There are plenty of opportunities for geology and other science students to conduct research over the summer.
Geology students at Beloit College have access to a variety of summer opportunities that provide immersive hands-on research experiences. Summer research projects pair students with a faculty mentor and can include field work, lab work, or both!
Projects can range from 2-8 weeks and include funding for room, board, travel, and a student stipend. Many student projects form the foundation for on- and off-campus conference presentations as well as senior theses. Students that complete summer research experiences gain the technical and soft skills that employers and graduate schools are looking for.
Current and Upcoming Projects
Description
Professors Jim Rougvie and Jay Zambito are currently undertaking a Keck Geology Consortium project investigate the occurrence of trace metal-bearing sulfides and sulfide weathering products in sandstones from southwestern Wisconsin. This work is significant because these strata serve as a regional groundwater aquifer as well as a source of industrial sand that is mined throughout west-central Wisconsin and are potential sources of groundwater contamination by trace metals. This project is for rising sophomores considering a science major and designed to immerse students in the earth sciences and its intersections with socially relevant issues.
Details
Focus Areas: Western Wisconsin, Driftless Area
Project Duration: Field work and initial lab work undertaken July 7-August 8, 2025; additional lab work will continue through 2026.
Prerequisite Courses: Any 100-level introductory geology course.
The mass extinction at the Permian-Triassic Boundary, ~252 million years ago, is recognized as the most devastating extinction in Earth’s history (>80% of all genera went extinct). In 2026, Prof. Jay Zambito will start a new project as part of the DeepDUST working group focused on the extreme continental conditions leading up to and after the extinction event, in particular, hot and arid saline lake environments. This research uses fluid inclusions within salt that precipitated in these settings to reconstruct lake water temperatures which are a proxy for paleoweather. When studied in time succession this type of data allows us to make interpretations about paleoclimatic changes leading up to the mass extinction at the Permian-Triassic Boundary. Samples for this study will come from newly acquired and existing drill cores.
