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Courses Taught (Hardin-Simmons University)
Below are brief descriptions of the courses I have taught at Hardin-Simmons University. Syllabi from current or the most recent offering of the course can be found by clicking on the hyperlinked title of the course. As the site develops dedicated pages for some of these courses will be added for both students and general use.
Introduces students (majors and non-majors) to the important concepts of geology. Topics include formation of the Earth, Earth materials, surface processes (streams, glaciers, wind, waves, etc), Earth's interior and plate tectonics. A few videos, including episodes of History Channel's "How the Earth was Made" are used to provide a fresh and collaborative perspective on issues discussed in the class. Those students electing to take the lab portion of the course will learn to identify and describe rocks and minerals, and work with and interpret topographic and geologic maps.
This course is designed for students thinking about or are geology majors. This course is designed to expose the student to the entire geologic history of the planet Earth. Topics include the scientific origins of the Earth, the major geologic events that shaped the planet, a detailed accounting for the crustal development of the North American craton, and the evolution of life on the land and in the sea. The lab portion of this course reviews rock and mineral identification and description skills, topographic and geologic map skills, adds a more detailed system for sedimentary rock identification and a basic introduction to fossils.
This course is designed for students who are not majoring in geology (or really any other science). In this class we look at misconceptions of hazardous events in popular disaster movies and learn the real geology behind them. Topics covered in this class include earthquakes, volcanoes, severe weather, hurricanes and cyclones, mass wasting, flooding, and climate change. A lab option is available for this course where hands on activities and projects supplement class material.
This course is typically for upper-level non-science majors. In this course the student will be introduced to the fundamental principles of science and oceanography. Topics include history of oceanography (or as I like to call it explorers behaving badly), formation of the Earth and oceans, plate tectonics, ocean basins and sedimentation, properties of water and seawater chemistry, waves, tides, currents, and coastlines. In studying the environmental science of the ocean students read and present selected chapters from "Ocean's End" by Colin Woodard.
This course is for upper level geology majors. The lecture portion of the course focuses on important concepts in paleontology including; taxonomy, taphonomy, growth and growth rates, species and populations, statistical analysis, evolutionary rates, phylogenetics, extinction and radiation, biostratigraphy, and the evolution of life through time. The lab portion of the course is an introduction to the main divisions of each of the major fossil groups. The lab concentrates efforts on developing illustrative, descriptive and analytical skills with real fossils.
This course is for upper level geology majors. The lecture portion of this course focuses on the processes of sedimentation, depositional environments, sedimentary processes, diagenesis, lithostratigraphy, seismic stratigraphy, chemostratigraphy, and sequence stratigraphy. The first segment of the lab portion of this course focuses on the detailed description and analysis of sediments, clastic sedimentary rocks and chemical biochemical rocks. The second segment focuses on teaching the skills of sedimentary petrography.
This course is for science majors of all levels that will likely find a use for working with spatial data in their field. The intent of this course is to introduce the student to the ESRI GIS product ArcGIS. The general format for the course includes completing textbook exercises to gain familiarity with the program and completing assignments designed by the instructor.
This course is intended for geology majors interested in pursuing careers in the oil industry. Topics include basic organic chemistry of petroleum, kerogen types, thermal maturation, traps, source rock, seals, reservoir rock, permeability and porosity, and the typical lifespan of a well from, exploration to prospect to production to shut-in.
This course is intended for geology majors interested in pursuing careers in the oil industry. In this class students learn the theory and practical use the logging tools used in a typical triple-combo log set on carbonates and sandstones. Each class involves a short introduction in a lecture style followed by an in class activity designed on the specific tool of focus.
This course is the capstone course in geology at Hardin-Simmons University. In this course students are exposed to a variety of field equipment and technique and apply the use of this equipment to geological problems. Projects in field mapping, elevation determination, traversing, strike and dip, and paleocurrent determination are common in this dynamic class. When offered in the summer semester the in-field component is significantly greater than during the regular semester.