Wichita State Department of Geology

10/22/2026

On October 27th, paleontologist Jack Dalton will unearth the stories of some spooky scary skeletons from Earth’s past.

10/22/2026

Chiricahua National Monument is officially Chiricahua National Park, becoming the 64th national park in the United States! This is an exciting milestone and a great time to show-off our introductory Earth Science courses with national park-inspired flyers. When it comes to Earth’s history, the best stories are written in stone!

10/11/2026

We’re in Denver this week for GSA connects! Stop by our booth for more information about Field-Camp, graduate programs, or if you just want to say hi!

10/01/2026

🚨The AAPG field camp scholarship application portal is officially open as of today! If you are a student looking to fund your upcoming fieldwork, make sure to submit your application. The portal is accepting submissions from October 1 to November 30, 2026 🥾

📸 Special note: This photo features a University of Houston student mapping stratigraphy in the Gypsum Creek area back in June 2026!

Click the link below to apply: https://aapgfoundation.org/how-we-help/field-camp-scholarship/about-field-camp-scholarship

⛰️

09/23/2026

Please join us October 8th and 9th for this year’s Watkins Visiting Professorship lectures with Dr.Patricia Dove.

Patricia M. Dove, Ph.D.,is the C.P. Miles Professor of
Science and University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech. One
of today’s leading geochemists, Dove has made major contributions
to research in the biogeochemistry of Earth processes, the physical
basis of biomineralization, and geochemical controls on geophysical
properties. Her interdisciplinary research is focused on understanding
mineral reactions in natural and engineered environments. She is
particularly known for studies of crystal growth with a special interest
in biomineralization—the processes by which organisms grow
minerals within tissues to produce skeletons. Dove was elected in 2012
to the National Academy of Sciences, the most prestigious scientific
organization in the United States. She is a recipient of the Clarke
Medal, Dana Medal, and the International Medal for Excellence in
Mineralogical Research. She has twice received the U.S. Department
of Energy Best University Research Award, and was named a 2013
Virginia Scientist of the Year.

09/21/2026

100 years isn’t a very long time, geologically speaking. Through the human lens, 100 years is a lifetime of memories, friendships, scientific discoveries, and the people who have helped make the Geology Department what it is today.

As we celebrate 100 years since our founding, we are reminded that a department is so much more than its classrooms, laboratories, buildings, or the hundreds of rocks samples. It is the students who pass through our doors, the faculty and staff who dedicate their time and passion, and the alumni who carry their experiences with them into the workforce and beyond.

We are incredibly grateful to everyone who joined us to celebrate this milestone. Seeing current students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends of the department together was a wonderful reminder of the community that has grown around geology at Wichita State over the past century.

Thank you for being part of our story. Here’s to the people who made the last 100 years possible, and to the people who will carry our department into the next 100. 🌎🪨

09/21/2026

Thank you to everyone that attended our 100-year anniversary! It was great getting to see so many of our alumni, old faculty members, and current students. In addition we were joined by Dean Estes, Provost Lounsbery, and President Muma. It was a great night!

Thanks goes out to Dr. Parcell for putting together an excellent slide show detailing the 100-year history of the department.

And special thanks goes out to CJ, the department admin for doing the lions share of organizing this event. If it wasn't for her there's a 20% chance this event would have been grillling burgers at a park, 10% chance we'd have had it at Chigger Ranch, and a 70% chance it would have been a meet up at Kirbys.

09/14/2026

A lot has changed in the last 100 years, and yet so much has stayed the same. For one, the field vehicles are a little more comfortable!

But one thing hasn’t changed: our students are still getting out into the field and visiting many of the same outcrops that helped launch geology at Wichita State in 1926.

From Fairmount College to Wichita State University, the tools, vehicles, and technology may have changed, but the rocks are still there waiting to be explored.

Here’s to 100 years of geology, and to many more years of getting our students out into the field! 🥾⛏️🪨

09/09/2026

This year, we are celebrating 100 years of geology at Wichita State University!
Originally founded as Fairmount College, a congregational women’s college, Wichita State has a long history of geology education that extends back more than a century. Historical photographs suggest that geology was being taught at Wichita State as early as the 1910s.

From those early lessons to today’s labs, field experiences, and research, geology has remained an important part of the Wichita State story.

For 100 years, our students have been learning to look a little closer at the world beneath their feet. Here’s to the next century! 🪨🌎

07/21/2026