Summer 2022 DEPARTMENT OF
Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
AT CENTRAL MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Note from the Chair Dear alumni, friends, and supporters of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, I am delighted to report that the EAS students and faculty made it through another challenging year! Despite covid, budget pressures, and other constraints, we accomplished remarkable things, many of which are highlighted in this newsletter. In April, EAS held a ceremony to celebrate Geology, Meteorology, and Environmental Science student achievements. Of note were 12 students with summer internships (as of mid-April), five students with fulltime jobs (before graduation), seven students accepted to graduate school, nine students with external awards/grants, and 21 students receiving departmental scholarships or awards including three recipients of the inaugural BrownOtter Scholarship. Our student organizations (SCAMS, AIPG, CFES, and MMWV) also gave terrific presentations. I don’t think it’s an understatement to say that our EAS students and faculty actually Do all of the things CMU promotes with its ’We Do!’ slogan! Looking forward, EAS will celebrate 50 years of geology at CMU this fall. We hope that you will join us at our open house and ceremony on October 7th. If you are unable to travel back to campus for this event, there will be opportunities to participate virtually. Finally, thank you to all our alumni and friends whose contributions enrich our students’ educational experiences and help us sustain our department’s outstanding reputation. We genuinely depend upon and appreciate your support! Cheers!
Larry Lemke
Professor and Chair Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
GEOLOGY’S BIFtieth ANNIVERSARY
Geology’s BIFtieth T-Shirts
Geology’s BIFtieth Anniversary!
50 years of Geology at CMU Celebration & Open House Friday, October 7, 2022 Join us Friday for a Celebration & BBQ and stay for Homecoming on Saturday!
Save t date!he
The Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences (formerly the Geology Department) is celebrating 50 years of Geology at CMU in 2022! We are holding a BIFtieth Celebration the weekend of Homecoming (October 7-8th). Join us for a day of celebrating Geology’s rich history and stay for homecoming on Saturday. All EAS alumni and friends are invited to join us for an open house, ceremony, and barbecue on October 7th to celebrate!
Friday’s Activities • • • • •
9am 10am 2pm 3pm 5pm
The student chapter of the AIPG is selling Geology BIFtieth long-sleeve t-shirts to commemorate the milestone. Order yours today. Shipping is available.
Coffee & Donuts Meet & Greet Open House & Displays Formal Ceremony with Special Guests Time Capsule Ceremony BBQ in Island Park
Register Today! - Deadline Sept. 23rd! Let us know you’re coming by registering on our event’s page. There you can order BBQ tickets, football tickets, and more. Scan the QR code or visit https://dar.cmich. edu/alumni/events/alumni/248
Artifacts for the Next 50 Years As we look back on our history, we look forward to the next 50 years. What sort of things do we want our successors to know about our time at CMU? We will archive momentos in a capsule that will be preserved by CMU’s Clarke Historical Library for Geology’s Centennial Celebration in 2072! Do you have a small item you think would be a great representation of CMU Geology that could be preserved in the capsule? Let us know, so that we can include it in our ceremony. Email Larry Lemke at L.D.Lemke@cmich.edu with your ideas!
Geology Memories Share your photos of class trips, projects, and events on our BIFtieth Celebration Event Group on Facebook! The event page is part of the College of Science & Engineering’s Facebook page.
JOHN ALLEN
Leading the way on Climate Change and Severe Weather
The Climate & Severe Weather group had an active year, representing CMU at the AMS Annual meeting and contributing on severe weather events both nationally and internationally.
We were lucky to have Leticia dos Santos from Brazil as a visiting Fullbright student for the academic year. She worked on severe thunderstorm environments in South America. Alan Rosales and Carlos Cuervo-Lopez continued their work toward understanding the processes that produce convection globally and validating model datasets for use in diagnosing environments that produce severe storms. Cameron Nixon continued to work on wind fields associated with hail and tornadoes – and recently had his hodograph maps translated into applications across the Storm Prediction Center website and those of many model providers. Four students presented at the AMS annual meeting along with Allen, and we also had five papers published, along with a bunch of new exciting things in the works. You may have seen Allen, in the news, giving interviews and writing opinion pieces on the December 10th, 2021 tornado outbreak and its relationship to climate change.
MARTY BAXTER Marty Baxter, Ph.D., is leading this project with two junior undergraduate students, Megan Blair and Andrew Leffel, as well as CMU Meteorology alum Sarah Trojniak, Ph.D., of the National Weather Service’s Weather Prediction Center. In addition, Baxter has been funded to attend a National Science Foundation sponsored workshop focusing on how to best ensure meteorology undergraduates remain well trained for the rapidly evolving opportunities within the private sector.
Mid-Mitten Weather View: A New EAS Student Organization A group of meteorology students is creating forecasts for the Central Michigan area and distributing them over social media. The students established a constitution and elected officers in January to become our newest Registered Student Organization: Mid-Mitten Weather View (MMWV). MMWV issues daily forecasts and forecasts tailored to community events, such as Mt. Pleasant Parks and Recreation sports and the Shepherd Maple Syrup Festival. Members of the public can also request custom forecasts from the students. Mt. Pleasant’s Morning Sun newspaper pays Mid-Mitten Weather View to create forecasts, and MMWV uses the proceeds for subscriptions to weather data providers and software to automate social media posts. Alums interested in donating to the group or serving as guest speakers can contact the club advisor, Dr. Marty Baxter, at baxte1ma@cmich.edu.
ANTHONY CHAPPAZ
Closing the Circle: A Gadolinium Story
This past year, I was awarded a fellowship from the University of Grenoble Alpes (UGA) to spend 6 weeks working with French scientists. The UGA campus is surrounded by mountains and more than 60,000 students attend classes here. I am working on a project centered on gadolinium (Gd) geochemistry. This rare earth element is a critical metal because there are not enough secured sources to sustain its main application: contrasting agent for medical imaging techniques (MRI). In collaboration with Laurent Charlet, Ph.D., (my host) and Carolina Guida (a Ph.D. student I co-supervise), we explore how Gd can be accumulated in sediments close to major hospitals. I was quite excited by this research and was already planning additional analysis. What I was not expecting was to fall my very first day on campus and badly hurt my knee. As a consequence a physician prescribed an MRI to assess the damage. Isn’t it a better way to study Gd? Not only as a geochemist but also as a patient? I now have a new coat of arms!
ZACH JOHNSON
We’re excited to welcome a hydrometeorologist to the EAS faculty team! Zachary Johnson is a climate and atmospheric scientist with research interests in hydroclimate variability, tropical cyclones, ocean-atmosphere interactions, and drought predictability. He’s originally from California and has also lived in Oregon and Germany. He attended the University of Oklahoma for his undergraduate degree and Ball State University and Utah State University for his master’s and Ph.D.
During his postdoc, Zach worked with Dan Chavas, Ph.D., on seasonal tropical cyclone genesis and landfall predictability at Purdue University. He enjoys teaching atmospheric science coursework, including numerical modeling, tropical meteorology, and climate change and variability. In his personal life, Zach enjoys hiking, camping, mountain biking, skiing, international travel, and cooking.
JASON KEELER I
t’s hard to believe I’ve been here four years, but time flies when you’re having fun! It’s been a productive year in my group, starting off with fieldwork last summer. The CMUSTORM (Student Training for Observational Research in Meteorology) team spent two weeks in the Holland, MI area sampling lake breezes with our Mobile Mesonet, soundings, and even a Doppler Lidar operated by collaborators from the University of Illinois. In September, we expanded our fieldwork to include sampling of the marine atmospheric boundary layer from Beaver Island at the CMU Biological Station. In addition, I’m pleased to share that I received my first grant from NSF to support my research. For the project, I am conducting a model-based study of destabilization of thunderstorm outflow and co-advising an M.S. student at the University of NebraskaLincoln who is working on related research. Meteorology major Brian Rakoczy joined my group to work on the grant, and Ph.D. candidate Christian Boyer has been showing him how to analyze model output. Christian has been making solid progress towards his Ph.D., and submitted the first paper from his work at CMU earlier this year. If you’d like to learn more about CMUSTORM and consider supporting our efforts, check out the separate feature in this year’s newsletter!
Mobile Mesonet Roles On!
T
he CMU-STORM (Student Training for Observational Research in Meteorology) program was started by Jason Keeler, Ph.D. in 2019 to get Meteorology students out of the classroom and into the field, where they are trained on the use of cutting-edge meteorological equipment.
STORM’s primary instrument is CMU’s Mobile Mesonet – an SUV outfitted with sensors to measure pressure, temperature, humidity, and wind, as the research team drives across the weather phenomena they are studying. In its first three years, students have gained experience studying lake breezes, thunderstorm initiation, and thunderstorm outflow airmasses, but we’re just getting started and your support can help us expand! During STORM, students make connections that are not possible in the classroom, by experiencing the meteorological phenomena they are studying and applying their forecast training to determine the team’s daily sampling strategy. Unlike most educational summer programs, STORM team members are paid to participate in this learning experience, so students do not have to choose between an educational experience and income from a summer job. In its first three years, STORM was supported by seed funds from the College of Science and Engineering. With those funds nearly depleted, we are seeking support so STORM can continue to train the next generation of meteorologists. Learn more about STORM and consider supporting our efforts at: https://donate.cmich.edu/campaigns/storm/
THEN AND NOW - PROFILES OF CMU GE Martin Steinbis (BS 1975) Amoco; Exploration Geologist (retired) I was a shy kid from a dairy farm and never imagined the direction my life would take. Little did I know my arrival at CMU in 1971 would lead me to so many adventures! Everywhere I turned I saw opportunities – opportunities to learn geology, math, chemistry, to form or join clubs, seek internships, and to participate in undergraduate research. My professors took time for me and helped build my foundation. They answered my incessant questions, pointed me in the right direction, and supported me without my knowing. I was taught to do my best and never settle for “good enough.” My professional career spanned graduate school, domestic and foreign oil and gas production, international assignments, business management, and teaching, mentoring, and supporting students of my own. Life is what you make it and my aim at CMU was to prepare myself and pursue opportunities in geology no matter what it took.
Favorite Memory: I have wonderful memories as a CMU student. During a summer field course in the Florida
Keys I spent four weeks with Wayne Moore, Ph.D. (Geology) and Paul Cratin, Ph.D. (Chemistry) who became my cherished mentors. However, it was an internship as the CMU representative at the US Library of Congress in 1974 that made the largest impression. I worked at the Geography and Map Division among acres and acres of cabinets containing original maps hundreds of years old, some hand drawn by early explorers of the new world. It was like time travel! I walked the capital mall frequently, visited the monuments, and listened to Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on July 4th. I also met several congressmen as I arranged to send surplus books and maps back to CMU. Sort of like Forrest Gump, I just happened to be at the White House gate the night that President Nixon resigned.
Kristin Huysken (BS 1990) Indiana University Northwest; Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Geology My professional career has been exclusively in higher education. After graduate school, I began as a field camp instructor, worked as a visiting and then tenure-stream faculty member in geology, and currently work as an Associate Dean at Indiana University Northwest. I work on projects that support student success in STEM fields and increase participation of historically minoritized populations. My job is super rewarding, and challenging! The best part is being able to help STEM departments make informed decisions about how to best serve students entering their programs. It is difficult to adequately communicate the many ways in which CMU prepared me for career success in just a few words. Beyond the awesome curriculum and professors, my undergraduate research experiences were terrific career preparation. I am forever grateful to Dave Matty, Steve Stahl, and Reed Wicander for providing me with these opportunities!
Favorite Memory: My absolute favorite memories of being a geology student are the field trips! Looking back, it
was on these trips where I learned the most and felt most challenged – all at the same time. Field trips to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula stand out – Jasper Knob, Harvey Quarry, and staying at a little mom and pop lodge in Michigamme. These trips helped me fall in love with geology and taught me what it means to be a geologist. Thanks to the faculty for providing these experiences. In fact, I still use a modified version of Dave and Steve’s field guide when I take students to the Marquette area. Thanks also to my fellow geology majors for making these trips so great!
EOLOGY MAJORS ACROSS FIVE DECADES Adam Heft (BS 1990) WSP USA; Senior Geologist After graduating from CMU in 1990, I completed an M.S. in geology at MSU. While at MSU, I was hired as a field geologist by a CMU Geology alum at a small company in Williamston, MI. After two years, I moved to Fitzgerald Henne & Associates, another small environmental and engineering company, where I remained for almost 15 years before the environmental group was acquired by Parsons Brinckerhoff. PB was later bought by WSP, where I am currently employed as a senior geologist. My undergraduate studies gave me a solid background in geology and served as the educational basis for five state licenses I currently maintain. In addition, I have been very involved in the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG); I hold AIPG’s Certified Professional Geologist credential. I am the AIPG National Editor (currently running for a second term), the Michigan Section Editor, and am a National Past President.
Favorite Memory: A favorite memory of my time as a CMU geology student is a field trip to the Crystal Falls,
Michigan area. Both the Structural Geology and the Petrology classes participated in the trip. There were about a dozen students altogether in addition to professors David Matty and Steve Stahl. After a day of viewing
a series of outcrops and describing the rocks and making structural measurements (and hearing Steve Stahl tell someone or other for the 10th time “Don’t put your Brunton on the rocks!”, the students had an evening of camaraderie and tasty beverages while playing Pictionary in one of the rooms at our “base camp”, the Michi-Aho Motel. The following day, our group started early, and we descended into the gorge below the Peavy Pond Dam to observe the sillimanite-grade metamorphic rocks and quartz boudins. There, we had a group photograph seated on the rocks. A copy of that photograph is in the Department’s office to this day, and I have another copy of it.
Eric Goergen (BS 2000) Thermo Fisher Scientific; Senior Product Marketing Manager I graduated from CMU in 2000 with a B.S. in Geology and went on to earn an MS in Geoscience from the University of Missouri and a Ph.D. in Geology & Geophysics from the University of Minnesota. After graduate school, I was awarded an NSF Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Brown University. Following my interest in analytical equipment, I moved from academia to a research scientist position with FEI (now Thermo Fisher Scientific) – an electron microscopy manufacturer. I’ve been with the company 10 years, moving from science into more business focused roles. The education I received in the CMU Geology Department laid the groundwork for my success in academia and beyond. My education at CMU focused on initiating the curiosity and strong critical thinking skills necessary to decipher the limited data and observations our planet affords us. That foundation, along with excellent faculty and access to advanced undergraduate research, prepared me to jump directly into graduate school with more experience than most of my peers – something for which I will always be grateful.
Favorite Memory: From the experiences gained during field research in the Adirondacks for my senior thesis with Dr. J (Eric Johnson, Ph.D.) to the all-night study sessions for Dave Matty’s legendary petrology exams, there is a wide spectrum of stories to choose from. But I will distill my memories to two sets. The first is any field trip in the department vans. From Canada to Texas, we spent countless hours driving, learning, camping… but mostly a lot of driving and laughing as a group of young geoscientists. It’s one of those unique experiences that you can only get if you lived it, so I won’t try to paint the picture in words here. The second set is any of the many group study sessions in the department – made infinitely better if you were lucky enough to hear Ben Fruchey’s unique giggle carry through the empty late-night corridors of Brooks Hall. I experienced an encouraging and close knit environment that impacted many who passed through the department over the years. I’ll never forget my time there and am excited to hear about all the other memories brought forward for the department’s 50th anniversary.
Brandi Boyd (BS 2004) BP; Senior Operations Geologist I graduated from CMU in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Geology and went on to do my master’s degree in Geology at Rice University. The focus of my university time was primarily in glacial marine sedimentology and stratigraphy with a little side project in mineralogy with Mona Sirbescu, Ph.D.! After finishing both degrees, I made the jump to oil and gas taking a position at BP in Houston. I have worked for BP for nearly 15 years and have had the privilege to work abroad in both Indonesia and Azerbaijan, where I now specialize in planning and executing some of our most challenging wells. When I think about what really helped me the most over my years at BP, I go back to my time at the Central Michigan Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, learning the fundamentals and getting the hands-on opportunities to work one on one with the professors as an undergraduate, that time and experience was invaluable. Favorite Memory: Some of my favorite memories from Central Michigan are being a part of the Geology Club. It was fun to be with a group of like-minded people who shared common interests but still had unique personalities. Having a group to work with, socialize with, and even go on field trips with was an invaluable part of my experience in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.
Kevin Jensen (BS 2009) J&M Energy; Geologist After graduating from CMU, I went on to get my masters in geology at LSU, and M.B.A. from UNC. I started my career with Chevron, working as an operations and exploration geologist in Pittsburgh. Chevron later moved me to Houston where I was part of the Global Reserves team. In 2019, I left to form J&M Energy, a geologic consulting and resource exploration company. Today, J&M resides only miles from Brooks Hall – where many of our geological epochs began. My story is a testament to what makes the CMU geology department truly unique: the relationship between faculty and undergraduates. I would not be where I am today if not for the tireless investment and mentorship of professors like Mona Sirbescu, Reed Wicander, Sven Morgan, and Mr. Steinbis (along with so many others). Congratulations to CMU Geology on your golden anniversary and thank you for investing so heavily into students.
Favorite Memory: Some of my fondest memories at CMU are in the Geology department mineralogy and computer
labs. Frequently, our cohort would meet and help each other through assignments or group projects, generally lasting late into the night. We’d commiserate, eat, and do life together. We bonded over shared experiences and difficulties. While I have many memories of CMU, the community sticks out the most.
Autumn Haagsma (BS 2011) Battelle; Research Geologist I graduated from CMU in 2011 with a Bachelor of Science in physics and geology. From there I went on to the University of Minnesota to earn my Master of Science in geophysics in 2013. I entered my first geoscience job with Battelle Memorial Institute as a researcher focusing on carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) projects. I am now a lead geologist across multiple CCUS programs which includes geologic characterization, 3D modeling, risk assessments, and data analytics/machine learning applications. Favorite Memory: Many of my fondest memories are from the many field trips to the UP. I still have several bags of rocks I collected there that each bring a fun memory. Another favorite time of mine was our geology club movie nights where we picked apart the epic “geologic” movies.
Lewis Matthews (BS 2014) Project Geminae; Co-Founder Meet Lewis Matthews, entrepreneur, data scientist, financial analyst, former member of the military, and a graduate of Central Michigan University. He is co-founder of Project Geminae, which enables enhanced decision making by integrating advanced subsurface data analytics and portfolio management capabilities, while estimating uncertainty in the system. Previously, Lewis worked on data science, machine learning and blockchain applications to the energy industry. Before that, he penetrated European private banks to ride European based US order flow for US new issues; successfully competed with institutional accounts for new issue syndicate business; and built broad relationships with institutional desks requiring a minimum portfolio size of $100 million. He also performed advanced financial analysis and new issues algorithmic trading. Finally, Lewis served in the military for almost ten years. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geoscience and economics. His CMU B.S. Geology degree was indispensable in helping him break into the oil and gas industry. Favorite Memory: I remember the awe I felt when the geologic time scale landed in my head for the first time. My mind was completely blown away by how much time can be captured in sections of rock. The many field trips with dedicated professors and teachers like Mona Sirbescu and Patrick Kinnicutt. Does Mona still dance in class sometimes?
Beef-up-the-BIF! (What’s a BIF?) BIF stands for Banded Iron Formation, an iron-rich rock with alternating layers of chert and iron-rich minerals such as hematite and magnetite. We chose this rock to represent our 50-year geology celebration because of its playful spin on the term fiftieth (or rather BIFtieth)!
Help us ensure the Geology BIFtieth Celebration is one to remember! Alumni support can make this happen. If you’d like to make a gift, please scan the QR code or visit https:// dar.cmich.edu/alumni/giving/fund/9100035
Answers: A) Dave Matty, B) Jean Younker, C) Kathy Benison, D) Leland Younker, E) Reed Wicander, F) Jane (Matty) Davison, G) Steve Stahl, H) Stuart Monroe, I) Richard Dietrich, J) Stephen Norwick, K) Wayne Moore, L) Thomas Knapp, M) Sven Morgan, N) Pat Kinnicutt
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How many can you identify? Dozens of professors have taught classes, led field trips, and mentored geology students at CMU over the past 50 years. Here are pictures of just a few of them.
Where’s Wayne?
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DARIA KLUVER D
uring the 2021-2022 academic year, I continued studying long-term climate modeling of precipitation in the Great Lakes region, which resulted in a publication in Frontiers in Water in December. I also spent some time maintaining/installing hydro-climate stations throughout the state to monitor the climate of the Great Lakes. I had the opportunity this year to support teaching and learning through my work on the CMU President’s and Provost’s Innovation grant to enhance education at CMU through game-based learning and simulations. I really appreciated and enjoyed having students back in-person this year!
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he Robertson hydro research group had another exciting and productive year. Sarah Krzemien presented her research on the role of emerald ash borers in causing paludification along Michigan streams at the AGU Fall Meeting and successfully submitted her honors capstone thesis this spring! She’s on to an exciting internship with the Michigan Sea Grant and Detroit Zoo this summer. Robertson also had the privilege this year to work with an ORGS Summer Scholar, Niyah Banfill, on some local water quality initiatives here in our own Chippewa River watershed: Niyah presented her findings this spring at CMU’s SCREE conference for undergraduate research. Continuing research projects include Meteotsunami influence in isolated wetlands along with Daria Kluver and John Allen (see the newly installed monitoring station at Ludington State Park in the picture), Emerald Ash Borer hydro-ecology, and hydroclimatology of the Saginaw Bay watershed.
WENDY ROBERTSON
LARRY LEMKE
I managed to accomplish several research goals last year! Leah Jackson, my former doctoral student, her CMU committee members, and I published an important paper in Science of the Total Environment. I presented an e-lightning poster (in person!) at the AGU Fall Meeting in New Orleans, proving that you can teach an old prof new tricks! I also participated in a 2-day groundwater summit examining urban, agricultural, and coastal wetland groundwater issues in Michigan. The meeting led to a paper published in Sustainability
outlining challenges and tractable solutions that can be used as a template for other Great Lakes states.
Professional Geologists. This honor was exceptionally special because I was nominated by a former student who is now serving as the current president Two undergraduate students of AIPG Michigan. joined my research team this spring: Kianna Dixon and Eleanor McFarlan. Together, we are investigating PFAS contamination in groundwater in the Rockford, Michigan area. Finally, I was selected as the 2021 Educator of the Year by the Michigan Chapter of the American Institute of
MONA SIRBESCU
As our department prepares to celebrate 50 years of geology, I am in my 21st year at CMU! That means there are some of you out there who had Mineralogy with me in the Fall of 2001, then in 2002, 2003… with only a couple of exceptions, all the way to 2021. But who’s counting, right? Teaching new courses or revamping the old ones has kept me busy and creative. I am proud that I have made it this far, because every year, every class, and every student has taught me something new. Meanwhile, my research is taking off in a more applied direction, as the global “lithium rush” is intensifying! After an unforgettable field trip to Maine pegmatites in August 2021, our research group represented CMU with seven presentations first-authored by students at 2021 GSA in Portland, OR and 2022 GSA in Cincinnati, OH. We are studying lithium resources from different angles, like crystal chemistry, mineral textures, and soil geochemistry using diverse techniques, from portable XRF to synchrotron beam. Some of this work has been supported by the Edmore Meteorite Undergraduate Support Fund. Thank you so much for your donations! As I am saying best of luck with graduate school and life to a cohort of research students (Tori, Emily, Smitty, and Jacob), others continue on. Clara Brennan is in her last year at CMU, working to fill the knowledge gap between high- and low-temperature geochemical cycling of lithium. Teagan Cox, recipient of a 2022 summer scholarship, and Luiza Pierangeli, an exchange Ph.D. student from Brazil, are studying surficial lithium processes using soil geochemistry. I cannot be prouder of all these amazing accomplishments and want to express my deepest gratitude to all these fantastic students. By the way, Lewis, to answer your question on page 13...yes, I do still occasionally dance in class and on fieldtrips.
NATALIA ZAKHAROVA Another challenging and productive academic year is behind us. It felt great to be back to face-to-face classes and to have the opportunity to perform more hands-on activities, such as the potato cooling experiment representing a magma chamber in Geomath. Undergraduate student Grace Borst successfully defended her Senior Thesis titled ‘Evaluating stress heterogeneity and potential fault influence in the Newark Basin.‘ She also presented her work in person at the regional GSA meeting in Cincinnati in April 2022. Grace has secured a position with the high-profile environmental consulting company Geosyntec. Kudos to Grace and all EAS 2022 graduates! With the help of the past postdoctoral fellow Suman Saurabh, we are expanding the analytical capabilities of the Geophysics and Geomechanics Laboratory to include highpressure sorption experiments. This new set up will allow us to simulate methane and carbon dioxide adsorption and desorption processes in shales under reservoir conditions and advance our research on unconventional gas production and CO2 storage mechanisms.
FOOD WARS
EAS Students Rally to Retake the Pork-n-Beans Trophy Despite the valiant efforts of the EAS faculty and staff, who created another outrageous video series to motivate contributions, the EAS students retaliated with a video of their own and managed to squeak out a last-minute victory in the 5th Annual EAS Food Drive Competition. Together we eclipsed our prior record by collecting more than a ton of nonperishable food and supplies! Thus, the real winners were the clients served by the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen and the CMU Student Food Pantry, who gratefully accepted our donations. Nevertheless, Department Chair Larry Lemke, vowed to recapture the coveted Pork-n-Beans trophy next year and even convinced the Dean to allow EAS to hire a new faculty member to increase their odds of victory! If you’re reading our newsletter online, you can check out the FOOD WARS videos by scanning the QR codes below. If not, find our newsletter at se.cmich.edu/EAS and give them a click.
College of Science and Engineering Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Brooks 314 Central Michigan University Mount Pleasant, MI 48859
Nonprofit Organization U.S. Postage PAID Mount Pleasant, MI 48859 Permit No. 93
Thank you to all of the alumni and friends who helped support the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences over the past year! Melissa Crider Andrea, Ph.D. Mr. Ahmad Bajjey Martin Baxter, Ph.D. Booz Allen Hamilton Inc Ms. Brandi Boyd BP Foundation Mrs. Emily Brandner Mr. Nathan Brandner Mr. Eric Branum Mr. Grant Clarkson Mr. Loren Curtis Mr. Jeffrey Ellis Mrs. Cam Moore Ellis ExxonMobil
Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund Ms. Pamela Grozdon Mr. William Henderson Ms. Kristin Herndon Mr. Mark Jeffery Mr. Kevin Jensen Jason Keeler, Ph.D. Mr. Ryan Krueger Mrs. Vicki Krueger Mr. Ivan A. BrownOtter Lacore Lawrence Lemke, Ph.D. Mrs. Wendy Lemke Mrs. Allison Langworthy Mr. Morris Langworthy III
Mr. Cory Paliewicz Shell Oil Co Foundation Mr. Aaron Sanders Mr. Cort Scholten Mrs. Mary Donnelly Simon Emily Steinbis, Ph.D. Mr. John Steinbis Mr. Martin Steinbis Mr. Terence Stevens Mr. Shawn Teagan Mr. Derek VanDam Mr. Michael Wagner Jordan Watts, Ph.D. Ms. Barbara Yantis
CMU Geology, Environmental Science, and Meteorology Alumni – Where are you now? What are you doing? We genuinely would like to know! Please send a letter to the department or an email to our chair (L.D.Lemke@cmich.edu) and fill us in on your whereabouts, your career, and your achievements. Let us know if you would like to share your experiences during Alumni Career Day or if you are interested in serving on one of our Alumni Advisory Boards. Thank you for helping us to keep in touch!
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