Frank Florence (BS Geology, 1983)

I'm a professor at a New York State junior college, Jefferson Community College, where I teach first and second year students introductory classes in Geology and Earth Sciences. I received my PhD in 1991 from Rensselaer and did a post-doc there and then a stint at Syracuse before settling down. My research has focused on the tectonic history of mountain building in the Adirondacks that is preserved in metamorphic mineral assemblages. Although a little piece of real estate, these mountains have been a rewarding area for interpretation of the events of the Grenville orogeny.

After graduating from Central, Julie Hudson and I married and began our wandering across the USA in search of employment. Although we never expected to finally roost in New York, we enjoy the upstate region for its seasonal character and recreational opportunities. We both continue to ski and I've kept my hand in with rock climbing and mountaineering. This summer, we opted to complete a hike across southern France that followed a medieval pilgrimage trail. The attached photo shows us en route. It pretty well sums up our condition in life these days as well.