1. Baylor University Geology Department April 26, 2013
Awards Day
Baylor University Geology Department
April 26, 2013
Disclaimer: my apologies for any omissions or errors in the presentation

2. Students Publishing Journal Articles
Ph.D.:
*Ahr, S.W., Nordt, L.C., and Driese, S.G., 2012, Assessing lithologic discontinuities and parent material uniformity within the Texas sandy mantle: Implications for archeological burial and preservation potential in upland settings: Quaternary Research. v. 78, p
*Ahr, S.W., Nordt, L.C., and Forman, S.L., 2012, Soil genesis, optical dating, and geoarchaeological evaluation of two upland Alfisol pedons within the Tertiary Gulf Coastal Plain: Geoderma v. 192, p
*Meighan, H.E., and Pulliam, J., 2013, Seismic anisotropy beneath the northeastern Caribbean: implications for the subducting North American lithosphere: Bulletin Societie Géologique France, v. 184, p
*Michel, L.A., Driese, S.G., Nordt, L.C., Breecker, D.O., Labotka, D.M., and Dworkin, S.I., 2013, Stable carbon isotope geochemistry of Vertisols formed on marine carbonates and implications for deep-time paleoenvironmental reconstructions: Journal of Sedimentary Research v. 83, p
*Stinchcomb, G.E., Driese, S.G., Nordt, L.C., and Allen, P.A., 2012, A mid to late Holocene history of floodplain and terrace reworking along the middle Delaware River valley, USA: Geomorphology: v , p
*Stinchcomb, G.E., Messner, T.C., Williamson, F.C., Driese, S.G., and Nordt, L.C., 2013, Climatic and human controls on Holocene floodplain vegetation changes in eastern Pennsylvania based on the isotopic composition of soil organic matter: Quaternary Research: doi: /j.yqres

3. Students Publishing Journal Articles
Ph.D.:
*Trendell, A.M., Atchley, S.C., and Nordt, L.C., 2012, Depositional and diagenetic controls on reservoir attributes within a fluvial outcrop analog: Upper Triassic Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation, Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Bulletin, v. 96, p
*Trendell, A.M., Atchley, S.C., and Nordt, L.C., in press, Facies analysis of a probably large fluvial fan depositional system: the Upper Triassic Chinle Formation at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona: Journal of Sedimentary Research.
*Trendell, A.M., Nordt, L.C., and Atchley, S.C., in press, Determining floodplain plant distributions and populations using paleopedology and fossil root traces – Upper Triassic Sonsela Member of the Chinle Formation at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona: Palaios.
M.S.:
*Wong, S.S., Yelderman, J.C., Jr., and Byars, B., 2012, Developing a geospatial model for analysis of a dynamic, heterogeneous aquifer: The Brazos River alluvium aquifer, Central Texas: Transactions of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies and the Gulf Coast Section of the SEPM, 62nd Annual convention, Austin, Texas, p  
B.S.:
Surpless, K.D., and *Beverly, E.J., 2013, Understanding a critical basinal link in Cretaceous Cordilleran paleogeography: Detailed provenance of the Hornbrook Formation, Oregon and California: Geological Society of America Bulletin, , no. X, p. 1–19, doi: /B
10 First-authored papers published in peer-reviewed journals

4. Students Presenting Papers/Posters in 2012
GSA National in Charlotte, NC: Emily Beverly, Amos Culbertson, Lyndsay DiPietro, Will Horner, Mark McCollum, Holly Meier, Lauren Michel, Ryan Morgan, Gary Stinchcomb
ACS: Alex Huang
AAPG: Curtis Barclay, Kelly Jones
AGU: Dominic Evanzia, Hallie Meighan, Lauren Michel
SSSA: Zach Valdez
Texas SSLRW: Lyndsay DiPietro, Kim Kuijper, Lauren Michel, Gary Stinchcomb
20 presentations

5. Students Presenting Papers/Posters in 2013
Texas SSLRW: Nick Cestari, Todd Longbottom, Greg Rouze, Zack Valdez, Justin Von Bargen,
ACS: Justin Von Bargen
AAPG: Nick Cestari
South-central GSA, Austin: Ryan Ainsworth, Cody Comiskey, Dominic Evanzia, David Ju, Justin Von Bargen
Southeastern GSA, Puerto Rico: Hallie Meighan
URSA (Baylor) posters: Alex Boggess, Solon Burleson, Nick Cestari, Dillon DeGarmo, Matthew McCarter, Mark McCollum, Creighton Meyers, Clinton Ramey, Greg Rouze, Blake Taylor
23 presentations

6. Students Receiving Graduate Degrees
Ph.D. Geology (3 students):
Ahr, Stephen W., 2012, Age, genesis, and archaeological geology of the sandy mantle on the Gulf Coastal plain of Texas: (Ph.D. Dissertation, supervisor: Nordt).
Stinchcomb, Gary E., 2012, Climatic and human influences on the Holocene alluvial history and paleoenvironment of the Middle Delaware River Valley, USA: (Ph.D. dissertation, co-supervisors: Driese, Nordt).
Trendell, Aislyn M., 2012, Lithofacies heterogeneity, fluvial style variations, and floodplain vegetation distributions: Deposition and diagenesis of the Lower Chinle Formation at Petrified Forest National Park, Arizona: (Ph.D. Dissertation, co-supervisors Atchley, Nordt).

7. Students Receiving Graduate Degrees
M.S. Geology (11 students):
Barclay, Curtis J., 2012, Regional reservoir characterization and sequence stratigraphy of the Jean Marie Member of the Redknife Formation, Northern British Columbia: (M.S. Thesis: supervisor: Atchley)
Comiskey, Cody, 2013, Origins of seismic anisotropy beneath Texas and Oklahoma: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Pulliam)
Culbertson, Amos V., 2013, Detailed paleoclimate records from Late Pennsylvanian polygenetic paleosols: North-central Texas, USA: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Driese)
Diehl, Michelle, 2012, Intra-aquifer characterization and potential management impacts: Trinity Aquifer, Central Texas: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Yelderman)
Foss, Laura, 2012, Interaction between floodplain groundwater and a constructed wetland, north- central Texas: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Yelderman)

8. Students Receiving Graduate Degrees
M.S. Geology (11 students):
Jones, Kelly, 2012, Reservoir assessment of the Late Devonian Kakisa Formation, northeastern British Columbia: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Atchley)
Lemons, Casee, 2012, Leaf economics and biomechanics: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Peppe)
Lindsay, Ryan, 2012, Seismogenic faulting, Tahoe Basin CA: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Cronin)
Speckien, Mark, 2012, Analysis of magnetic anomalies at the oceanic-continent crust boundary, northern Gulf of Mexico: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Dunbar)
Von Bargen, Justin, 2013, Charcoal chemistry: Developing a proxy for paleofire regimes: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Hockaday)
Wong, Stephanie, 2012, Developing a geospatial model for analysis of a dynamic, heterogeneous aquifer: the Brazos River Alluvium aquifer, Central Texas: (M.S. Thesis, supervisor: Yelderman)

9. Students Completing Senior Theses
B.S. Geology (8 students):
Cestari, Nick, 2013, Developing a paleovegetation proxy along a forest to grassland transition in Central Texas: (B.S. Thesis, supervisor: Hockaday)
DeGarmo, Dillon, 2013, Magnetostratigraphy of the Paleocene Tongue River Member of the Fort Union Formation (Williston Basin, North Dakota): (B.S. Thesis, supervisor: Peppe)
Kuijper, Kimberly E., 2012, Analysis of the CIA-K geochemical proxy for Alfisols using the Baylor soil geochemical database: (B.S. Thesis, co-supervisors: Driese and Stinchcomb).
Horner, William H., 2012, Determining depositional heterogeneity through clay mineralogy and particle size analysis of an early Miocene paleo-forest paleosol, Hiwegi Formation, Rusinga Island, Kenya: (B.S. Thesis, co-supervisors: Peppe and Michel)
McCollum, Mark, 2013, Magnetostratigraphy of the Early Miocene Hiwegi Formation (Rusinga Island, Lake Victoria, Kenya): (B.S. Thesis, supervisor: Peppe ).
Mehta, Christopher, 2012, Geodynamics of coronae formation on Venus: (B.S. Thesis, supervisor: Dunbar)
Rouze, Gregory S., 2013, The dynamics of soil organic matter in Central Texas soil profiles: Implications for climate reconstructions inferred from paleosol organic matter: (B.S. Thesis, supervisor: Dworkin).
Taylor, Blake, 2013, Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Late Pleistocene deposits in the Lake Victoria region using clay mineralogy and geochemistry: (B.S. Thesis, co-supervisors: Peppe and Beverly)

10. Geology Honors Convocation April 19, 2013
Matthew McCarter, B.S. Geology
John Karim, B.A. Geography

11. Geology R.T. Hill Award
Mark McCollum, B.S. Geology

12. James W. Dixon Award
Undergraduate Field Assistantships to work with Graduate Students (currently still available)

13. Elan Allan Field Safety Award
Basic appreciation/understanding of field safety (currently still available)

14. Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistants
Outstanding TA for Fall 2012 Semester: David Ju
Outstanding TA Awards for Spring 2013 Semester: Emily Beverly, Cody Comiskey, and Lyndsay DiPietro
Honorable Mentions: Amos Culbertson and Ryan Morgan

15. Baylor Geological Society/Student Chapter of AAPG
Justin Von Bargen, outgoing President of BGS/AAPG
Kim Kuijper – Vice-President
Creighton Meyers – Treasurer
Mark McCollum - Secretary

16. New Graduate Students for Fall
PhD students:
Joshua Brownlow – Yelderman – West Texas A & M University
Hunter Harlow – Atchley/Peppe – University of Kansas
Cong Jin – Dworkin – University of Tulsa
Caitlin Leslie - Atchley – Grand Valley State University, MI
Bill Lukens – Driese – Temple University, PA
Don Esker – Nordt – University of Cincinnati
Yohan Letourmy – Driese – Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France

17. New Graduate Students for Fall
M.S. students:
Brian Crass – Atchley – Texas Tech University
Collard, Adam – Dunbar – University of Dallas
Andrew Flynn – Peppe – Miami University, Oxford, OH
Erin Idleman – Atchley – Boston College
Jeffrey Jex – Dunbar – Brigham Young University, Idaho
Josh Kirby – Yelderman – Oklahoma State University
Tanner Mills – Dworkin - Brigham Young University, Utah
Kieron Prince – Atchley – Loma Linda University, CA

18. New Faculty – January, 2014
Dr. Pier Paolo Bruno – Assistant Professor of Applied Geophysics – High-resolution, active- source seismic reflection data acquisition and interpretation

19. New Faculty – June, 2014
Dr. Steven L. Forman – Professor of Paleoclimatology – Quaternary geology and optically-stimulated luminescence (OSL) geochronology

20. Have a Great Summer – wherever your journeys take you - see you in August!