Students
Geology Majors
[2011-2012 Liaisons] [Meet a Major!] [Department Traditions] [Student Research] [Research Activities]
2012-2013 Liaisons
Robby Goldman (Class of 2015) Anne Fulton (Class of 2015)
Many social activities and faculty-student interactions are facilitated each year by the department’s student liaisons. These folks are great people to contact if you are thinking about coming to Pomona College or are interested in a student’s perspective about what it’s like to be part of the Geology department!
Meet a Major!
Armed with two rock hammers, Anne Fulton (Pomona ’15), clearly loves being a geology major.
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Department Traditions
Liquidus
The Geology Department isn’t just an awesome way to learn about rocks, it’s a great way to meet other rockin’ people, too! Liquidus is a Thursday afternoon event where geology majors, professors and other geology enthusiasts congregate to eat, drink, and be merry. Everyone is welcome and it’s a great way to chat with fellow students and professors outside of class.
Department Field Trip
Each year after the classes resume, the students, faculty, and staff take off on a 3-4 day trip to some amazing geologic locations in the southwest. It’s a great way to start the summer and visit some fantastic sites! Recent trips include going to the eastern Sierra Nevada (2010), Zion National Park (2011), and the California’s central coast (2012).
Student Research
Participation in research is an integral part of the learning experience at Pomona College for geology faculty and students alike. Our department is commited to fostering a healthy research environment in which the exploration of original, challenging scientific problems in and out of the classroom promotes our sense of community and our intellectual growth.
Students are encouraged to become involved in some form of research effort, often in direct collaboration with faculty, at all stages in their careers, and many types of research opportunities are available. During the academic year many of our courses incorporate short research projects, and independent courses are offered for upper-class students wishing to explore areas beyond our normal curriculum. Building upon these experiences, students take a class in their junior year which introduces them to the research process in an end-to-end fashion (through formulation, execution and presentation of an original research project), and seniors conclude their degree work with a year-long independent thesis.
The thesis topic can focus upon an area of research which is selected by the student with input from the faculty, can build upon summer experiences such as participation in a Keck Geology Consortium project or an internship, or may involve collaboration with faculty in their primary areas of research. Conference attendance and presentation is encouraged when appropriate, and students occasionally co-author professional papers.
Research Activities:
- Senior Theses
- Summer Research
- Keck Geology Consortium Opportunities
- Other summer internship opportunities
- Plus, see Faculty research pages for other student research information