Symposium helps geosciences students break ground

Brian D. Rothschild Arizona Daily Wildcat Structural geology graduate student Stephen G. Ahlgren promotes his independent project "Geopro" during the GeoDaze exhibition in the Arizona Gallery yesterday afternoon. Ahlgren created his computer program "Geopro" as a means to visualize three-dimensional geological structural data.

"This is an event that has evolved in 26 years to the premiere student-led symposium in the country," said University of Arizona geosciences Head Joaquin Ruiz.

Morning and afternoon sessions yesterday and today included 27 presentations in the Memorial Student Union Arizona Ballroom. Fifteen poster exhibits were also displayed in the Hall of Fame lounge.

The quantity and quality of graduate and undergraduate student research topics make GeoDaze the largest event of its kind in the nation.

Many geoscience students pursue careers in the petroleum or mining industries, while others focus on surface geology and climate change through time.

Ruiz said the event is designed to familiarize students with giving technical presentations - something many of them will routinely be expected to do after they graduate and find jobs.

"I think that part of your education should be the presentation of research to the public," Ruiz said.

The presentations include many topics with titles like, "Soil Degradation on the Santa Cruz River near the Pima/Pinal County Border," "A High-Resolution Pollen Profile from the Late Holocene of Western New York State," and "How to Make A Big Gold Deposit: Evolution of the Cripple Creek Gold Deposit."

UA geosciences alumnus Isaac J. Winograd, a U.S. Geological Survey research hydrologist, spoke yesterday to students, and Stephen J. Reynolds, an Arizona State University associate geology professor, will deliver the event's final keynote talk today.

The geosciences alumni community includes current members of industry and academia and retired professionals who continue to support the department.

"It (GeoDaze) is a nice link between students and professionals," said geosciences senior and GeoDaze co-chair Shari Christofferson.

Christofferson said the event puts students in touch with industry representatives and alumni who tell them what to expect after they graduate.

"I think this is a unique department because of the support we receive from faculty and industry," Christofferson said. "When we do get corporate sponsors, it's nice because they get to see what we've done with their contributions."

"I think that GeoDaze really projects a lot of pride in this department," said Chris Greenhoot, a UA graduate student and president of the UA chapter of the Society of Economic Geologists.

Student presentations draw to a close this afternoon and will be followed by an alumni awards ceremony and slide show. Ruiz will host a post-event celebration at his home tonight.

"Industry grabs our students as fast as we can produce them," Ruiz said. "The feedback (from GeoDaze) is that we're one of the leading universities they'd like to recruit from."

Sponsors for GeoDaze 1998 include Chevron, Exxon Exploration, Arco International, Errol L. Montgomery & Associates Inc., the Zonge Engineering and Research Corp. of Tucson, the UA Geosciences Department and private donors.