coming years as his group turns their attention to active faulting in and around the city of Ensenada, Mexico. For example, the Agua Blanca Fault, the southern-most structure in the San Andreas system of faulting, passes within 25 km of nearly a million people at its northwestern end in Baja. Graduate students Sean Callihan and Adam Springer will be conducting detailed gravity and magnetic surveys in two pull-apart basins along the Agua Blanca Fault. The aim of their study will be to characterize the geometry of the fault and the basin as a first step toward assessing the seismic hazards faced by individuals living in proximity to this structure. As always in this corner of Mexico, the number of research projects that can be identified far exceeds the time and person-power to complete them, so the Structure/Tectonics Group at USF is always looking for energetic and motivated individuals to help out! n

Professor Paul Wetmore conducts the Baja tectonics orchestra.

Mapping Magma Ascent in Baja

Dorien McGee joined the Department of Geology in the Fall of 2005 after completing a Masters in Geology at UNC-Wilmington. After initiating a dissertation in marine paleoclimatology, a fit of inspiration born from caving and socializing with the karst research group caused her to refocus her attention on the fields of karst geochemistry and geomicrobiology. Under the guidance of Drs. Peter Harries, Jonathan Wynn, Bogdon Onac, and Len Vacher of USF and Diana Northup of the University of New Mexico, Dorien is assessing a biotic model of speleogenesis in limestone settings by studying the bacterial inputs of CO2 in caves and their contri-bution to the production of H2CO3-driven dissolution. By coupling regional and cave climate measurements with carbon isotopes analyzed from waters, gases, soils, and rock in three geographically distinct caves (Florida, New Mexico, and the Bahamas), she is working to identify the sources and sinks through which carbon fluxes in these cave systems and how they vary with local climate and

anthropogenic change, and ascertain the impact of CO2 sourced from bacteria using isotope mass balancing to determine its input to dissolution processes. Her project will also improve estimates of the percent contribution of carbonate weathering as a sink for atmospheric CO2 in the global carbon cycle. Three grants provided by the National Speleological Society, Sigma Xi, and the Canaveral Gem and Mineral Society are supporting Dorien’s research, with fieldwork set to begin on San Salvador Island, Bahamas in December 2007. She is also collaborating with Lee Florea, a recent USF doctoral graduate now with the USGS, studying carbon flux and geochemical cycling in Palma Vista Cave in the Florida Everglades. When she’s not dreaming of caves and carbon, Dorien works as a research assistant in geoscience education for Dr. Len Vacher with the NSF-funded Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum (SSAC) project, designed to promote quantitative literacy in educa-tion. Dorien is currently evaluating the effectiveness of SSAC modules by analyzing assessment data provided by module users both within the USF Department of Geology and at colleges and univer-sities throughout the country. She also assists in the maintenance of the module database on the Science Education Resource Center website. Dorien has authored and published a module of her own, and plans to incorporate data from her dissertation into a new module, the assessment of which will become a chapter in her dissertation. Other research highlights include the acceptance of a paper written with Drs. Greg Herbert and Peter Harries describing the results of a pilot study using the deep form of the coral Oculina varicosa as a temperature proxy in the Proceedings of the 13th Symposium on the Geology of the Bahamas and other Carbonate Regions, as well as the submission of a paper written with her former advisors Drs. Richard Laws and Larry Cahoon describing the results of her masters thesis on diatom morphology and primary production in the Marine Ecology Progress Series. n

Graduate student Dorien McGee exploring Ape Cave as part of her research into carbon fluxes in cave systems.

When Graduate SchoolReally Does MeanLiving In A Cave…

The Research of Dorien McGee

A Little History…

The Coastal Program at USF The coastal program in the USF Depart-ment of Geology began in 1973 with the hiring of Richard A. “Skip” Davis as the second chair of the Department. He had a history of coastal research dating back to his doctoral dissertation on Lake Michigan and later while teaching at Western Michigan University. USF was a great place for coastal geology because there was only one coastal geologist in the State, a senior faculty member, Bill Tanner, at FSU. Most of the coastal field research in Florida was being conducted by engineers and they domi-nated the funding from both state and federal agencies. The opportunity was there; the effort needed to be made! The first graduate thesis in coastal geology at USF was actually completed in 1972 by Alexandria Wright who studied Honeymoon Island under Ed O’Donnell. The first of Davis’ students to complete his thesis was Chuck O’Neill who worked on East Key in the Dry Tortugas. This was closely followed by three investigations at and adjacent to Caladesi Island. Jeff Brame did the stratigraphy, Doug Rosen worked on the beaches and Mike Lynch-Blosse investigated the inlets (Dunedin and Hurricane Passes) at each end of the island. Mike and Jeff went into successful careers in the oil industry and Doug is getting close to retire- ment from the Corps of Engineers in Jackson-ville. The coastal program was off and running. New students were recruited and proposals were written; things were going well. Funds obtained from the Office of Naval Research and the Florida Sea Grant program were the first grants in the program. These supported students working on tidal inlets (Johns Pass and Matanzas Inlet) and the stratigraphy of the shallow marine environ-ments adjacent to Pinellas County barrier islands. Subsequent funded projects included the stratigraphy of St. Lucie estuary, the stratigraphy and morphodynamics of the tidal sand ridges in Gullivan Bay, the effects of Hurricane Elena and the stratigraphy of the nearshore adjacent to San Juan and estuaries on the south side of the Island of Vieques in Puerto Rico.

During the late 1980s the coastal program became heavily involved in beach nourishment investigations. Nourishment of beaches instead of armoring them had become an important activity throughout Florida and was dominated by coastal engineers. Dr. Davis convinced the State and especially Pinellas County that USF could do a better and less expensive job of monitoring and evaluating these projects than could private consultants or the University of Florida. This began a long relationship with the late Jim Terry, a USF geology graduate and head of the Pinellas County beach program. Many MS theses and two PhDs have come at least partially from this program as well as millions of dollars in support for the coastal program and its students. The first doctoral student in coastal geology at USF was Jim Gibeaut who actually received his degree in marine science because it was before (1991) we had our own doctoral program. Jim worked on a computer modeling investigation of inlet stability along the Florida Gulf Coast funded by the Sea Grant program. After 15 years of coastal research at the Univer-sity of Texas, Bureau of Economic Geology, Jim has just accepted an endowed professorship at Texas A & M University – Corpus Christi. Dr. Davis now lives nearby in Rockport, Texas and will be doing some research again with Prof. Gibeaut. What goes around, comes around! During the 1980s and 90s there were typically about 5-7 students working on coastal research in the Department. By that time USF had become the primary institution for coastal geologic research in Florida and worked closely with the coastal engineering faculty at Florida. Because there was only one faculty member in coastal research, there were also collaborations with faculty in Marine Science and Civil Engineering, especially on student committees but also on research grants. The first doctoral student in our own program was Ping Wang who began his work at USF in 1992. His PhD research focused on sediment transport in the surf zone and was supported as part of the beach nourishment efforts. Ping completed his degree in 1995

A Little History…

The Coastal Program at USF

and after a short post-doctoral position in the Coastal Research Laboratory here, he went to the famous LSU Coastal Studies Institute. As you know, Ping was hired to replace Dr. Davis when he retired in 2000. Ping has just been awarded tenure and was promoted to Associate Professor. His program is thriving with considerable funded research and excellent students. The coastal program was “officially” named the Coastal Research Laboratory in 1994, in part as a consequence of its efforts in the USGS Cooperative Program. This 5-year research project was in concert with the Department of Marine Science (now College) and Eckerd College. With about $600,000 the CRL investigated the stratigraphy of all barrier islands, beach sediments and inlet morphodynamics from Caladesi Island to Venice. This program supported about a dozen students and led to several publications, most of which are in a recent issue of Marine Geology. Credit for the CRL logo which appears on our stationary should go to Darren Spurgeon, an MS recipient of the program. Coastal Research Laboratory faculty and students have conducted research in Australia, New Zealand, China, Spain, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands in addition to all coasts of the United States including Puerto Rico. To date more than 50 students have received the MS degree and 3 the PhD from the coastal geology program. For the most part they have gone into the “real world” in coastal work although some have moved into environmental and hydrogeologic positions. They are employed by federal, state and local government, universities, oil companies and private consulting firms. As examples of graduates one became vice-president of a large exploration company, one is an endowed professor, some have their own consulting firms and some are with the USGS and Corps of Engineers. The Coastal Research Laboratory at USF is now known worldwide for its research and production of quality scientists. n

Staff News

Michelle Barkoviak joined the department as an Academic Program Specialist. She will be working as the assistant to the Geology graduate program. Connie Bryan was promoted to Fiscal and Business Specialist, handling accounting duties in the department. Paul Bryan continues as a Teaching Lab Specialist, coordinating geology teaching and research lab activities. Mary Haney continues as the office manager. Mary was given the 2007 USF Geology Alumni Society Award and was deeply honored to be so recognized. Lynn Wilkinson is in charge of Geology’s fiscal resources and works very hard to keep the many accounts in order. n

Paul Bryan, Connie Bryan, Michelle Barkoviak, Mary Haney, and Lynn Wilkinson.

Award-Winners

John Hull, President of the Geology Alumni Society congratulates Kali Pace-Graczyk and Mikel Díez, winners of the 2007 Richard A. Davis Award for outstanding graduate student research.

Books

Mader, H.M., S.C. Coles, C.B. Connor, L.J. Connor (eds), 2006, Statistics in Volcanology, Special Publications of IAVCEI 1, Geological Society, London, 285 pp.

Papers

Connor, C.B., A.R. McBirney, and C. Furlan, 2006, What is the probability of explosive eruption at a long-dormant volcano? In: Mader, H.M., S.C. Coles, C.B. Connor, L.J. Connor (eds), 2006, Statistics in Volcanology, Special Publications of IAVCEI 1, Geological Society, London, 39-46.

Weller, J.N., A.W. Martin, C.B. Connor, L.J. Connor, and A. Karakhanian, 2006, Modelling the spatial distribution of volcanoes: an example from Armenia. In: Mader, H.M., S.C. Coles, C.B. Connor, L.J. Connor (eds), 2006, Statistics in Volcanology, Special Publications of IAVCEI 1, Geological Society, London, 77-88.

Connor, L.J., and C.B. Connor, 2006, Inversion is the key to dispersion: understanding eruption dynamics by inverting tephra fallout. In: Mader, H.M., S.C. Coles, C.B. Connor, L.J. Connor (eds), 2006, Statistics in Volcanology, Special Publications of IAVCEI 1, Geological Society, London, 231-242.

Diez, M., 2006, Solution and parametric sensitivity study of a coupled conduit and eruption column model. In: Mader, H.M., S.C. Coles, C.B. Connor, L.J. Connor (eds), 2006, Statistics in Volcanology, Special Publications of IAVCEI 1, Geological Society, London, 185-200.

Varley, N., J. Johnson, M Ruiz, G. Reyes, K. Martin, 2006, Applying statistical analysis to under-standing the dynamics of volcanic eruptions. In: Mader, H.M., S.C. Coles, C.B. Connor, L.J. Connor (eds), 2006, Statistics in Volcanology, Special Publications of IAVCEI 1, Geological Society, London, 57-76.

Herbert, G., 2006, Protecting life in the sea. American Paleontologist, 14, 20.

Kruse, S., M. Grasmueck, M. Weiss, and D. Viggiano, 2006, Sinkhole structure imaging in covered karst terrain, Geophysical Research Letters, 33, L16405, doi:10.1029/2006GRL026975.

Denyer, P., G. Cárdenas, and S. Kruse, 2006, Registro histórico y evolución de la barra arenosa de Puntarenas, Golfo Nicoya, Costa Rica, Revista Geológia de América Central, 31, 45-59.

Peterson, V. J. Ryan, S.P. Yurkovich, J. Burr, and S. Kruse, and the 1991 REU Site Program Participants, 2006, The petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Blue Ridge mafic-ultramafic rocks: The Buck Creek and

Carroll Knob Complexes, and rocks of the Addie-Willets region, 2006 GSA Southeastern Section Field Trip Guidebook.

Carter-Stiglitz, B., Banerjee, S.K., Gourlan, A., and Oches, E.A., 2006, A multi-proxy study of Argentine Loess: Marine oxygen isotope stage 4 and 5 environmental record from pedogenic hematite. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 239, 45-62.

Crassard, R., McCorriston, J., Oches, E., Espagne, J., and Sinnah, M., 2006, Manayzah, Early to mid-Holocene occupations in Wadi Sana (Hadramawt, Yemen). Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies, 36, 151-173.

Machalett, B., Frechen, M., Hambach, U., Oches, E.A., Zöller, L., and Marković, S.B., 2006, The loess sequence from Remisowka (Northern Boundary of the Tien Shan Mountains, Kazakhstan), Part I: Luminescence dating. Quaternary International, 152-153, 203-212.

Marković, S. B., Oches, E., Sümegi, P., Jovanović, M., and Gaudenyi, T., 2006, An introduction to the Middle and UpperPleistocene loess – paleosol sequence at Ruma Brickyard, Vojvodina, Yugoslavia. Quaternary International, 149, 80-86.

Onac, B.P., Effenberger, H., Ettinger, K., Canta-Pinzaru, S. 2006, Hydroxylellastadite from Cioclovina Cave (Romania): microanalytical, structural, and vibrational spectroscopy data. American Mineralogist 91, 1927-1931.

Onac, B. P., Zaharia, L., Kearns, J., Veres, D. 2006, Vashegyite from Gaura cu Musca Cave (Locvei Mountains, Romania): a new and rare phosphate occurrence. Int. J. Speleology 35, 67-73.

Zak, K., Onac, B. P., Persoiu, A. 2006, Cryogenic formation of carbonate in caves-a review. IN Archives of Climate Change in Karst (Onac, B. P. et al., eds.) Karst Waters Institute Spec. Publ. 10, Charles Town, WV, pp. 238-241.

Zak, K., Onac, B. P., Hercman, H. 2006, Unusual types of secondary calcite from the Scarisoara Ice Cave, Bihor Mts., Romania. In Vyskuym, vyuzivanie a ochrana jaskyn (Ed. Bella, P.), Liptovsky Mikulas, 118-122.

Häuselmann, P., Onac, B. P. 2006, Pestera Humpleu. Nouvelle topographie d’une des plus importantes cavités roumaines. Stalactites, 56, 43-47.

Ahmed, M.F., S. Ahuja, M. Alauddin, S.J. Hug, J.R. Lloyd, A. Pfaff, T. Pichler, C. Salikov, M. Stute, A. van Geen, 2006, Ensuring safe drinking water in Bangladesh, Science 314,1687-1688. (alphabetical authorship).

Geology Department Publications in 2006(Note: Student names indicated by bold print.)

Pichler, T., J.P. Amend, J. Garey, P. Hallock, N.P. Hsia, D.J. Karlen, D’.R. Meyer-Dombard, B.J. Closkey, R.E. Price, 2006, A natural laboratory for Arsenic Geobiocomplexity, Eos, Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, 87(23) 221-225.

Price, R.E., and T. Pichler, 2006, Abundance and mineralogical associations of naturally occurring Arsenic in the Suwannee Limestone, Upper Floridan Aquifer, Chemical Geology 228, 44-56.

Young, K.A., A. Anzalone, T. Pichler, M. Picqurt, and N.A. Alcantar, 2006, The Mexican cactus as a new environmentally benign material for the removal of contaminants in drinking water, in: Materials Science of Water Purification, M.A. Shannon, D. Ginley, and A.M. Weiss (Eds.), Materials Research Society JJ01-01: Warrendale, PA.

Nadeau, T.-L., and M.C. Rains. 2007, Contribution of headwaters to downstream integrity: Intro-duction to the JAWRA special issue. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 43, 1-4.

Nadeau, T.-L., and M.C. Rains.. 2007, Hydrological connectivity of headwaters to downstream waters: State-of-the-science and future directions. Journal of the American Water Resources Association 43, 118-133.

Rains, M.C., G.E. Fogg, T. Harter, R.A. Dahlgren, and R.J. Williamson. 2006, Geological control of physical and chemical hydrology in vernal pool wetlands, Central Valley, California. In Kovar, K, Z. Hrkal, and J. Bruthans (eds.), Hydrology and Ecology: The Groundwater/Ecology Connection, 25-28. Czech Association of Hydrogeologists, Prague, Czech Republic.

Rains, M.C., G.E. Fogg, T. Harter, R.A. Dahlgren, and R.J. Williamson. 2006, The role of perched aquifers in hydrological connectivity and biogeochemical processes in vernal pool land-scapes, Central Valley, California. Hydrological Processes 20, 1157-1175.

Roman D.C., Neuberg J, Luckett RR (2006) Assessing the likelihood of eruption through analysis of VT earthquake fault-plane solutions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 248, 229-237

Wynn J.G., Alemseged Z., Bobe R., Geraads D., Reed D., Roman D., 2006, Geology and paleontology of the Pliocene hominin locality at Dikika, Ethiopia. Nature 443, 332-336

Roman D.C., Cashman K.V., 2006, The origin of volcanotectonic earthquake swarms. Geology 34, 457-460

Roman D.C., Cashman K.V., Gardner C.A., Wallace P.J., Donovan J.J., 2006, Storage and interaction of compositionally heterogeneous magmas from the 1986 eruption of Augustine Volcano, Alaska. Bulletin of Volcanology 68, 240-254

Peterson, V. J. Ryan, S.P. Yurkovich, J. Burr, and S. Kruse, and the 1991 REU Site Program Participants, 2006, The petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Blue Ridge mafic-ultramafic rocks: The Buck Creek and Carroll Knob Complexes, and rocks of the Addie-Willets region, 2006 GSA Southeastern Section Field Trip Guidebook.

Snow, E., 2006, Teaching Students about Plagiarism: An Internet Solution to an Internet Problem. Innovate 2, 5.

Stewart, M., and L. North, 2006, A borehole geophysical method for quantifying dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPL) in saturated soils. Applied Geophysics, 60, 87-99

Vacher, H.L., Hutchings, W.C. and Budd, D.A., 2006, Metaphors and models: The ASR bubble in the Floridan aquifer. Ground Water, 44, 44-54.

Florea, L. J. and Vacher, H. L., 2006, Springflow hydro-graphs: Eogenetic vs. telogenetic karst: Ground Water, 44, 352-361.

Florea, L J., 2006, The morphology of air-filled caves within the karst of the Brooksville Ridge, west-central Florida, Journal of Cave and Karst Studies, 68, 64-75.

Wang, P., Kirby, J.H., Haber, J.D., Horwitz, M.H., Knorr, P.O., and Krock, J.R., 2006, Morphological and sedimentological impacts of hurricane Ivan and immediate post-storm beach recovery along the northwestern Florida barrier-island coasts, Journal of Coastal Research, 22, 1382-1402.

Li, C., Wang, P. (corresponding author), Fan, D., Yang, S., 2006, Characteristics and formation of Late Quaternary incised-valley-fill sequences in sediment-rich deltas and estuaries: case studies from China. SEPM Special Publication No. 85, 141-160.

Fan, D, Guo, Y., Wang, P., and Shi, Z., 2006, Cross-shore variations in morphodynamic processes of an open-coast mudflat in the Changjiang Delta, China: with an emphasis on storm impacts. Continental Shelf Research, 26, 517-538.

Alemseged, Z., Kimbel, W., Spoor, F., Bobe, R., Geraads, D., Reed, D., Wynn, J.G. The earliest juvenile hominin skeleton from Dikika, Ethiopia, Nature, v. 443, p.296-301.

Wynn, J.G., Harden, J.W., and Fries, T.L., 2006, Carbon isotope depth profiles and soil organic carbon dynamics in the Mississippi Basin. Geoderma, 131, 89-109.

Wynn, J.G., Bird, M.I., Vellen, L., Carter, J., and Berry, S.L., 2006, Measuring variation of the Australian soil organic carbon pool with climatic, edaphic and biotic controls, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, 20, GB1007.

Peter Harries and Rick Oches, REU Site: Interpreting Paleoenvironments - A Multidisciplinary, Field and Laboratory Study of Florida’s Late Neogene Record, National Science Foundation

Chuck Connor, Investigation of Volcanic Hazards in the Kyushu Region of Southern Japan, McCombie, Chapman, McKinley Consulting, Switzerland.

Peter Harries, Comparing Greenhouse and Icehouse Biodiversity, Bureau of Land Management

Greg Herbert and Peter Harries, U.S.-Mexico Planning Visit: Paleocological and Evolutionary Significance of Invertebrate Fossil Assemblages from the Mexican Neogene, National Science Foundation

Greg Herbert, Collaborative Research: Effects of a Regional Plio-Pleistocene Extinction Event on the Escalation of a Predator-Prey Interactions, National Science Foundation

Thomas Pichler, Ecosystem Response to Elevated Arsenic Levels, National Science Foundation

Thomas Pichler, Arsenic and Selenium Abundance and Speciation in Hydrothermal Fluids, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Thomas Pichler, Project to Test If Water from a Natural Treatment System Will Cause Dissolution of Pyrite in the Floridan Aquifer Matrix During Recharge Operations, Schreuder, Inc.

Thomas Pichler, Evaluating the Potential for Aquifer Storage and Recovery (ASR) Operation in the Avon Park Formation in the Southern and Central Regions of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, Southwest Florida Water Management District

Thomas Pichler and Jeff Ryan, Acquisition of a Reaction Cell/Quadropole ICP-MS System, National Science Foundation

Thomas Pichler, Arsenic in Recently Deposited Carbonate Sediments from the Florida Keys, Southwest Florida Water Management District

Diana Roman, Shear-Wave Splitting Analysis of Stress Field Perturbations Around an Active Magmatic Conduit: Soufriere Hills Volcano, Montserrat, American Chemical Society

Jeff Ryan, The Role of the Slab and the Mantle in Volcanic Arc Petrogenesis: A B-Be-Li and Li Isotope Study of Off-Axis Arc Centers in Mexico and Central America, National Science Foundation

Jeff Ryan, Preparing Undergraduates for Research: Examining the Use of Remote Instrumentation in Earth and Planetary Science Classrooms, National Science Foundation

Jeff Ryan, Collaborative Research: Using MARGINS Research Data Resources in the Classroom: Developing and Testing Multidisciplinary Mini-Lessons, Cardiovascular Sciences, Inc.

Eleanour Snow, Collaborative Research: Strengthening Pathways to Diversity Through Professional Development for Minority-Serving K-12 Science Educators-Expanding GeoFORCE Texas, National Science Foundation

Mark Stewart, Cooperative Research in Hydrology and Water Resources, U.S. Geological Survey

Mark Stewart and Mark Rains, Clay Settling Area Hydrologic Study Florida Institute of Phosphate Research

Mark Stewart and Mark Rains, An Environmental Research Project: Investigate a Harm Standard Based Upon Chapter 40D-2.301 FAC, Southwest Florida Water Management District.

Mark Stewart, Evaluation of subsurface Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) at Polk Power Station: Physical and Chemical Modeling, TECO

Len Vacher, Spreadsheets Across the Curriculum, National Science Foundation

Ping Wang and Skip Davis, Continued Periodic Studies Evaluating Storm Effect on Pinellas County Gulf Beaches, Pinellas County, Florida

Ping Wang and Skip Davis, Physical Monitoring of the Sand Key and Treasure Island/Long Nourishment Projects, Pinellas County, Florida

Ping Wang, Assessing Petroleum Hydrocarbon Contamination at Blind Pass, Florida, Pinellas County, Florida

Ping Wang, Shoreline Mapping and Bathymetry Survey Project for the Crystal River and Kings Bay System, Southwest Florida Water Management District

Jonathan Wynn, Stable Isotopic Constraints on Carbon Exchange During Heterotropic Decomposition of Soil Organic Matter, American Chemical Society

Current Grants in the Geology Department

Connor, Chuck - (Professor and Chair): It was great to be part of our department this year and watch our faculty and graduate student ranks grow! I now have five Ph.D. candidates in volcanology, and continue to work in Japan, Nicaragua, Mexico, and elsewhere. Laura and I co-edited the volume Statistics in Volcanology published last December. We are currently editing another book on Volcanic Hazards and Siting Nuclear Facilities. Most days I just try to keep up with my students!

Davis, Richard A. (Dist. Univ. Prof. Emeritus):This past year was a life-changing one – we moved to the Texas coast. I still have a project with Ping Wang on a couple of inlets in Sarasota County, and I am on a couple of graduate student committees, but I only spend a few weeks a year in Tampa now. Ping and I taught the coastal field course last summer. It was a good group and the weather cooperated. I stepped back 1.8 billion years from the Holocene and published a paper in Marine Geology on the Baraboo Quartzite which crops out throughout the area where we live in Wisconsin. It has great preservation of sedimentary structures that has allowed me to recognize extensive tidalites. I am continuing to search for the tidal cycles that will permit extending the known relationships of the sun/moon/earth system back to Baraboo time; doubling the age of our current knowledge. We moved to Texas in order to live on the water; can’t do it in Florida on a retired professor’s income. The house is nearly completed. It is on Aransas Bay in the town of Rockport (near Corpus Christi). Any and all USF Geoalumni are invited to come by for a visit.

Harden, Judy - Instructor: This year I developed a new on-line course for non-majors “Geology of Our National Parks” that was taught for the first time during Spring semester. This included a great field trip to Arizona. My Tuesday night Physical Geology class is a joy, and I find great pleasure in seeing the indifferent and loathing attitude of students at the beginning of the semester transformed to an interest and excitement for geology. I am very glad and proud to be part of such a wonderful department.

Harries, Peter (Associate Professor): It’s been another exciting year in the lab with one new MS student, Mike Meyer (an REU program alum), joining my group and Ann Sava graduating this summer. My three PhD students, Andres Cardenas, Paul Knorr, and Dorien McGee are in the process of honing their research programs which will result in proposals to be submitted to NSF. In addition to my continued interest in Paleo, I’m also becoming Karst person through Dorien’s interest in examining the geochemistry of cave formation. Ryoji Wani, a post-doctoral fellow supported by the Japanese government, has also joined my lab, and brings a wealth of experience related to ammonite taphonomy. In addition to that, the Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) had a third successful year with 13 students participating across the country.

Herbert, Greg - (Assistant Professor): The biggest event for me in 2006 was the birth of my second daughter in August. I was fortunate enough to be able to take off the Fall semester from teaching, which gave me time to help out a bit at home and not fall behind too much on my research. I’ve made several trips to Panama now to study predatory ecology and life in upwelling systems. I am gearing up for more trips there and, in the coming year, Mexico and Hawaii.

Oches, Rick - (Associate Professor): It is great to be back in the Department after a stint as ESP Chair followed by a one year sabbatical. In September I headed north to University of Massachusetts at Amherst for a year’s sabbatical. Sarah Barry and Sarah Koh, USF Biology undergrads & REU students, and undergrad lab manager Paul Sanford continued to churn out data in the amino acid geochronology lab while I’m away. I spent the year decompressing, analyzing a mountain of data that accumulated while I was ESP Chair, writing long overdue papers, and exploring new project ideas with colleagues in the Department of Geosciences and the Climate System Research Group at UMASS.

Onac, Bogdan - (Assistant Professor): I spent a great year at USF working with my students on a great variety of karst science projects, mostly cave mineralogy and Quaternary paleoclimate and paleoenvironment reconstruction based on speleothem analyses. I continued to work as the President of the European Society of Isotope Research. The big event this year was the bi-annual meeting of the society in Cluj, Romania held in June, 2007.

Pichler, Thomas - (Associate Professor): In the broadest sense my research interest is the holistic approach to the role of water-rock interaction within the system Earth, using chemical, biological, hydrogeological, mineralogical, mathematical, thermodynamic and engineering approaches. Of particular interests are: (a) the source, transport and fate of potentially poisonous elements in natural and anthropogenic systems with emphasis on the element arsenic, (b) the development and enhancement of analytical methods in aqueous and litho-geochemistry, and (c) the study of shallow-water hydrothermal systems. Noteworthy new research projects for 2007 include a SWFWMD and FIPR funded study to design a natural water treatment system based on pretreatment in a wetland followed by filtration through sand (mine tailings).

Rains, Mark Cable - (Assistant Professor): I’m staying way too busy but mostly out of trouble. My current research projects include the hydrology of clay settling areas in the phosphate mining district in central Florida, the role of groundwater discharge in maintaining ecosystem structure and function in mangrove systems throughout Florida and in west-central Mexico, and the hydrological connectivity between closed-basin depressional wetlands and larger hydrological landscapes in south-central Alaska. My wife, Kai, is the Florida Operations Manager for Three Parameters Plus, Inc., an environmental consulting firm largely serving large mining interests in Alaska. Our daughters, Cazlin and Zanti, are 6 and 4 years old, and are everything for which a parent could wish. Kai is running marathons, and Cazlin and Zanti are playing soccer, so I am both a “Running Husband” and a “Soccer Dad”. In our spare time – of which there is precious little – we can all be found sailing on our Com-Pac 23. When the winds are light, you’ll find me lounging in the cockpit, beer in hand, while Cazlin tends the tiller!

Roman, Diana - (Assistant Professor): I had a busy first year settling into the department and getting my research program up to speed. Right now, I’m spending most of my time working on seismic data from the ongoing eruption of the Soufriere Hills Volcano, in Montserrat and writing proposals for new projects in Nicaragua and Alaska. I have also set up a laboratory to do analog experiments on magma-host-rock interaction, using both gelatin and silica powder as crustal

• news from the faculty •

analogs. This work is my first foray into dike mechanics, and I have already made some interesting progress in exploring a new model for volcanic seismicity based on observations from my seismological analyses. Another exciting new area of work for me will be setting up my own seismic arrays on restless volcanoes. I’m currently awaiting delivery of a cache of broadband seismometers, which I hope to install on two volcanoes in Nicaragua starting next summer. My husband Jonathan is also a new assistant professor in the Department of Geology, and we’re thrilled to be working in the same place after many years of long-distance (and occasionally international) living arrangements. We wasted no time settling into Tampa – we bought a house in Temple Terrace last year and are quickly getting to know the neighborhood and the community. While we haven’t had much free time to pursue hobbies since we started our new positions, we’re looking forward to exploring Florida and the south, going on backpacking trips with our Norwegian Elkhound, Allie, and getting more involved in the USF community.

Ryan, Jeff - (Professor and Assistant Chair): I have been bouncing around a lot this last year, continuing to perform panel reviews and other tasks for the National Science Foundation, as well as professional responsibilities as a Steering Committee member for the NSF-MARGINS program, and as a member of the Executive Board of the Council on Undergraduate Research. In the Department, I serve as the Assistant Chair, and the head of our Undergraduate and Graduate program committees. My lab received several new NSF grants this year, including an equipment grant for new ICP MS instrumentation with Thomas Pichler - so I will be working hard this year to bring this new instrument lab on line.

Stewart, Mark - (Professor): My lab is bust. Ana Jimenez and John Spencer finished this year, while Darlene Lott, Katherine Powell, and Francis Eshun are just starting their research. Jason LaRoche (SWFWMD) also defended his thesis this year. I am still teaching the Advanced Hydrogeology and Numerical Methods courses familiar to many USF geologists, and I regularly “perform” for 300+ students in Introduction to Oceanography. On the home front, Janet and I celebrated our 30th wedding anniversary last year. Our son Matt is a junior in the International Baccalaureate program at King High School. Matt stills plays club and high school soccer, and he is starting to look at colleges and struggling through Saturday mornings with SAT’s and ACT’s (remember those?).

Vacher, H. L. (Len) - (Professor): Last year (06/07) was my first in some 20 years without teaching hydro. It went well for me and everyone else. My teaching now focuses on math concepts for geology students. At the undergraduate level, that’s Computational Geology, a course that is based on spreadsheet modules that promote quantitative literacy through mathematics problem solving in geology context. My research now focuses on three community-building information-developing projects. The most geological bridges between USF karst and the broader karst community -- the Karst Information Portal (see www.karstportal.org), a partnership between USF Libraries, the National Caves and Karst Research Institute, and the University of New Mexico. The purpose of the KIP project is to advance karst research

by providing open access to karst publications, data, and community interactions. The other two projects are in my field of focus, Quantitative Literacy. The NSF-supported Spreadsheets across the Curriculum project (http://serc.carleton.edu/sp/ssac) is a library of educational modules prepared by participants and associates of national workshops held in Olympia WA. The library, which is disseminated by the Science Education Resource Center (Carleton College) supports a way of teaching mathematics and quantitative literacy outside the mathematics department. Wang Ping - (Associate Professor): This year the Coastal group continued to work on key projects related to hurricane impacts, coastal erosion and beach nourishment. We are also conducting a regional wave modeling experiment for the entire county coast. My group is continuing the collaboration with US Army Engineer Research and Development Center’s Coastal Inlet Program on improving our capabilities of modeling large-scale morphological changes. These are exciting times for coastal research.

Wetmore, Paul - (Assistant Professor): During the past year the Structure/Tectonics research group, comprised of graduate students Michelle Caplinger and Fatin Tutak, undergraduates Jeff Beeson, William Boyko, Sean Callihan, Adam Springer, and I focused our attention on problems associated with tectonics and magmatism. New directions in my research will take me away from the geochemical investigations and toward geophysics, and away from investigations of older systems and toward active settings. Specifically, I and a portion of the research group will be pursuing projects related to active faulting particularly in volcanic settings. A recent trip to Nicaragua has revealed to me a new avenue to take our research into volcano-fault interactions. In the coming year, we, in conjunction with the volcanology and geophysics groups hope to put together an international group of researchers to begin a large-scale study of this system.

Wynn, Jonathan - (Assistant Professor): I joined the Department of Geology at USF as Assistant Professor in Fall 2006. In general, my research uses measurements and models of the natural distribution of stable isotopes to understand the interactions of Earth’s Atmosphere, Hydrosphere, Biosphere and Lithosphere in soil and fossil soil environments. Much of my current and past research has investigated the role of paleoclimatic change in the course of human evolution in East Africa. This research has taken me to areas surrounding Lake Turkana on the border between Kenya and Ethiopia and the Afar Region of northern Ethiopia. I am currently working with an international and multidisciplinary research team on the Dikika Research Project--a vast paleontological collecting locality in the Afar Triple Junction Region of Ethiopia, well known for its record of human evolution. Our recent report of an exquisitely preserved fossil hominid child (now called “Selam”) recently made news on the covers of Nature, National Geographic, and Scientific American. On a personal note: my wife (Diana Roman, also a new USF Geology professor) and I are enjoying living with our Norwegian Elkhound, Allie, in Temple Terrace. We’re all nicely adjusting to the local weather conditions, but we are looking forward to seeing some snow on trips north during the winter. n

Andronaco, Meg (MS-87): Not too much new with Don and I, but I’m still at Nestle Waters (started my 10th year in Sept) and enjoying my job and its many challenges there. Don is working for Geosyntec Consultants (his 4th anniversary is in May’07), doing a bit of groundwater transport analysis and other hydrogeo stuff. He is doing well and likes it quite well. Other than that, we chill out at home with our 4 dogs and Don goes fishing on his 19-foot flat boat… he has some more practice to do before mastering the art of fishing (“...it’s all in how you present the bait…”)!!!! Blackwelder Coffin, Pamela (BS 94): I’m a stay-at-home mother of 4 and enjoying it, for the most part. I still have a couple years until my youngest is school-aged. At that point, I’ll embark on a mission to keep myself occupied in a constructive manner. Until then (and hopefully thereafter), we’ll continue to explore south-western Ohio and secure as many Ordovician fossils as possible.Beaudoin Jonas, Cathleen (MS 90): I am in my 18th year with SDI Environmental Services, Inc. in Tampa a Senior Project Hydrogeologist and Vice President in charge of water supply and water resources projects. Many of my projects involve ground-water modeling or integrated surface and groundwater modeling for water utilities permit support and water management district studies. I have recently had the opportunity to work for the South Florida Water Management District and learn about the enormous array of models and projects that are part of the Everglades Restoration. When not working I spend time with my husband, Bruce, and our daughters, Serena and Arielle.Brame, Jeff (MS 76): In June, 2003, I fulfilled a long time dream and moved my residence and geological consulting business (Brame GeoScience, LLC) from Houston, TX to Durango, CO. I opened an office on Main Avenue in beautiful downtown Durango and my wife Diane took a position teaching special needs children in a local elementary school. We have a house that we love on 3 acres at 7400’ elevation in a ponderosa pine forest with mountain views all around. I have worked some projects out of my office mostly in our nearby San Juan and Paradox Basins which is refreshing work after 25 years in the Gulf of Mexico Basin. Currently, I am working the geoscience on a really frontier petroleum project for a Texas oil company in the Basin and Range Province in west central Utah. This one has kept me home and in my office for 2 months which is where I want to be. I also do petroleum well site work for several companies in the San Juan Basin and I have done two geological hazard surveys for property development in my home county (Laplata). Finally, I have designed two courses on 4 corners area geology which I teach to local residents and tourists at Durango’s Fort Lewis College through their extended studies program. I have one child, a daughter named Patricia, who graduated from Baylor University in May, 2006 (on time) with a degree in journalism.Bretnall, Robert (BS; MS): Annie and I have been here (near Gainesville) for four years (in April) already. My how time flies when you are having fun. And fun we are having. Our move was precipitated by the need to staff a field office at a groundwater restoration site in Fairbanks, just north of town. I’m the king of my domain, overseeing remediation systems operations and maintenance from a double-wide office trailer in the woods. In addition to the groundwater recovery and air stripping systems, HSW has deployed air sparging at one end of the site and bioaugmentation at the other end of the site to cleanup groundwater. Annie received her Masters degree in anthropology from USF in May 2005 and now works in the Financial Services department at UF. She loves her work troubleshooting student financial issues and enjoys working with the people in her department. We bought a house on a half acre south of town in November 2003 in a canopied community of 45 lots. Man is this place cool. You’d think you were driving into a campground. We’ve met some great folks who love to party. We’ve been slowly working on naturalizing the property landscape, installing mostly native plants and adding trees beneath the established oaks. Hurricane

Francis felled a very large oak in the backyard, giving us lots of firewood and a place to plant. We make periodic treks back to the Tampa Bay area to visit family and friends and hope to see you at the next Rockbreaker or Banquet.Caballero, Julian (MS 93): Hope you’re all doing well. I’m still working in Largo for the S.M. Stoller Corp. as the site hydrogeologist at the former U.S. DOE Pinellas Plant (now the STAR Center). Cabana, Mario, G. (BS-86): After graduation in 1986 with a B.S. in geology, I worked my first 2 years for M. P. Brown & Assoc., a private firm run by an even older USF Geology alumni named Mike Brown. The company primarily worked with USTs, waste-water sprayfield permitting, and lots of drilling. About 1988 I accepted a job with the Hillsborough County Department of Solid Waste where I spent an enjoyable 2 ½ years assisting the county with regulatory compliance of their many landfills, and other county agencies with various environmental needs (i.e., USTs, audits). Sometime around 1991 I accepted a position with the SWFWMD working in the Water Use Permitting section of their Tampa Regulation Office. I spent about 10 years there, advancing through the hierarchy until I was promoted to the Water Use Regulation Manager around 1995. During 2001, I returned to Hillsborough County to accept the job I currently hold as the Project Manager for their Water Resource Team, a unique department created by political forces to assist the county in exercising their rights to voice concerns with the many various new water supply projects (e.g., desalination plant, regional reservoir, river withdrawals, new wellfields) being developed by Tampa Bay Water, the local water supply authority. Outside of work, I live in Tampa with my lovely wife and two beautiful daughters, and am currently about half-way through the Master of Public Administration program at USF.Carver, Ed (BS 84): is still working for the Air Force cleaning up past space launch facilities. He lives in Colorado with his wife Dawn where they are actively raising two sons.Ciriello, Deidra (MS 95): Law school followed my time at USF and at the same time I worked in the offices of a U.S. Senator. Most recently I have been a lobbyist, now with the Portland Cement companies. I really enjoy the life here in the Nation’s Capitol.Clarke, John (BS 85): For 10 years I provided waste site remedi- ation oversight while employed with the PA Dept. of Environmental Protection, and 4 years ago I landed a PG position in PennDOT’s central environmental office. Keeping on top of environmental regulations, reviewing environmental site assess-ment reports for highway development, and overseeing storage tanks corrective actions comprise the bulk of my duties. Another of my major job duties has been to support the district offices in maintaining environmental management system registration. As an example of my work, one of my projects this month has been to set up a pilot project to evaluate different environmentally-friendly cleaners for removing asphalt from paving equipment. As for hard-core geology, in 2005 I had the pleasure of assisting two other state agencies with the development of a statewide geologic map as a screening tool to identify potential acid-producing rock units. This project became a priority in 2004 after an interstate highway construction project in a non-coal region was halted pending the development of a remedy to address leachate from large amounts of sandstone aggregate fill found to be full of highly reactive pyrite veins. I live in the Harrisburg area with my wife Michelle, daughter Ashley, and son Austin. My young children already collect rocks at every opportunity, and even my wife has occasional need of a geologist when she performs exposure assessments at remediation sites for the PA Dept. of Health.DeHaven, Eric (MS 88): I received a promotion to Director of the Resource Conservation and Data Department in January 2006 at the SWFWMD. Candace and I have a daughter in 9th grade and a son in third grade.Dunn, Rick (BS 84): I moved from Tampa to Tallahassee in April 2000, w/3 kids on my own Ryan (20), Jasmine (18) & Katlyn (12). Was in a serious motorcycle accident in February 2003, broke both

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legs (left 3 places, right 7), both hips, separated my hip from my back (tail bone), arm (3 places) & six ribs. Had to learn how to walk again twice due to rebreaking my right leg (26% out of rotation due to multiple breaks in the right side). I’m doing great now, I just can’t jump down a flight of stairs. Doing a lot of fishing in the panhandle with co-workers on my 20 ft Pro-Line. Now I need to get serious: I have over 20 years of experience in material testing, geotechnical studies, drilling activities, hydrogeologic and environmental consulting providing technical support, supervision and guidance for assessment and cleanup of petroleum and hazardous waste contaminated sites. I am presently functioning as Senior Geologist and site manager under WRS Infrastructure & Environment Inc., up in Tallahassee for Petroleum Cleanup Section Five, for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) Bureau of Petroleum Storage Systems, Petroleum Pre-Approval Program Contract. Any environ-mental issues give me a call.Fatheree, Jim (MS 95): After spending two years teaching English in Southern Japan and taking a trip around the world, I returned to Tampa and started teaching at Hillsborough Community College in the Spring of 2006. I’m teaching Earth Science, Astronomy, and Environmental Science. My 6th book on the topic of marine life and aquariums also came out in October, and I’m now in my 8th year of being a monthly columnist for Tropical Fish Hobbyist magazine. Ferguson, Tom (MS 97): Things are always interesting in the airline business! I am currently the Corporate Manager for Delta Air Lines’ Dangerous Goods Management Program. I am responsible for all policies and procedures for the transport of Dangerous Goods (Hazardous Materials) system wide. I also serve on the International Air Transport Association Dangerous Goods Board Training Task Force which establishes training standards for all air carriers worldwide. The position has required me to travel quite a bit but the locations are worth the trip. Over the last couple of years I’ve visited Rome, Rio, Mexico City, Beijing, Aruba, and Montreal and I am scheduled to attend a meeting in Johannesburg, SA in April. Fortunately, my trips have allowed for some “personal” time to go see local sites and geology. Rio is a must for every Geologist. Along with my duties at Delta, I am working closely with the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration to develop some public service media on what can, and cannot, be brought aboard an aircraft in checked and carry-on baggage from a HAZMAT perspective. Thousands of items are confiscated each day and not all of them are pocket knives and pistols. I still keep my hands busy in the Environmental fields however. As a consul-tant, I do three or four 2-D and 3-D (Modflow) fate and transport models a year. From the home front, Jackie and my two girls Skylar (6) and Kylie (3) are doing fine. Jackie is still at home with them but going back to work later this year. We built a home in Sharpsburg, GA (~35 miles SW of Atlanta) and have been there for 2 years.Hardesty, Stephen (BS 67): Since my retirement from Orange County Public Schools after 35 years of teaching the Earth Sciences, I have: 1. Written three chapters on geologic topics in a high school level text for McGraw-Hill.2. Continued my teaching at Valencia Community College, now in the 29th year. I currently teach online classes in Natural Hazards and Disasters (GLY2930) and Meteorology (MET 1010).3. Linda and I cruised the Arctic in the summer of ‘03, our mutual retirement year. This was the arctic NOT Alaska. We caught the ship at Longyearbin, Spitsbergen in the Svalbard Archpeligo. We stayed aboard for one month and cruised up to the edge of the polar cap (80.3N) and then ventured south to Jan Mayen in the Greeland Sea, then to Iceland (from the north), on the Greenland, around it’s southern tip, and finally on to Labrador, ending in St John, Newfoundland. This was an expedition type cruise. 4. We spent half of the year (May-Nov) at the house in North Carolina and the other half in Orlando (Dec-Apr). Volunteer at the

local hospitals in both locations.5. I use the MSM (business) skills to manage two investment portfolios. One of those trusts (Charitable Remainder Unit Trust) benefits USF Geology upon my death, something other alums might consider.6. Still touch with Dr. Bill Hood of USF geology (‘64 - ??). He is retired and currently living in Grand Junction, CO and very active in producing “talking guides” for the National Park Service.7. Of course, Linda and I like to attend the annual fund raising dinner for GAS. Sorry, we missed last year. Harrison, Cliff (BS 89; MS 93): I have been very busy this year growing my consulting business – EnHydro celebrated its 2nd anniversary on November 1st. We’ve added a second grandson this year, with another due in December and a fourth grandkid due in April. My oldest daughter was married in September, and Cammie’s oldest son was married in October. We traveled to Europe in May, passing through Paris for a few days each way on our way to and from Leuven, Belgium, where we stayed a week with USF-Geology alum Jeff Burdick, his wife, and their two-year-old daughter. In July we joined a group of fellow geologists for a weekend in Colorado, with a few days near Santa Fe before the campout, and followed by a few days in Taos reliving and revisiting many favorite mapping, eating, and drinking locations remembered fondly from field camp.Helms, Chris (BS 72): After spending 22 years in the oil business as Exploration Geophysicist - 1994 when the business was at a low, I start a landscaping and remodeling business. Still in business so I guess I am successful in this venture - Still love drilling wells so I am at this time trying to re-enter oil patch. Short on work station exp - two great kids Chase and Hollie - Chase did his first two years at USF - Missed home so he is in Panama City - Florida State engineering. - My Address is 9918 Boone rd., Houston, Tx. 77099 - All mail should go to P.O. Box 710842, Houston, Tx. 77271. Hutchinson, Craig (BS 69; MS 71): enjoyed a career with the USGS from 1970-98, working on ground water studies in Florida, California, and the United Arab Emirates. Craig has fond memories of Drs. Spangler, Griffin, Stevenson, O’Donnell, and Ragan. Since retirement, he has been active in the Tampa Horseshoe Club and invites fellow alumni to “come out and pitch” on Thursdays at 6:00 pm at Ed Radice park. (ED NOTE: Craig did not tell you that he was the recipient of the Geoalumni Award on 2006).Jones, Ian (MS 91): I have been living in Austin, TX since 1992. I received a PhD from UT Austin back in 2002 and am currently a hydrogeologist with the Texas Water Devlopment Board. I got married earlier this year.Lee, Donald (MS 81): I now work at Integrated Water Solutions, Inc. in Sarasota.with 2 other alums; Jim Guida and Joe Haber. We are focusing on water use issues in mostly southwest Florida and specialize in having multiple water sources integrated together (reuse, stormwater, surface water and groundwater). Pat and I just celebrated our 26th wedding anniversary. Our oldest son Morgan (25) is working at Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion restaurant (sounds like a new energy source to offset petroleum) and the youngest son Grady (21) is senior at UCF and will hopefully graduate in summer 07. Pat still works at library in Sarasota County.McBride, Tamera (BS): Scott and I are pleased to announce the birth of our daughter, Alynza Isabella on September 23, 2006. She weighed 8 pounds 1 ounce and was 20 inches long. We are hoping she’ll follow in the steps of her parents, grandparents, and great uncle and become a proud USF graduate!O’Neal, Gregory (BS 00): My wife, Avery is a USF alum who graduated in May, 2001 in Elementary Education. We were married in May, 2001. We have a son, Gregory III (born March, 2004) and a daughter, Josephine (born May, 2006). I’ve been employed at Terra Environmental Services, Inc. since June 2000. I received my Texas PG in 2006.Parzentny, Sylvia (BS 87): I graduated with a B.S. Geology in 1987; B.A. Geography in 1996. I earned a M.S. in Leadership Management 4 years ago instead of the Hydrogeology Masters (sorry Dr. Stewart!).

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Currently I work as civilian personnel the last 7 years for the United States Air Force at Tyndall AFB in Panama City as a Program Manager in the 325th Civil Engineering/ Environmental Flight. Still only have one child who is now 4, Luke Daniel; one dog 12+ years, and two horses, 20 years and 33+ years old. All are getting older as I am too but I also work part time instructing Spin and Fitness classes that keeps me in shape for my 4 year old son! Pekala, John (MS 96): This past summer, I relocated (with my wife and 2 kids) from the Bay Area to the Phoenix, Arizona area to help expand the geographic presence of the company I work for, ENVIRON International Corporation. I am the manager of our operations here. I’ve been working on a couple contaminated sediment investigation projects along with some environmental due diligence and property redevelopment projects. Everyone is doing well, we’ve settled in, and are now starting to enjoy the nice fall weather. Schmidt, Walt (BA 72): I am still with the Florida Geological Survey (FGS) since 1974. Appointed Chief and State Geologist in 1985, I have served under six Governors - Askew, Graham, Martinez, Chiles, Bush, and now Crist. 2007 is the Centennial Anniversary of the FGS, and we hosted the 99th Annual meeting of the Association of American State Geologists in Key Largo, FL in June. In late, 2005, I was diagnosed with renal kidney failure and I have been on dialysis ever since. My 25 year old adopted son David, has been determined to be a compatible match and he has offered to donate a kidney. We are scheduled for the transplant operation November 28, 2006. Hopefully by the time the USF GAS Newsletter is published, I’ll be able to report all is well.Scott, Thomas M., (BA 71): I continue working with the Florida Geological Survey as the Assistant State Geologist for Geological Investigations. I completed my 33rd year with the FGS in January 2007. I am continuing to work on a new Geomorphic Map of Florida which will be published (hopefully) in 2007. The State offers a Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) which I joined in 2004. I have 2.5 years remaining before retiring from the FGS. Late last year, Nada and I got married after 7.5 years together. A number of USF grads and former students came to Tallahassee to help us celebrate! In 2007, the FGS will be celebrating its 100th anniversary!! We are planning a celebration around the annual Association of American State Geologists (AASG) to be held in June 2007 in Key Largo.Shaw, Jon (BA 77; MS 80): I am still with Golder Associates in Boca Raton. Having spent my first 10 years at the South Florida Water Management District followed by 17 years of consulting, much of it for the District, I regularly see many of the same faces including USF Geology Alumni. I work with Mike Micheau of PBS&J on some Everglades ASR projects. Pete Kwaitkowski has been at the District for a while and has moved over from ASR to a policy position. I see Gardner Strasser at the West Palm Beach FDEP Southeast District when applying for UIC permits and Steve Anderson is still on the TAC. As for my own family, Jill (M.S. Speech Language Pathology, USF 1980) and I celebrated our 31st wedding anniversary this year. Two children, Gabrielle (17) and David (15) keep us busy at home. Our oldest, Rakelle, (23) has brought us full circle. She currently works for URS in Boca Raton with some of the same folks that recruited me and others from the department for a Dames & Moore phosphate mine aquifer performance test investigation in 1978. She graduated from FAU with a degree in Biology.Shearer-Fullerton, Amanda (BS 81): Still goofing off, making pottery and attending watercolor workshops at various locales. We are designing our new home to be built in the mountains of North Carolina next year. Shepard, John (BS 78): I have now reached 26 years with Shell. I am currently in Shell’s “Development” organization after spending much of my career in North American exploration. In my current role as Special Studies Manager for O&G development in the Americas, I direct a variety of efforts to mature (or enable others to mature) hydrocarbon opportunities in and around both new discoveries and producing fields in North and South America

and act as the liaison between the Exploration and Development organizations. At Shell, I have had the opportunity to develop and apply expertise in regional play development, play and prospect maturation, business planning and portfolio management, contract negotiations, and deepwater field development. My family and I prudently fled New Orleans as hurricane Katrina approached and evacuated to Meridian, Mississippi. The last news that we heard before Meridian lost power was that New Orleans had “dodged the bullet”. As we waited for two days for power to be restored, our only news of the devastation was via car radio. We eventually drove to Houston where Shell reassembled our workforce. We were able to visit our house 12 days after the storm and found that a tornado had destroyed the house immediately behind us and heavily damaged our roof but that we hadn’t flooded. I have never been more proud of my company and the manner in which employees were treated than during the period after the storm. My team stayed in Houston for business reasons when most of Shell’s New Orleans-based staff returned to New Orleans in February, 2006. Shoemaker, Barkley (MS 00): I married Haymeli Castillo almost 3 years ago, and we had a baby girl, Sophie Ann Shoemaker, on June 21, 2006. Our family lives in Miami Lakes, Florida. We are very happy. I still work for the U.S. Geological Survey, located in Fort Lauderdale Florida. My research includes measurement of evapotranspiration in wetlands and development of methods to represent karst conduit flow with MODFLOW. Spieler, Angela (BS): I work as a professional engineer for Kisinger Campo & associates in Tampa and still live in Temple Terrace with my husband David and 4 year old daughter Taylor. Go Bulls.Spinner, Bill (BS 00): Well let’s see… I left Streamline Environ-mental and I am now working for URS Corporation doing environmental consulting here in Tampa. I am working on getting my Professional Geologist certification soon.Stump, James (Duff) (MS 84): I just completed my 17th year at Chastain-Skillman, Inc. in Lakeland. My current position is a Senior Project Manager in the Environmental Risk Department. Workload consists predominantly of assessment activities associ- ated with property transfers and solvent and petroleum contami-nated sites. My wife, Debbie, and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary this summer. We have three children - Jonathan (16 - Lakeland Christian HS Sophomore), Corey (13. - Lawton Chile MS 8th Grade), and Abbey (10 - Lincoln Avenue Academy Elementary 5th Grade). n

Let us knowhow you are doing!

Please send an update on your activities by e-mail to

Mary Haney, Office Manager, Department of Geology -

mhaney@cas.usf.edu. Please be sure to include your full name, year of graduation,

and degree awarded.

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Mike Kittridge (MS ’07) collects water chemistry data in a kettle pond on the tundra, southwestern Alaska.

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