History of Geology Department
“Up from the Mud”
by Paul Myers, April 1998
In 1960-61, it was proposed that geology courses should be offered in the Geography Department under Mr. Henry Kolka. This began a crucial time for the newly “orphaned” Geology Department, a time for development of new faculty and curriculum and the carving of space from a building not planned for a geology department. With only three faculty members, the newborn department easily could have been resorbed back into the Geography Department - or disbanded altogether. Since that time the Geology Department has grown and developed a reputation for excellence. I felt it appropriate to summarize the department’s history because the “youngsters” in the department are all relatively new to the department.
The Formative (“White-Knuckle”) Years: 1960-1982
The proposal in 1960-61 to offer geology courses in the Geography Department led to some turbulent times. Amidst considerable, often heated, discussion of courses which rightfully “belonged in Geology” and those which should be taught under the heading of “Geography” during 1964-66, the newly renamed Department of Geography and Geology began offering a cluster of introductory and second-year geology courses such as Mineralogy-Petrology, Structural Geology, Geology Seminar, and Field Geology all taught by John Bergstrom. The separation of geology from geography in state universities was a national trend linked to rapid expansion in the petroleum and minerals industries. With the hiring of Ronald Willis in 1967, the Geography-Geology Department began offering “softrock” courses such as Stratigraphy and Sedimentation and Paleontology.
The Geology Department officially separated from Geography in July 1969 and obtained instructional space. At this time the 2nd floor labs, specimen + map storage, and work/preparation areas were carved out of spaces assigned to other departments. This did not endear the Geology Department to its Phillips Hall neighbors! The newly remodeled Phillips Hall (W and S wings) had not been planned for a geology department, the “orphan-child” of Phillips Hall. The Geology Department faculty shared first floor office space and a secretary with the much larger Mathematics Department. Paul Myers was hired to teach Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology in 1969. Building a “traditional” geology major from scratch with only 3 faculty members and providing students seeking an orderly progression of courses proved daunting during this period of rapid growth and change.
In the early 1970s, the profile of the Geology Department was raised as courses were revised with an increased emphasis on General Education courses. Courses such as “Geology and the Environment” and “Oceans and Shorelines” were introduced and proved quite popular. In addition, numerous course-connected field trips to Chippewa Valley sites, Wausau, SW Wisconsin, and leading the Wisconsin State University Field Conference in the Eau Claire area showed the department’s commitment to meaningful field experiences, a reputation that continues to the present. Upper-division courses taught by Bergstrom, Myers, and Willis included Struct. Geol., Min. Petrology-Petrography, Econ. Min. Deposits, Sed-Strat, Paleo, Petroleum Geology, and Field Geology. The large Field Geology enrollment during summer 1973 showed that the department was doing well. However, the need for courses in hydrogeology, engineering, and environmental geology was recognized.
By 1973-74, Math had moved out of Phillips Hall, creating space for Geology. New general studies courses such as National Parks, Earth Resources, Glaciers, Rocks and Minerals, Continental Drift led to more geology majors (40) and minors (35). Nancy Jo Pickett joined the Department half-time, teaching Physical Geology labs and organizing collections. In October 1974, Ms. Betty Vetter of the Scientific Manpower Commission, Washington D.C., gave a talk entitled “Futures in Geoscience Professions” at the Tri-State Geology Conference hosted by the WSU-Eau Claire Geology Department. This talk gave new impetus for changes in the Geology curriculum toward environmental and hydrogeology courses, and in 1975-76 a request was submitted to add another full-time faculty position in hydrogeology and environmental geology. By this time, Environmental Geology (101) and Oceanography (102) had become the department’s most highly enrolled courses. The university also acquired a Tracor Northern SEM.
The number of geology majors fluctuated considerably during the following years. In 1977-78, the department had twenty-one majors (15 men, 6 women). Geology majors reached a maximum of approximately 84 in 1982, but soon began to decline owing to a sharp reduction in demand for petroleum- and minerals-related geologists. This led to a need for the department to reposition itself in its relation to needs in the profession, so much time was spent searching for new faculty to cover new courses.
The Adjustment Years: 1982-1990
During this period, with the rapid decline in demand for geologists in the petroleum and mining industries, there was a general decline in upper-division geology enrollments with a consequent shift toward environmental and hydrogeology emphases. This was a time of rapid changes in teaching staff and a maturation of the larger department. The years 1982-83 marked a turning point in the Geology Department. With Bergstrom retired, Pickett and Willis on leave, and Wilson leaving to take a teaching position at Weber State Univ., the Department faculty underwent a quantum leap into the unknown. Combs, Myers (Chair), and Orazulike were joined by new faculty; Scott Schillereff (structure) and John Tinker (hydrogeology) [5.0 faculty]. Course additions included Field Methods, Hydrogeology, Vertebrate Paleontology, Paleoecology, and Plate Tectonics. In 1983 Robert Hooper joined the faculty with a new Ph.D. in Geochemistry-Mineralogy from Washington State University. This brought the number of faculty up to six, and things started humming!
With declining numbers of geology majors in the mid-1980s (in 1984-85 majors were down to approximately 30) there was an increased emphasis upon service and General Education courses, such as the 1-credit 100-level lab course in Environmental Geology. During this time, Lung Chan (geophysics, structural geol.) joined us. In addition, Physical and Chemical Hydrogeology courses approved in 1985-86 began changes in the department that were to recapture majors and strengthen the department. By 1986-87 geology majors were up to 38 in three comprehensive major emphases (General, Environmental, and Marine Geology) and the Liberal Arts major. Majors were increasingly shifted toward environmental and hydrogeology areas. In late October 1987, Nan Pickett died after a battle with cancer, and the Geology Department lost a valued friend and colleague. In 1989-90, Hooper was awarded NSF grants for an x-ray diffractometer and petrographic microscopes—equipment that helped us make the transition to….
MAKING IT BIG-TIME: 1990-Present
Under Robert Hooper’s excellent leadership, the Geology Department experienced rapid growth in the number of majors and minors, student-faculty research and publications, program diversity, curriculum refinement and acquisition of sophisticated analytical equipment and their incorporation into the program. We became a respected member of the science community at UWEC and throughout the State.
Over its 30-year history, the fledgling Geology Department has adapted and evolved into one that has gained the respect of its university neighbors and the greater academic professional community. Its persistent enthusiastic commitment to learning by direct experience – in the lab and in the field – and its insistence upon faculty-student research collaboration have brought it to a position of prominence in the field.
The Geology Department will have to keep on changing in the future, and we are looking for partners – like YOU! You can help by offering our students internships and jobs, speaking with us about your work, or giving to the Geology Department Advancement Fund. We thank YOU for helping to build the tradition for excellence within the Geology Department!
