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. |
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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 |
