About the Department of Geological Sciences

Central Washington University

The Department of Geological Sciences offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs in the geological sciences. Emphasis is placed upon stimulating classroom, laboratory, and field experiences with dynamic faculty members whose teaching and research interests span the spectrum of geological problems.

PRIMARY RESEARCH

The department has expertise in active and regional tectonics, continental dynamics, environmental geochemistry, geomorphology, isotope geochemistry, GPS geodesy, mineralogy, paleohydrology, paleoseismology, petrology, Quaternary geology, seismology, structural geology, thermochronology, and volcanology. The department has recently hired three new faculty members who specialize in regional tectonics, continental dynamics and seismology, isotope geochemistry, petrology, structural geology, and volcanology. The department is the data analysis center for the Pacific Northwest Geodetic Array (PANGA), which is a permanent network of GPS receivers that continuously measure crustal motions in the Pacific Northwest.

A modern geochemistry laboratory, equipped for isotopic, major-element, and trace-element analysis of earth materials, as well as installation of new ICP and stable isotope mass spectrometers, has just been completed. The department is a member of the Southern California Earthquake Center, a NSF-sponsored Science and Technology Center; we also members of the WINSAR (INSAR imagery) and IRIS (seismology) consortiums. In addition, the department has strong ties with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), administered by the California Institute of Technology for NASA; the opportunity to participate in JPL programs is a unique feature of the geology program at CWU.

For students interested in Luminescence dating methods for Quaternary deposits, we offer a collaborative masters degree program with Dr. Glen Berger, Desert Reseach Institute, University of Nevada.

FACULTY

We have eight tenure-stream faculty, an enthusiastic instructor, and several adjunct, research, and partly retired faculty that offer three undergraduate major programs and a masters program in the Geological Sciences. We have approximately 65 majors in these three areas. Emphasis on student participation in research and field research is a special feature of our undergraduate programs.

"The greatest strength of our department is the outstanding scholarship of the faculty, research faculty, and visiting adjunct faculty"

Because faculty maintain active, internationally recognized research programs, undergraduates can participate in meaningful field and laboratory research. Emphasis on student participation in research is a special feature of our undergraduate programs.

Funding for undergraduate research comes from the National Science Foundation's REU initiative, as well as local, regional, and national sources. Our undergraduate students are conducting research in environmental geochemistry, geomorphology, GPS geodesy, active tectonics, and surficial processes in such diverse regions as Alaska, Baja California, California, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Nevada, Taiwan and the Pacific Northwest.

MASTERS PROGRAM

The Department of Geological Sciences offers a two-year M.S. program in Geological Sciences with emphasis on natural hazards and water resources, including climate change, flood and paleoflood studies, hill slope stability, seismic risk, seismology, watershed analysis, and volcanology. Additional areas of research include traditional geology fields such as geomorphology, geophysics, petrology, structural geology, and tectonics.

Our program aims to prepare students for professional employment in geoscience careers in the Pacific Northwest and beyond, or for continuing graduate studies at the doctoral level. Inquiries should be directed to the Chair of Geology or the Office of Graduate Admissions.

EXCELLENT LOCATION

Central Washington University is ideally situated in an area of diverse geology. The university lies on the margin of Columbia River Basalt plateau, adjacent to the crystalline core of the Mt. Stuart Range and the majestic volcanoes of the Cascade Mountains. Seismicity and active volcanism of the Cascadia subduction zone, periodic regional flooding, highly deformed rocks of northern Washington and British Columbia, and a water- and natural-resource based economy in central Washington provide ideal opportunities to study a wide variety of geologic problems and the mitigation of geologic hazards. The department is located in Lind Hall, on the corner of 8th Avenue and Chestnut Street.
See location maps.