Collaborative research between students and faculty members is an important part of the geology program at Beloit College. Under the direction of a member of the Geology faculty, all geology majors design and implement a senior thesis research project, gather and analyze their own data, and present their results.
Research opportunities are also available through the Keck Geology Consortium which includes 17 colleges committed to undergraduate education in geology through intercollegiate programs that engage students and faculty in cooperative research. Among its founders was Beloit College Professor Emeritus Hank Woodard.
Hydrothermal Alteration in Clay Cap Formation, Creede Mining District, Colorado; Hanlin Zhang ’21; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
Determining the Direction of Early Trilobite Environmental Migration; Walker Weyland ’21; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Establishing a Soil Health Baseline for Prairie Restoration; Henry Westly ’21; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
The White Mountains Geochemistry: pXRF Analysis of the Metavolcanic Complex; John Tower ’21; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
Devonian Organic Matter Variability within the Appalachian Basin; Delaney McCarthy ’21; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Exploring Temperature Variation in Wisconsin Springs; Sophie Glaubius ’21; Advisor: Sue Swanson
The Reliability of Outcrops for Organic Geochemical Data: A Case Study Using Devonian Black Shales; Morgan Fries ’21; Advisor: Jay Zambito
How the Decline and Recovery of Wild Rice Biomass is Linked to Sulfate; Sydney Crockett ’21; Advisor: Sue Swanson
An Investigation of the Potential for Rain Garden Installation on the Beloit College Campus; Philip Adrian ’21; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Exploring how Accelerated Changes in Land Use and Anthropogenic Biomes affect Carbon Output; Simone Rawal ’20; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Sodic-Calcic Alteration at the White Rock Pluton:Constraining Fluid Sources with Oxygen Isotopes; Sophia Hopp ’20; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
Taphonomy and Biodiversity of Fish Fossils from the Middle Devonian Milwaukee Formation; Andy Rich ’20; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Using Machine Learning Techniques to Identify Patterns in the Occurrence of Springs in Wisconsin; Anthony Wendel ’20; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Chemical Differentiation of Anthropogenic Obsidian Sources in Mesoamerica; Blaine Burgess ’20; Advisor: Jim Rougvie
Reconstructing the Cambrian Carbon Cycle Using ~500 million year old Phosphatic Brachiopods; Zowie Fox ’20; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Assessing Changes in Groundwater Quality at the Nevin State Fish Hatchery; Desire Piphus ’20; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Constraining the Depositional Environment of Triassic Halite from the Röt Basin, Netherlands; Philippe Rollet ’20; Advisor: Jay Zambito
Using Infrared Thermography to Characterize Temperature Over Space and Time in Wisconsin Springs; Garrett Rachal ’20; Advisor: Sue Swanson
Stories
Emmalynn May ’23 Looks at the Beloit College La Brea Tar Pit Fossil Collection
Emmalynn May is a Geology and Environmental Biology major working with thesis advisor Jay Zambito. She is looking at the taxonomy and taphonomy of Beloit College’s La Brea Tar Pit fossil collection.
Olivia Farbarik ’23 is a Geology major working with thesis advisor Jay Zambito. She is using a drill core from the Illinois Basin in Bullitt County, Kentucky to interpret Devonian carbon cycle dynamics.
The environmental footprint of inorganic nitrogen application
Ryan Deany’23 is an Environmental Geology major working with thesis advisor Jim Rougvie. He studies the impact of long-term manure application on potentially mineralizable nitrogen in soil and reducing the environmental footprint of inorganic nitrogen application.
May Willison ’23 Studies Geochemical Properties of Springs
May Willison ’23 is a Geology major working with thesis advisor Sue Swanson. She studies the geochemical properties of springs and their importance to spring dwelling organisms.
Mikaila Davis ’23 Studies Environmental Conditions in Springs
Mikaila Davis ’23 is an Environmental Geology major working with thesis advisor Sue Swanson. She studies environmental conditions in springs and their importance to spring dwelling organisms.
Sam Hall ’23 Looks At Evidence of Interface-Coupled Dissolution-Precipitation in K Feldspars
Sam Hall ’23 is a Geology major working with thesis advisor Jim Rougvie. He studies electron backscatter diffraction evidence of interface-coupled dissolution-precipitation in K feldspars.
Daniel Bolin ’23 Reconstructs the Litho- and Chemostratigraphy of the New Albany Black Shale
Daniel Brolin ’23 is a Geology major working with thesis advisor Jay Zambito. He works on reconstructing the litho- and chemostratigraphy of the New Albany black shale of Indianapolis, Indiana.