UMM | Science and Math Division | Geology Discipline

Undergraduate research

The Geology Discipline is a strong advocate for undergraduate research, and students are actively involved in research programs conducted by the faculty. Geology majors have completed a diverse array of independent research projects ranging from laboratory investigations to computer modeling to field studies. Financial support for student research comes from a number of sources, some of which are listed below. With the encouragement of the faculty and financial support from the Division of Science and Mathematics, geology students have presented their findings at regional, national, and international meetings, including those of the Geological Society of America (GSA), American Geophysical Union (AGU), International Glaciological Society (IGS), Institute for Lake Superior Geology, National Council of Undergraduate Research, and Minnesota Academy of Sciences (MAS). In addition, a number of students are co-authors of papers published in professional journals.

For more information about research opportunities and studies in progress, contact discipline faculty members whose research interests overlap with yours. Feel free to email, call, or drop by. We're always interested in talking with you. You can also find out more information about each of the faculty members using the links to the left.

Some undergraduate research funding opportunities

Recent research projects undertaken by UMM geology students

Age, kinematic evolution, and tectonic significance of the Grizzly Creek shear zone, western Colorado
Improvement of an empirical model of snow and ice melt on Rabots Glaciar, Sweden
In search of the Younger Dryas cooling interval using weathering rind thicknesses, Sawatch Range, Colorado
Rock glaciers in southwestern Colorado as indicators of late Holocene climate change: a lichenometric study

Click on the Field photos link to see pictures of UMM geology students (and faculty members) in action.