My Courses

Unconventional experiences

• NSF-Sponsored Short Course. Finite Element Models (FEMs) for earthquake deformation. SDSMT Campus, 8-10 May, 2024. Mission Complete.

_____________________________________

• *New* GEOL 464 / Senior Research, 1 cr. (undergraduate), Examine the scientific method and evaluate effective communication in scientific research publications. Investigate propagation of uncertainties, biases, and assumptions in research activities. Explore current trends, dilemmas, and seminal publications of Geoscience literature. Ethics and societal impacts of scientific research and communication are emphasized.

• GEOL 725 / Geodynamics, 3 cr. (graduate), Quantitative expressions for quasi-static geophysical processes, in the context of the Plate Tectonics paradigm. Topics include: boundary value problems, elastic and viscoelastic mechanics; heat conduction and thermoelastic mechanics; and fluid migration and poroelastic mechanics.

• GEOL 728 / Linear Inverse Methods, 3 cr. (graduate), Theory and applications of linear inverse methods to quantitatively interpret geologic data. Topics include: model formulation; parameter estimation; matrix assembly, operations, and inverse methods; parameter uncertainty and resolution; and sensitivity analyses.

• GEOL 201 / Physical Geology, 3 cr. (undergraduate), Survey of the Earth, including plate tectonics; materials, internal and external processes; and earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis. This is where it all begins. 

• GEOL 201L / Physical Geology Laboratory, 1 cr. (undergraduate), Includes situational awareness, leadership, and fieldcraft skills to navigate chaotic environments. Students will experience the Fieldcraft FTX: An unconventional experience prepares students to operate successfully in an unpredictable world. No other Freshman Geology course in the world provides this kind of training.