I was
a graduate of Upper St. Clair High School (Pittsburgh) and went
on to attend The College of Wooster (Ohio), graduating in geology. I
married another Wooster graduate, Merrily Siepert. I received
a MA degree in structural geology/tectonics from The University
of Texas at Austin, and a Ph.D. in economic geology from the
University of Michigan. Merrily and I have three sons: Michael,
an educator, Matthew, a pastor, and Andrew, an attorney. We brag
on our five grandchildren.
My professional career has been, almost exclusively,
at The University of Arizona (Tucson), where I began as Assistant
Professor in the Department of Geosciences, rising through the
ranks to Full Professor, and then chosen as a Regents Professor.
My primary scientific interest has been field-oriented structural
geology, with applications in regional tectonics and active
tectonics.
I have published extensively on the Basin and Range
and Colorado Plateau tectonic provinces and structures (recent
pubs), and I have brought my passion for structural geology
into the classroom, into the research advising of undergraduate
and graduate students (students served),
into textbook writing, and into research seminars. My current research
is in Greece, where I am a team leader on the Mt. Lykaion (Zeus)
Sanctuary and Excavation Site in the Peloponnesus. My role
is to interpret the geologic history of the site, including active
tectonics, in specific relationship to the archaeology of Lykaion.
The geoarchaeological work in Greece is getting more and more interesting.
See The New York Times article An
Altar Beyond Olympus for a Deity Predating Zeus.
I began my career at the University of Arizona
as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences, becoming
Full Professor, and then Regents Professor. I served as Chair of
the Department of Geosciences, a department now regarded as one
of the top geo-programs in the world. Both in graduate school and
as an assistant professor, I was inspired by academic geologists
who became college and university leaders,
and this has influenced my broadening range of university work.
At the University of Arizona, I have served as Vice Provost for
Academic Affairs, Executive on Loan to the Board of Regents, and
Interim Vice President for Business Affairs. I then left
The University of Arizona to serve The University of Vermont as
its President, returning to the University of Arizona to carry
out research and teaching, and then to serve as Executive Vice
President and Provost. I stepped down from these administrative
posts in May, 2007.
My outside interests are broad ranging. I
enjoy reading and traveling widely, with particular attention to
arts and humanities, and I spend serious time in pursuit of my
interests in photography and playing chromatic harmonica.
In Spring, 2008, I taught Active Tectonics (400-500
level) and a field seminar focusing on transfer structures in the
Hurricane fault zone near La Verkin, Utah. In Fall, 2008,
I teach Geological Disasters and Society (Geos 218) to 150 students,
and an honors class (same subject) to 25 students. Furthermore,
I continue to serve as Chair of NSF's Geo Advisory Committee, which
addresses Atmospheric Science, Ocean Science, and Earth Science.
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Navajo Sandstone backdrop along the Kaibab uplift, Southern
Utah
Bringing up the salmon
with Bach |
