Faculty Mark Hemphill-Haley Geology Mark Hemphill-Haley is co-author on a recent publication in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America entitled "Onshore to Offshore Ground‐Surface and Seabed Rupture of the Jordan–Kekerengu–Needles Fault Network during the 2016 Mw7.8 Kaikoura Earthquake, New Zealand" It provides detailed observations of one of the most complex earthquake surface ruptures in history.
https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/ssa/bssa/article/530021/onshore-to-off…

Staff Harvey Kelsey Geology Harvey Kelsey, a research associate in the Geology Department, has been named a fellow of the Geological Society of America. Honorees are nominated by existing GSA Fellows for their contributions to the geosciences. Contributions may include publications, applied research, teaching, administration of geological programs, public education, editorial, bibliographic and library responsibilities.
Kelsey was honored for using field investigations of coastal environments to make important contributions to our understanding of the history and processes of great subduction zone earthquakes and tsunamis in Cascadia, Indonesia, New Zealand, and Japan.

Faculty Brandon Browne Geology Brandon Browne and colleagues from the U.S. Geological Survey published a professional report with the Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical Surveys detailing their comprehensive study on the ~400 yr BP eruption of Half Cone, a post-caldera composite cone in Aniakchak National Park and Preserve in Alaska. As one of the largest eruptions from a volcano on the Alaska peninsula over the past 3,000 years, it blanketed hundreds of miles with thick ash and produced an important stratigraphic marker used by geologists and archeologists working to understand the geological and human history of the region.          

Faculty Jasper Oshun Geology Jasper won a 3-year National Science Foundation GEOPATHS Award ($145,352). This education award links faculty and students at SDSU, CSUS, and HSU and is titled 'Collaborative Research: Developing a diverse hydrology workforce through an undergraduate hydrological research experience in a coastal California watershed'. The award provides opportunities for 10 rising sophomores per year to participate in course and summer immersion focused on interdisciplinary water science, hydrology field techniques, and the challenges of water management. A primary goal is to build community across 3 CSU campuses and train a diverse cohort of hydrologists to inform water management in California.

Faculty Mark Hemphill-Haley Geology Mark Hemphill-Haley (Geology) returned from two-week investigation of the 2016 M 7.8 Kaikoura earthquake, South Island, New Zealand. He joined HSU alumni Russ Van Dissen ('83) and Jessica Vermeer ('13 BS, '16 MS) and NZ researchers to investigate the deformation associated with more than 9 m (27 ft) of offset during the earthquake. The investigation involved trenching across the fault to assess fault structure and timing of previous earthquakes.

Student Bobby Voeks Geology Geology student Bobby Voeks was recently accepted into the U.S. Geological Survey/National Association of Geoscience Teachers Cooperative Field Training Program. The USGS/NAGT program is the longest continuously running internship program in the earth sciences. Bobby will work as a hydrologic technician measuring sediment inputs into the Chesapeake Bay. He will be based at USGS headquarters in Reston, VA.

Faculty Jacky Baughman, Melanie Michalak Geology Jacky Baughman and Melanie Michalak, professors in the Geology Department, received a one year grant from the Geological Society of America AGeS-DiG (Awards for Geochronology Student Research- Diversity in Geochronology) program of $14,975 to support a cohort of six undergraduate students in the 22-23 academic year to undertake original research using geochronologic methods. The support includes a stipend, cost of analyses, and travel to a Spring conference to present their work. 

Faculty Jasper Oshun, Margaret Lang, Yojana Miraya Oscco (M.A. 2018, Env. & Comm.) Geology Jasper, Margaret and Yojana (along with Kristina Keating of Rutgers University, Newark) published 'Interdisciplinary Water Development in the Peruvian Highlands: The Case for Including the Coproduction of Knowledge in Socio-Hydrology' in a special issue of Hydrology focused on Socio-Hydrology. The article highlights the interdisciplinary and collaborative research, novel educational model involving applied and place-based student learning, environmental leadership, and service to the community of Zurite of the Bonanza en los Andes project.
The article can be found here: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/8/3/112

Faculty Jasper Oshun, Margaret Lang Geology Geoscientists Without Borders funded a two year $100k project to complete a sustainable water project in the highlands of Perú. Jasper Oshun and Margaret Lang will lead a small group of students to Perú next summer to map the geology, explore surface runoff patterns and learn novel shallow geophysical techniques to determine the extent of the aquifer. These data will be used to design a water reservoir and agricultural canal system. They will return in the summer of 2019 to support the community in the construction phase. The canal will allow for year round agriculture, directly benefitting over 120 families.

Student Claudia Velasco Geology Geology student Claudia Velasco recently accepted a National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates (NSF-REU) Summer Internship studying glacial sedimentology in Brazil and surficial geology in west central, Minnesota for Native American women. Claudia will help an active research project on the origin and history of surficial deposits in west central Minnesota and the late Paleozoic glacial units of Brazil (the Itarare subgroup). Her research will focus on the influence of climate on ice stream movement, the significance of marine interaction and ice sheet grounding, and the nature of ice stream flow (sliding vs. deformation).

Faculty Jacky Baughman, Melanie Michalak Geology Jacky Baughman and Melanie Michalak, professors in the Geology Department, received a one year grant from the Geological Society of America AGeS-DiG (Awards for Geochronology Student Research- Diversity in Geochronology) program of $14,975 to support a cohort of six undergraduate students in the 22-23 academic year to undertake original research using geochronologic methods. The support includes a stipend, cost of analyses, and travel to a Spring conference to present their work. 

Faculty Jasper Oshun & Margaret Lang Geology Dr.’s Oshun (Geology), Lang (ERE), and Keating (geophysics, Rutgers University -Newark) won a $266,034, 3-year award from NSF’s International Research Experiences for Students program to engage a diverse set of students from two HSI’s in water resources development in the Andes of Perú. Students from HSU, RUN and Peruvian universities will participate in an interdisciplinary curriculum, which includes a preparatory semester of virtual learning, 5-weeks of field work in Perú and faculty guided independent research. The project will blend western scientific, Indigenous, and nature-based approaches of water resources management to inform best practices of sustainable water development.

Faculty Melanie Michalak Geology Melanie Michalak was awarded a American Chemical Society- Petroleum Research Fund grant toward her proposed research, "Reconstructing Neogene Paleogeography and Forearc Basin Evolution of Southern Cascadia using Detrital Mineral Geochronology." The grant of $55,000 is awarded over a two year period and will support original research by PI Michalak, a MSc student and a team of undergraduates. Their work in the coastal deposits along the north coast seeks to characterize paleogeography and forearc development over the past several million years using quantitative dating techniques.

Student Michelle Robinson Geology Geology student Michelle Robinson was recently accepted into the U.S. Geological Survey/National Association of Geoscience Teachers Cooperative Field Training Program. The USGS/NAGT program is the longest continuously running internship program in the earth sciences. Michelle will be based in Portland, OR working with USGS scientists on water-quality conditions in the Columbia River Basin. He work will focus on "toxics," including anthropogenic-indicator compounds, pharmaceuticals, PBDEs, pesticides and legacy compounds.

Student Club Dennis Lindelof, Lisa Elconin, Huntington Paulson, Amanda Admire Geology On Saturday October 1st, the Geology Club officers, Dennis Lindelof, Lisa Elconin and Huntington Paulson, joined the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group and Humboldt Earthquake Education Center to participate in Pastels on the Plaza. Their design promoted the Great ShakeOut happening on October 20th at 10:20 am, and it highlighted the importance of earthquake and tsunami awareness and preparedness. Check out their design on the Arcata Plaza! We encourage everyone to sign up and participate in ShakeOut during Safety Week so you too can practice your earthquake and tsunami drill. Preparedness makes a difference! 

Faculty Jasper Oshun Geology Jasper Oshun received a Fulbright Award to teach hydrogeology at a university in Lima and conduct water resources research in collaborations with communities in the region of Cusco. The teaching and research will occur between February and July of 2022.

Faculty Brandon Browne, Raul Becerra Geology Dr. Brandon Browne, Associate Professor of Geology, and four undergraduate thesis students, including Raul Becerra ('16), recently published their study titled "Quaternary basaltic volcanism in the Golden Trout Volcanic Field, southern Sierra Nevada, California" in the Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research. The study uses results from geologic mapping and geochemical analyses of rocks and minerals to interpret the eruption styles and geologic evolution of the volcanic field - the only one of its age in the High Sierra.

Student Erin Quinn Geology Erin Quinn recently accepted a Smithsonian Graduate Student Fellowship at the National Museum of Natural History. Erin will conduct high-temperature, high-pressure experiments on rocks from Chaos Crags, Lassen Volcanic National Park. Erin’s work will be the first experimental phase equilibrium study on Chaos Crags and will provide important constraints on magma storage conditions at Chaos Crags. This is important for better understanding the volcanic hazards within Lassen Park.

Student Regina Khoury and Sarah Leidinger Geology Graduate students Regina Khoury and Sarah Leidinger (Geology) are the 2022-2023 recipients of the $1,500 Richard Chambers Memorial Scholarships from the Northern California Geological Society. Regina Khoury's MS thesis proposal is titled “Pre-Eruptive Storage Conditions of Magmas Erupted During the ~12ka Flare Up of Medicine Lake Volcano, CA.” Her advisor is Dr. Brandon L. Browne in Geology. Sarah Leidinger's MS thesis proposal is titled “Bathymetry and carbon accumulation rate of a rare Northern California coastal peatland.” Her advisor is Dr. Laura Levy in Geology. Congratulations Regina and Sarah!