Geology course attends national conference

Emily Walsh’s igneous petrology course traveled to Denver at the beginning of Block 3 for the 125th Geological Society of America annual conference. The 10-student class networked with graduate school representatives and professionals in the field during presentations and career lunches.

Cornell College was well represented at the conference, with young Cornell alumni and geology professors Ben Greenstein and John Orcutt also in attendance. Students in the igneous petrology course were able to view presentations and interact with geology scholars.

Students Ni An, Angelique Gonzales, and Amanda Houts also had the opportunity to present research during the conference. An presented “A Stalagmite Record of Climate Variability from the Last Glacial Maximum through Middle Holocene from Cape Range, Western Australia.

“Attending this national conference was an eye opening experience,” she said. “I made great progress on my honors thesis through the presentation preparation, learned about different cool research fields, met many great geologists, and developed great contacts.”

Gonzales found that even as she presented her project, “Using UV Fluorescent Imagery to Assess Speleothem Growth Rate Variations During an Abrupt Warming Episode,” she continued to learn more about it.  “[The conference] provided a great way to discuss results and insight about the research,” she said.

The Geological Society of America has a global membership base of more than 25,000 members in 103 countries, and 30% of its members are students. The GSA seeks to “advance geoscience research and discovery, service to society, stewardship of Earth, and the geosciences profession.” The 125th annual conference in Denver included more than 100 events in seven days.