This course explores the dynamic history of Earth and its lifeforms, from the planet’s origin to the present day. Students will investigate the principles of plate tectonics, stratigraphy, and paleontology to reconstruct Earth’s physical, chemical, and biological evolution. Emphasis is placed on interpreting the rock and fossil record, understanding major events in Earth’s history, and tracing the evolution of life. The laboratory component features hands-on experiments and observations that reinforce key concepts and analytical techniques across disciplines. Students will learn to identify rock types, interpret ancient environments, and evaluate patterns of biological change through time, while drawing connections between past geologic events and modern environmental challenges.

This course explores the complex geological evolution of the Rocky Mountains, emphasizing mountain-building processes, sedimentation history, sea-level change, paleoenvironments, and the fossil record. Using case studies from iconic parks such as Glacier, Yellowstone, and Banff, students will examine how tectonics, climate, and erosion have shaped the region's diverse landscapes. Lectures integrate stratigraphy, paleontology, and structural geology to reconstruct the geological and ecological history of western North America. Assignments emphasize scientific reasoning, geologic hazards, and the role of glaciers and climate change. This course provides a foundational understanding for geoscientists studying continental evolution, environmental change, and natural resource systems.

The purpose of this course is to give students the knowledge to grasp how soils form, how their features are preserved in the rock record, and how we interpret them from the rock record. This starts with understanding the genesis, classification, and morphology of soils. We then discuss major environmental factors that lead to the development of specific soil properties to better understand where soils geographically form. From this information, we can then move on to understand how soils are preserved and how diagenesis impacts their preservation. By knowing the factors that impact soil formation and their preservation, students can then interpret soils from the rock record to make interpretations about ancient landscapes and climate.  

This course introduces the principles and methods of sequence stratigraphy as a tool for interpreting sedimentary rock successions in both siliciclastic and carbonate systems. Students will learn to identify stratigraphic sequences, discontinuity surfaces, and genetically related units, and to analyze the controls on sequence development such as sea-level change, tectonics, and sediment supply. Emphasis is placed on integrating sedimentology, paleontology, and subsurface data to reconstruct depositional environments and stratigraphic architecture. Applications to petroleum geology and basin analysis are highlighted throughout.

This course explores how sedimentary processes and environments contribute to the formation of sediments, sedimentary rocks, and stratigraphic successions in the geologic record. Students will examine how sediments are produced, transported, deposited, and lithified, including the physical and chemical changes that affect composition, porosity, and permeability. Emphasis is placed on recognizing sedimentary structures and facies at hand-sample and outcrop scales to interpret depositional environments. By integrating process-based understanding with sedimentary features, students will reconstruct past environments and interpret how they evolved through time. The course provides a foundation for analyzing sedimentary systems in both modern and ancient contexts.

This course examines the composition, origin, and evolution of terrigenous and carbonate sedimentary rocks, including fossils, bioclasts, and authigenic minerals such as sulfates, glauconite, and pyrite. Students will explore sedimentary processes from deposition through burial and diagenesis, including cementation, recrystallization, silicification, and dolomitization. Emphasis is placed on using petrographic analysis—especially thin-section microscopy—to interpret sediment composition, provenance, and diagenetic history. Lectures and labs focus on recognizing sedimentary rock types and understanding how their physical and chemical characteristics reflect depositional environments and post-depositional changes. The course provides a foundation for interpreting sedimentary systems through both hand sample and microscopic analysis.

This course explores the history of Earth's climate during the Cenozoic Era, with emphasis on major climatic events and the tools used to reconstruct past environments. Students will learn to interpret geochemical, paleontological, and paleobotanical climate proxies and evaluate their significance for understanding past climate systems. The course emphasizes the use of proxy data to assess climate dynamics and sensitivity through time. Through hands-on analysis of online datasets and model simulations, students will identify patterns and trends in paleoclimate records and evaluate uncertainties in reconstructions. Comparisons between past climate transitions and modern climate change provide context for understanding future climate scenarios and promote environmental stewardship. Students will synthesize their findings in a final research poster, presented for peer review and discussion.