A Geologic Century: Pomona Geology鈥檚 Legacy and Leadership in the Geosciences
The 1922-23 academic year marks 100 years since founder A.O. Woodford taught classes in the formalized 麻豆影视 Geology Department. As one of the first Geology Departments in Southern California, the Department has had an outsized influence in Geosciences, with faculty and students both serving as pioneers and leaders in Geosciences and other fields.
The Department鈥檚 annual Woodford-Eckis Lectureship, endowed by Rollin Eckis (鈥27) to enshrine a regular gathering of alumni and faculty of the department, perpetuates a regular gathering of the network of the department鈥檚 greatest resource, its people. Accordingly, we have expanded this year鈥檚 43rd Woodford-Eckis Lectureship (Feb. 17鈥19) to include a special Centennial Celebration of the Department. The Centennial celebration is a place for alumni to share their own experiences and exploring the 鈥渃rucible鈥 of Pomona Geology through its faculty and alumni, including our most recent alumni who are pathfinders for the urgent work of studying our rapidly changing global climate, looking for alternative resources for a green energy transition, and inventing the tools for needs that we鈥檝e yet to know are on the horizon.
Keynote talks by alumni include:
Friday Feb. 17: Tom Doe (PO鈥71; WSP Global Inc; University of Washington: The Pomona Geology Community Past, Present, and Future.
Saturday Feb. 18: The Outsized Impacts of Pomona Geology in the Geosciences鈥 This is a quartet of talks (ca. 40鈥 each, with time for breaks and discussion) devoted to understanding the unique mix of people, place, technology, and timing in four different areas of Geoscience.
- Paul Weimer (鈥78; CU鈥揃oulder) & Dave Mohrig ('83; UT鈥揂ustin) The Sedimentary Geosciences and 麻豆影视鈥 from Southern California and Beyond.
- Rick Hazlett (Prof. Emeritus of Geology) & John-Mark Staude ('87; CEO Riverside Resources, Inc.) Sagehens, Volcanoes, Bedrock and Minerals on a Warming Globe.
- Alix Davatzes (鈥99, Temple University) & Allan Treiman ('74; Lunar & Planetary Science Institute) Looking up, Looking down: Sagehen contributions to Remote Sensing and Planetary Geology.
- Lorelei Curtin (鈥13; Bucknell University) & Laura Haynes (鈥13; Vassar College), Lara Hughes-Allen (PZ鈥11; U Paris-Saclay), Bradley Markle (鈥08; CU鈥揃oulder), Young Alumni Climate Connections: Stories of the Past, Present, and Future on Planet Earth.
Talks on the evening of Feb. 18 and morning Feb. 19 will be the cornerstone lectures of this year鈥檚 event, delivered by this year鈥檚 Woodford-Eckis Lecturer, Dr. Emily H.G. Cooperdock (USC/Brown University). Read about further Details on Dr. Cooperdock's lectures.
Geology alumni from the Claremont Colleges should check their email or reach out to us if you have not received an invitation, as the weekend has several meals and gatherings that are designed to facilitate reflections, discussions, and summits between alumni, faculty, and current students.
For those on campus, public talk locations will be posted on this website closer to the time of the event. For alumni who cannot join us in Claremont, the Geology Department will be streaming the talks throughout the weekend as "Webinars" that you will be able to sign up to watch. Check back here for information on how to sign up for the Webinars.