Hartwick Geology Presents at the GSA National Conference
Geology senior Andrew Parisi presented his preliminary senior thesis results in a poster session at the national Geological Society of America Meeting in Denver, Colorado. In addition to student presenters, Drs. Griffing and Johnson presented papers at the meeting. Although away on her Marie Curie Fellowship, Dr. Zsuzsanna Balogh-Brunstad co-authored three papers presented at the meeting.

Hartwick student-Faculty Collaborative Research Receives a National Audience
Environmental Chemistry major Katie Watson'11 also presented initial results of her research at the national Geological Society of America Meeting in Denver, Colorado.

Hartwick Faculty Represents CUR at the GSA National Conference
As a national CUR (Council on Undergraduate Research) counselor, Hartwick's Dr. Eric Johnson also spoke to students and faculty on behalf of CUR programs.

Delta Delta G Club Takes To The Hills
After the national conference meeting, Hartwick Geology and the Delta Delta G club conducted a 3 day field trip to dynamic geologic destinations in Colorado. Here Colorado School of Mines PhD candidate and Hartwick alum Stephanie Carr '06 (front and center), joined the group to lead a discussion about the rocks of Dinosaur Ridge, near Morrison, Colorado. The field trip group included: in the front row (L to R) - Katrina Neiss '11, Sierra Derby '12, Sheila Niedziela '13, Skylar Haas '11, Brian Terbush '11, Ellyssa Tennant '12, Andrew Parisi '11; in the back row (L to R) - Kyle Greenberg '13, Jeremy Weremeichik '11, Tyler Hall '13, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Griffing, Brandt Kayser '11, Max Hanusa '12 and Hunter Morton '12.

Dinosaur Ridge
Brandt Kayser '11, Elly Tennant '12, and Skylar Hass '11 (from left to right) pose with the amazing Cretaceous dinosaur trackways at Dinosaur Ridge, near Morrison, Colorado. The group also observed Jurassic dinosaur bones in outcrop and the dramatically tilted strata of Red Rocks Park immediately to the west.

Great Sand Dunes
The highlight of the trip was a visit to Great Sand Dunes National Park, near Mosca, Colorado. These dunes are the tallest in North America at over 700 feet. A program by park ranger Andrew Valdez briefed the group on the many geologic factors that contributed to the formation of these dunes.

Great Sand DunesTrek
After a brief introductory program at the visitor's center, the group set out to climb to the summit of the huge dunes in Great Sand Dunes National Park.

Treasure Seekers
The group spent a day in the beautiful Arkansas River Valley examining volcanic rocks of the Rio Grande Rift and collecting Apache Tear obsidian, garnet crystals and topaz crystals at Ruby Mountain.

An Unusual Balancing Act
Geologists do many things differently...including how they stretch their legs during breaks in van travel. Hartwick students Tyler Hall '13, Brian Terbush '11 and Hunter Morton '12 balance during a quick stop at a roadside scenic overview.

Examining a Fossil Forest
During the last day, the group headed northeast to Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument to observe the petrified remains of an ancient redwood forest.

Garden of the Gods
The trip ended with a beautiful Fall day at the spectacular Garden of the Gods Park, near Colorado Springs, Colorado.