Teaching

Western Kentucky University

Remote Sensing Applications GEOS 515 (4-credit)

This course explores the fundamental characteristics of electromagnetic radiation and how it interacts with the earth’s surface materials such as soil, rock, water, vegetation, and urban infrastructures. The course also introduces the principles of satellite-based digital image interpretation; spectral signatures related to the electromagnetic spectrum; satellite remote sensing systems for imaging the Earth using the passive visible, infrared, and thermal systems, and active radar systems; system limitations; and process of extraction of biophysical, geological, land-use/land cover, and environmental information to understand geoscience problems. The laboratory part of this course will give the students direct practical experience in processing and interpreting digital imagery using remote sensing data and the ArcGIS Pro software package from the Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI) on primarily Windows platform. Students will be working with a wide variety of satellite imagery including single spectral and multispectral imagery, LiDAR, thermal imagery, and synthetic aperture radar remote sensing data. At the end of this course, students will become familiar with how Remote sensors provide a wealth of data about Earth systems that enable data-informed decision-making in land and resource management, disaster assessment, alert to threats to the people, and monitoring global change, and regional environmental change.

Geomorphology GEOL 420/GEOG 420/Seminar in Geomorphology GEOS 521 (3-credit)

This course is designed to train you to understand process mechanics and how processes lead to the formation of landforms. You should be able to qualitatively and quantitatively describe surficial processes that shape the Earth’s surface and understand myriad techniques to analyze these processes. Particularly, this course will allow you to document how physical environments and in turn, surface processes responded to past tectonic and climate events, and predict environmental responses as a result of future tectonic and climatic changes. Increasingly, human activities are becoming critical geomorphic catalysts in the nature of cause and effect. This course will allow you to understand human-environmental interaction in modifying surficial processes during the Anthropocene. Advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses.

Tectonics GEOL 470/GEOS 570 (3-credit)

Tectonics is a fascinating interdisciplinary course that not only motivates academia but also draws governmental and private environmental and geological agencies who are interested in mineral, groundwater, and petroleum resources, and mitigating natural hazards like a landslide, tsunami, karst and sinkholes, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes that affect global population on a daily basis. It is an interactive venue for various components of Earth’s systems as they evolve over time and space. This course will provide you with a robust understanding of global tectonics, directly or indirectly influencing all components of Earth’s systems, and a plate tectonic paradigm to understand Earth’s evolution. You will be able to gather in-depth knowledge in active and past global tectonic activities and environments, recent advances in the field of tectonics, mantle plumes and processes, current plate motions, the implication of tectonics for environmental changes and natural hazards, natural resources, large igneous provinces (LIPs), rifted continental margins, oceanic ridges, geothermal energy, subduction and transform zones, past and present orogeny, North American tectonics, sedimentary basins, tectonic geomorphology, thermochronology and interplay between climate-tectonics and landforms. Advanced undergraduate and graduate-level courses.

Structural Geology/Structural Geology Lab GEOL 408 (4-credit)

Structural Geology satisfies the core course requirement for students majoring in Geology with Professional Geology Major, Earth, and Space Science, and General Geoscience concentrations and elective for students minoring in geology, earth science, geography, civil engineering that prepares them for advanced geology courses such as tectonics, geodynamics, petroleum geology, geophysics, advanced structural geology, and related courses. This course provides two significant components: lecture and laboratory. The lecture part is designed to provide a fundamental understanding of brittle and ductile deformation such as fold, fault, joints, and foliation on the Earth’s crust and upper mantle. This course also explores the development, geometry, pattern, timing, and kinematics of deformation at all scales starting from atoms in crystals to collisions in mountain belts. The laboratory component is designed to complement technical aspects and critical thinking skills through comprehensive hands-on-experience including problem-solving, geometrical construction, interpretation, observation, and industry application (e.g. topographic and structure contours, geologic cross-section, fold, fault and fracture analysis, stereonet, structural restoration, stress & strain analyses, seismic interpretation, etc.). Specifically, this course will introduce various concepts and tools of structural geology that will help students gain valuable experience for their future geoscience careers.

Environmental Geology GEOL 250 with Lab (3-credit)

This course is designed to investigate the important interplay between geologic principles, environments, humans, and the Earth. This course addresses the most pressing environmental concerns encountered by humanity on the Earth’s systems, which are not only controlled by internal and external surficial Earth’s processes but also by the huge footprint of the world’s growing population and their increasingly affluent lifestyle. In this course, the use of fundamental geologic knowledge is investigated in the remediation of these challenges and better management of the Earth as a sustainable planet. Students will gain an in-depth understanding of the Earth’s various systems and its natural and anthropogenic processes that control environmental changes and increase societal risk and vulnerability. Examples include current global warming, anthropogenic and natural pollution, loss of habitat and wetland, increased geologic hazards, extreme climate, and erratic hydrologic cycle, the environmental effect on human health, and environmental disasters due to the exploitation of geologic resources (i.e., water, soil, energy).

Remote Sensing Fundamentals GISC 414 (3-credit)

This course will explore the fundamental themes of remote sensing technology and its application for geoscience problem investigation. The course is designed to better understand the physical bases of the electromagnetic spectrum, and interactions of the electromagnetic radiation with natural and artificial objects through reflection, absorption, and emission. A large hands-on part of this course will include the use of state-of-the-art image processing techniques in the visible, infrared, shortwave and near-infrared, and thermal portions of the electromagnetic spectrum. This course will allow students to visualize optical and radar images, and to process, enhance and interpret these images using remote sensing software ENVI, ArcGIS, and/or ERDAS IMAGINE on a Windows platform.

The Earth GEOL 111 (3-credit)

This course fosters the skills that lead to an understanding of the natural aspects and environments of the Earth, scientific methods, and fundamental geological principles. In particular, this course explores the interaction among geology, people, and environment including Earth materials, internal and external physical, chemical, and bio-geological processes that are responsible for forming and shaping the Earth, and Earth’s evolution through deep times and present geologic time. GEOL 111 is an introductory course for geology majors, minors, prospective science teachers, and students in allied sciences or other technical areas.

The Earth: Honors GEOL 111 (3-credit)

This course fosters the skills that lead to an understanding of the natural aspects and environments of the Earth, scientific methods, and fundamental geological principles. In particular, this course explores the interaction among geology, people, and environment including Earth materials, internal and external physical, chemical, and bio-geological processes that are responsible for forming and shaping the Earth, and Earth’s evolution through deep times and present geologic time. GEOL 111 is an introductory course for honors students in geology and other majors. Undergraduate level course.

The Earth Lab GEOL 113 (1-credit)

GEOL 113 is designed to satisfy the introductory core course (GEOL 111-The Earth) for geology majors, minors, prospective science teachers, and students in allied sciences, engineering, or other technical areas which fulfills the Category D general education requirement. The course (GEOL 111 and GEOL 113) will explore the Earth’s materials, natural resources, natural hazards, geologic processes that form the Earth’s interior and sculpt its surface, and interaction between human activity and the dynamic and evolving Earth. Successive hands-on experiences with geologic materials, maps, critical and logical thinking, problem-solving, and measurements are practiced to educate students on the reality of the above concepts.

Our Dynamic Planet GEOL 103 (3-credit)

Our Dynamic Planet will introduce the spatial dimension of Earth’s dynamic systems with a special emphasis on how their many interrelationships affect humans and their environment. These systems include air, water, weather, climate, tectonics, landforms, and ecosystems. GEOL 103 fulfills Category D general education course goals and objectives for all students returning to WKU after previously attending. GEOL 103 also satisfies WKU’s Colonnade Program’s requirements or the Natural and Physical Sciences subcategory of the Explorations Category for those students attending WKU for the first time in Fall 2014 (including transfer students) who are under the F14 catalog requirements. As part of that program, GEOL 103 has the following learning objectives:1. Demonstrate an understanding of the methods of science inquiry. 2. Explain basic concepts and principles in one or more of the sciences. 3. Apply scientific principles to interpret and make predictions in one or more of the sciences. 4. Explain how scientific principles relate to issues of personal and/or public importance.

Tulane University

Introduction to Geographic Information System EENS 3150/3151(3-credit)

This course introduces students fundamental principles of GIS. The course is designed to provide state-of-the-art techniques as well as basic data structures and data management. The laboratory part of this course will allow students visualize, store, analysis, output and interpret raster and vector data using ArcGIS software on Windows platform.

Introduction to Geographic Information System EENS 6150/6151(3-credit)

This course is designed for students to understand the fundamentals and geological applications of GIS that include visualization, storing, analysis, modeling, mathematical manipulation, 2/3D surface building, and interpret ion of raster and vector data using ArcGIS software on Windows platform. Part of the course also introduces basic themes of remote sensing (physical bases of electromagnetic spectrum, interactions of electromagnetic radiation within the visible, infrared, thermal and radar portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for imaging the Earth along with hands on experience in ENVI remote sensing software. Additionally, the course requires project in mastering GIS and remote sensing techniques and their geological applications through data analysis, synthesis, modeling, and discussing broader significance. Advanced graduate level course.

University of New Orleans

Structural Geology EES 3100 (3-credit)

Earth Structures is designed to introduce students the description and analysis of geologic structures on planet Earth. This course explores the type and distribution of structures as they relate to styles and processes of deformation that result of a dynamic planet. Students will leave this class with their senses “tuned” for geologic structures and a deeper understanding of the importance of geologic structures in deciphering Earth history. In summary, this course will explore the fundamental themes of Earth’s deformation e.g. geometry, mechanics, and processes responsible for rock deformation. They will learn graphical, computer, and field-based structural geology techniques throughout the class in lectures, lab and field. Co-taught with Dr. Mark Kulp.

Geospatial Analysis EES 4096/4096G (3-credit)

This course will explore the fundamental themes of remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) technology and application and excluding any comprehensive knowledge on geospatial science theory. The course will provide the physical bases of electromagnetic spectrum, interactions of electromagnetic radiation with natural and artificial objects through absorption and emission, and state-of-the-art techniques within the visible, infrared, thermal and radar portion of the electromagnetic spectrum for imaging the Earth as well as basic data structure and data management in GIS. The laboratory part of this course will allow students visualize images, process, enhance and interpret digital imagery using remote sensing software ENVI /ERDAS Imagine and ArcGIS software on the Windows platform. Advanced graduate and undergraduate level course.

Oceanography EES 3760 (3-credit)

This course aims to provide basic understanding of fundamental principles of ocean science and its interactions with the other systems such as atmosphere, biosphere, and solid earth. Broadly, this course will help to understand the geological, physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the oceans. Students will learn how ocean basins formed and change through geologic times, relationship of ocean formation and plate tectonics, geomorphic features of oceans, physical and chemical properties of sea water; interaction of atmosphere and ocean circulation and their effect on global climate, relationship of ocean, geology and natural phenomena, coastal processes, and the biology of diverse ecosystems in oceans. Specifically, in this course students will able to define key concepts of ocean science and their relationship to other systems. Undergraduate level course.

Dynamic Earth EES 1000 (3-credit)

Dynamic Earth aims to provide basic understanding of how Earth’s systems work, Earth’s internal structure and the processes occurring on and beneath the Earth’s surface. the dynamics and natural aspects of our planet Earth that will help them to understand the Earth and its surroundings from geological point of view. Specifically, in this course students will be able to define key concept of Earth processes and systems and their relationship to each other.