Student Work

Student Work

Research Opportunities

Collaborative research between students and faculty members is an important part of the geology program at Beloit College. Under the direction of a member of the Geology faculty, all geology majors design and implement a senior thesis research project, gather and analyze their own data, and present their results.

Research opportunities are also available through the Keck Geology Consortium which includes 17 colleges committed to undergraduate education in geology through intercollegiate programs that engage students and faculty in cooperative research. Among its founders was Beloit College Professor Emeritus Hank Woodard.

Hydrothermal Alteration in Clay Cap Formation, Creede Mining District, Colorado; Hanlin Zhang ’21; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
Determining the Direction of Early Trilobite Environmental Migration; Walker Weyland ’21; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Establishing a Soil Health Baseline for Prairie Restoration; Henry Westly ’21; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
The White Mountains Geochemistry: pXRF Analysis of the Metavolcanic Complex; John Tower ’21; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
Devonian Organic Matter Variability within the Appalachian Basin; Delaney McCarthy ’21; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Exploring Temperature Variation in Wisconsin Springs; Sophie Glaubius ’21; Advisor: Sue Swanson
The Reliability of Outcrops for Organic Geochemical Data: A Case Study Using Devonian Black Shales; Morgan Fries ’21; Advisor: Jay Zambito
How the Decline and Recovery of Wild Rice Biomass is Linked to Sulfate; Sydney Crockett ’21; Advisor: Sue Swanson
An Investigation of the Potential for Rain Garden Installation on the Beloit College Campus; Philip Adrian ’21; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Exploring how Accelerated Changes in Land Use and Anthropogenic Biomes affect Carbon Output; Simone Rawal ’20; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Sodic-Calcic Alteration at the White Rock Pluton:Constraining Fluid Sources with Oxygen Isotopes; Sophia Hopp ’20; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
Taphonomy and Biodiversity of Fish Fossils from the Middle Devonian Milwaukee Formation; Andy Rich ’20; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Using Machine Learning Techniques to Identify Patterns in the Occurrence of Springs in Wisconsin; Anthony Wendel ’20; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Chemical Differentiation of Anthropogenic Obsidian Sources in Mesoamerica; Blaine Burgess ’20; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
Reconstructing the Cambrian Carbon Cycle Using ~500 million year old Phosphatic Brachiopods; Zowie Fox ’20; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Assessing Changes in Groundwater Quality at the Nevin State Fish Hatchery; Desire Piphus ’20; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Constraining the Depositional Environment of Triassic Halite from the Röt Basin, Netherlands; Philippe Rollet ’20; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Using Infrared Thermography to Characterize Temperature Over Space and Time in Wisconsin Springs; Garrett Rachal ’20; Advisor: Sue Swanson

Stories

Senior Emmalynn May led cohorts of teens in park trail maintenance excursions in mountainous Montana this past summer.

Blazing her own (hiking) trail

Environmental geology and biology double major Emmalynn May’23 worked with the Montana Conservation Corps this past summer, mentoring students, maintaining hiking trails, and paving her own way for a career of protecting state and national parks.

Geology Department spring 2022 field trip

Spring Geology Department Field Trip Heads to the Driftless Area

The spring Geology Department field trip took place in early April 2022. We headed to southwestern Wisconsin to explore the Driftless Area and the Paleozoic stratigraphy. The annual trip is generously supported by Mary Ann and Richard Davis.

Student poses near limestone wall during field research

From Forest to Sea: Examining the relationships between open ocean and terrestrial biomass

In summer 2021, Anna Weldon’22, a geology and anthropology double-major, worked with geology assistant professor Jay Zambito to understand how forest evolution impacted ancient climate.

Hanlin Zhang’21 Analyzes Hydrothermal Alteration of the Clay Cap in the Creede Mining District

Hanlin Zhang’21 is a geology major working with Jim Rougvie as his thesis advisor. His research seeks to characterize the mineralogy of the clay cap in Creede, CO.

Walker Weyland’21 Explores the Direction of Early Trilobite Emigration and Origin

Walker Weyland’21 is a geology major working with Jay Zambito as his thesis advisor. His research tracks the evolution of early trilobite lineages.

John Tower Jr.’21 Explores Sodium Metasomatism in the White Mountain Peak Metavolcanic Complex

John Tower Jr.’21 is a geology major working with Jim Rougvie as his thesis advisor. His research analyzes how and where sodium metasomatism occurred in the White Mountain Peak Metavolcanic Complex.

Sophie Glaubius’21 Explores Temperature Conditions in Wisconsin Springs

Sophie Glaubius’21 is a geology major working with Sue Swanson as her thesis advisor. Her research seeks to better understand the temperature distribution in fracture and seepage filtration springs.

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Related Links

Recent Student Research Projects