Most Recent Department Newsletter (11 MB pdf file)
History...
The study of geology at the
University of Minnesota began in 1872 by an act of the State
Legislature directing the Regents to establish a Minnesota
Geological and Natural History Survey to investigate the geology of
Minnesota and make that information available to its citizens. In
the spring of that year Newton Horace Winchell came to Minnesota as
the State Geologist, and in the fall he started teaching as the
University's first Professor of Geology and Mineralogy.
However ,the Department of Geology and Mineralogy was not officially
established until 1874. The School of Earth Sciences was
established in 1962 to include the Department of Geology and
Geophysics, the Minnesota
Geological Survey, and the Limnological Research Center.
Then in 1990, the Institute for Rock
Magnetism became its fourth component.
The numerous
contributions made by N. H. Winchell to the study of geology at the
University of Minnesota were commemorated in 1988 with the renaming
of the School as the Newton Horace Winchell School of Earth
Sciences. Since Winchell's time many illustrious names in North
American geosciences have been associated with the School, either as
instructors or students. By its 125th anniversary in 1999, the
Department had graduated over 2000 students.
Built in 1887,
Pillsbury Hall is the second oldest building on the Twin Cities
Campus of the University of Minnesota and is listed on the National
Register of Historic Buildings as part of the "old campus
district". For its entire existance, Pillsbury Hall has been
the proud home to the School of Earth Sciences.
(read
more about Pillsbury Hall)
Currently...
The Department of Geology and
Geophysics is involved in three basic activities: scientific
research, education, and community service. Bachelor of Science
degrees in geology and Geophysics are offered through the Institute
of Technology, and Bachelor of Arts degrees in geology are offered
through the College of Liberal Arts. In all cases students are
required to complete a comprehensive core curriculum in basic earth
science and to obtain a strong background in mathematics, chemistry,
and physics. Undergraduate students are mainly from Minnesota, and
many go on to graduate studies at major universities across the
country. (go to
Geology & Geophysics Undergraduate Programs)
The graduate student body is made up of students from
many parts of the U.S.A., and about 15% are international students.
Many of our alumni have become well established in careers in
private industry, public agencies, and education. Research and
teaching are closely interrelated within the Department, especially
at the more advanced levels of instruction. Thus graduate students
and faculty interact freely in research projects, and graduate
students
are encouraged to develop independent research
projects. The typical graduate advising load of faculty members is
three to five students. (go to
Geology and Geophysics Graduate Programs)
In the area of public service the faculty advise
state agencies and communities in matters of waste disposal, lake
restoration, groundwater protection, conservation of natural resources,
and exploration of the state's mineral resources. In
addition, the faculty and graduate students in the Department
cordially make time for the general public in the identification
of rocks and possible meteorites.
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