Teaching Experience
Lead Instructor
GeoObies in front of the confluence of the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers (Maryland Heights Overlook, Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, WV/MD). Left to right: John Chen ‘23, Noah Kantor ‘24, Kevin Lopez ‘23, Ren Waldman ‘23, El Kennedy-Lange ‘23, Grace Burns ‘23, Peter Zimmermann ‘23, and me.
Regional Field Geology—Colorado Plateau and Basin & Range (GEOL 310) Summer 2023—W&M
Co-instructor for W&M’s 3-week field course to AZ, UT, and NV. Developed field trip stops with co-instructor and field TA (Instructors: Dr. Christopher Bailey and Dr. Megan Flansburg)
Structural Geology (GEOS 340) Spring 2023—Oberlin
Visiting Asst. Prof. at Oberlin College. Full semester course and laboratory section. Structural geology is the study of how rocks deform, as well as quantifying those deformation-induced fabrics. The measurable deformation that occurs within Earth produces a variety of rock structures. Lectures examine rock structures, analyze the factors that control how rocks deform, discuss the role of rock deformation in tectonics, and discuss interpretations of the deformation patterns in the context of plate tectonics. Labs and problem sets emphasize techniques for observing, analyzing, and interpreting map patterns, outcrops, hand samples, and thin sections of deformed rocks. Field trip(s). (Instructor: Dr. Megan Flansburg)
Earth Time (GEOS 126) Spring 2023 Module—Oberlin
GeoObies Ren Waldman ‘23 (left) and Kevin Lopez ‘23 (right) take a strike and dip measurement of slaty cleavage in the Harpers Formation on the Structural Geology weekend trip.
Visiting Asst. Prof. at Oberlin College. Half-semester module course that I developed. Earth coalesced into a solid planet over 4.5 billion years ago and since then has undergone dramatic changes in landscape and environment. Ever wondered how earth scientists constrain the timing of tectonic, evolutionary, climatic, and human events in Earth’s history? This module introduces various (geo)chronologic methods to date events at a range of time-scales, from the Hadean to the Anthropocene, including U-Pb radiometric dating, thermochronology, cosmogenic nuclides, dendrochronology, and more. Students will learn the major events in Earth’s history, how to read the geologic times scale, and the various methods geoscientists use to “tell time”. (Instructor: Dr. Megan Flansburg)
Earth’s Interior (GEOS 206) Fall 2022 and Fall 2023—Oberlin
Visiting Asst. Prof. at Oberlin College. Full semester course and laboratory section focused on the dynamics and character below the Earth’s surface. The course introduces concepts integral to plate tectonics, structural geology, petrology, and geophysics. This course is a preferred prerequisite for Structural Geology (GEOS 340), but any 200-level GEOS course will satisfy this requirement. (Instructor: Dr. Megan Flansburg)
Geology of Our National Parks (GEOS 121) Fall 2022, Fall 2023, and Spring 2024—Oberlin
Visiting Asst. Prof. at Oberlin College. Full semester course aimed as a broad introduction to geologic and geoscience concepts and processes that fundamentally shape the landscapes in National Parks that draw millions of visitors a year. The course investigates multiple parks, including Grand Canyon NP (Arizona), Glacier NP (Montana), Cuyahoga Valley NP (Ohio), and Shenandoah NP (Virginia), and allows students to investigate a park of their choice. This course is appropriate for students new to geoscience and satisfies the 100-level requirement for a Geoscience major or minor. (Instructor: Dr. Megan Flansburg)
Field TA Experience
Geologic Field Camp (GEO 660A) Summer 2021—UT-Austin
Field TA for UT’s 3-week summer field course, focused on carbonate stratigraphy, reconnaissance mapping, and Laramide structural geology and mapping in New Mexico and Wyoming. Handled food and equipment logistics with the A.I.. (Instructors: Drs. Mark Helper, Charles Kerans, Brian Horton, Peter Hennings)
Geologic Field Camp (GEO 660B) Summer 2019—UT-Austin
Field TA for the second-half of UT’s 6-week summer field course, focused on fold-thrust belt structure, metamorphic terranes, and ore deposits in Montana and Wyoming. Handled food and equipment logistics with two other TAs. (Instructors: Drs. Mark Helper, Brian Horton, Peter Hennings, Daniel Stockli)
Regional Field Geology—West Texas (GEOL 310) May 2018—W&M
Invited Field TA for W&M’s two-week field course in Big Bend National Park, TX. Assisted with student questions, particularly during an extended mapping project in Dagger Flats. (Instructors: Dr. Brent Owens and Linda Morse)
Regional Field Geology—Colorado Plateau (GEOL 310) May 2016—W&M
Field TA for W&M’s 3-week field course to AZ and UT. Led the first full field day of the trip to the southern Black Mtns (AZ) where I instructed the students in recording volcanic stratigraphy in extended terranes. Assisted with field materials and prep and answered student questions, as well as served as a liaison between students and faculty. (Instructors: Drs. Christopher Bailey, Jim Kaste, Becky Jiron)
Laboratory & Classroom TA Experience
Structural Geology (GEO 428) Fall 2021—UT-Austin
Independently taught two, three-hour lab sections per week. Course taught during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, taught in-person with safety measures. (Instructor: Dr. Mark Cloos)
Introduction to Field and Stratigraphic Methods (GEO 420K) Spring 2019—UT-Austin
Independently taught one three-hour lab per week and attended full-day weekend field trips. Rotated with three other TAs in preparation of laboratory materials. Created lab final exam with one other TA. Assisted in field trip preparation, including shopping and vehicle packing for overnight field trip. (Instructors: Drs. Mark Helper, Brian Horton, Daniel Stockli, and Zach Sickmann)
Earth Structure & Dynamics (GEOL 323) Spring 2016—W&M
During my tenure as the W&M Geology Fellow, I assisted with laboratory and term project prep, grading, and prep and teaching on the weekend field trip (Instructor: Dr. Christopher Bailey)
Structural Geology (GEO 428) Fall 2020—UT-Austin
Independently taught two, three-hour lab sections per week. Course taught during the coronavirus pandemic, jointly taught in-person and online. (Instructor: Dr. Mark Cloos)
Dept. of Geological Sciences Fall 2020 Outstanding TA Award
Introduction to Geologic Field Methods (GEOL 311) Fall 2015—W&M
Assisted with grading and preparation of field trip materials during my tenure as the W&M Geology Fellow. (Instructor: Dr. Christopher Bailey)
Introduction to Geology Lab (GEOL 160) Spring 2015 & 2013—W&M
Undergraduate Teaching Aide position where I assisted with laboratory and field trip prep and helped students with questions. Individually taught sections of this lab in 2016 during my tenure as the W&M Geology Fellow. (Instructor: Linda Morse).