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Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences
SUNY Oneonta
2014 Alumni Newsletter
News from the chair
This has certainly been an interesting period since our last newsletter! Devin Castendyk was on a sabbatical
leave that he extended to two years. We had Shasta Marrero and then Jon Schmitkons filling in for him. Keith Brunstad
completed his Ph.D. and emerged as the top candidate in our tenure-track search for a petrologist. Yinka Oyewumi,
with expertise in soils and groundwater, was with us for a year as a Dissertation Fellow. Following the birth of her
twins, and coupled with several other factors, Martha Growdon made the difficult decision to leave our department,
much to our great sadness. Fortunately, we were able to replace her with Pragnyadipta “Deep” Sen, as a lecturer. We
will be conducting a tenure-track search for this position this year. Kyle MacRitchie joined the meteorology faculty as a
lecturer in 2013. Kyle will defend his dissertation at SUNY Albany during the fall of 2014.
Les Hasbargen was tenured, promoted to associate professor and received the Chancellor’s Award for
Excellence in Teaching. Just as we were about to go to press, we learned that Todd Ellis has been tenured and
promoted to associate professor also. Jerry Blechman received the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Faculty
Service. Jerry stepped in as interim chair while I was on sabbatical in the spring of 2012. Little did he know that
“interim” would extend from one semester to three. Near the end of my sabbatical, a surprise phone call from the
provost landed me in the position of Interim Dean of Science and Social Science for 2012-13. During that year, I
assisted with the transition of two large divisions in Academic Affairs to five schools. Our new spot in the
administrative structure is in the newly formed School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, headed by our new
dean, Venkat Sharma. This structure works well for us and is much more manageable than the 18 units that reported
to me in the old structure! I was very relieved to return to the department; the responsibilities of the chair don’t seem
nearly as daunting after sitting in the dean’s office!
I am pleased to report, that despite all the changes, our students continue to thrive. For a relatively small
department (at least compared to Biology!), our students continue to be over-represented at Student Research and
Creative Activity Day, sharing posters that have also been presented at GSA, AGU and Northeast Storm conferences.
Our graduates have been accepted into some fine graduate programs, including Wisconsin, Vanderbilt and Ohio
State, and have also found professional employment. One of our students, Anna Downey (AEES, 2013) co-authored
a paper for NAGT’s publication “In the Trenches” and Anna was featured on the cover!
Our chapter of Sigma Gamma Epsilon continues to lend a helping hand wherever needed and Meteorology
Club and Geology Club have been especially active. The leadership of the Geology Club reached out to alumni this
year with a well-received offer of Oneonta Geology beer mugs. Your support for Geology Club’s fund-raising is
greatly appreciated.
As the college prepares for the renovation of the Physical Science building, we are accepting “refugees” into
Science I. We have ceded our Intro Geology lab to Anthropology for the duration of their exile and faculty from
Chemistry will be sharing lab space with Devin in the Hydro lab. We are trying to be good, collegial citizens, but
there is undeniable pressure, especially from Biology, which has grown from twice our number of majors to nearly
eight times our number and have increased their number of faculty dramatically. This has really put a strain on office
and lab space in the building.
In addition to our Newsletter, we are redoubling our efforts to maintain contact with you, our wonderful
alumni. Look for us on LinkedIn and Facebook. Please, stay in touch! We miss you and love to hear what you are
doing.
–– James Ebert
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Donations to Field Experiences Fund
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Dear Alumni, !
Over the years you have been very generous in suppor7ng our students, par7cularly through dona7ons to the Earth Sciences Field Experiences Fund, the fund that directly benefits the largest numbers of students in the department. In recent years, our majors have been par7cularly ac7ve in field-­‐based research and in presen7ng the results of their research at regional and na7onal conferences. Unfortunately, this has greatly depleted the Field Experiences Fund. !
We need your help so that we can con7nue to support the professional growth of our students. Please consider dona7ng to the Field Experiences Fund so that we can con7nue the tradi7on of excellence that is the hallmark of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. !
Dona7ons can be made in several ways, but be sure to specify that your gi1 is for the Earth Sciences Field Experiences Fund: !
Online: Secure and convenient, giving online is the fastest way to support SUNY Oneonta. (See the link on this page: hMp://www.oneonta.edu/advancement/waystogive.asp) !
By Check: Please make checks payable to SUNY College at Oneonta Founda2on. Checks may be sent to: Division of College Advancement, 308 Netzer Administra7on Building, Oneonta, New York 13820. !
By Phone: Call the Division of College Advancement at 607-­‐436-­‐2535, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (EST) to make a credit card gi^ over the phone. !
Thank you for your generosity, past and present! !
Sincerely yours, !
Jim Ebert !
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News
from the faculty
Awards
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2014 Chancellor’s Award
for Excellence in Teaching
Les Hasbargen
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2013 Award for Excellence
in the Use of Instructional
Technology
Todd Ellis
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Front row: Kyle MacRitchie, Melissa Godek, Leigh Fall, Pragnyadipta Sen
(Deep), Jerry Blechman. Back row: Jon Schmitkons, Les Hasbargen, Jim Ebert,
Keith Brunstad, Todd Ellis. Not pictured: Devin Castendyk.
Melissa Godek
2012 Chancellor’s Award
for Excellence in Faculty
Service
Jerry Blechman
Les Hasbargen
I was happy to return to the department for the
Fall 2013 semester after my extended absence in the
spring (Take that, cancer!). After returning to my courses,
first and foremost, I was also able to get back to my
productive student research group. Throughout the year I
mentored 11 students on projects that ranged from
verification of the old saying, "March comes in like a lion
and out like a lamb" to examining the impact of the North
Atlantic Oscillation on near-freeze minimum temperatures
in NY. The students and I presented research at the
American Geophysical Union fall meeting in San
Francisco, the American Meteorological Society meeting
in Atlanta and the Northeast Storm Conference in
Rutland, VT. From these endeavors, two manuscripts are
currently in publication review. I was rather involved in
reviewing myself this year, for journals, online
educational sites and college textbooks. Other yearly
highlights include the student-oriented information
sessions I was able to host or contribute to (topics include
applying to graduate school, women in science, and how
to have success in meteorology). The 4th annual weather
photo contest was a success and for the first time ever I
started a climatological forecast challenge for the winter
season. Participation in all events has been excellent!
Les received tenure and was promoted to
associate professor and received the SUNY Chancellor’s
Award for Excellence in Teaching in 2014. SUNY
Oneonta students play a central role in assisting with his
research. In the past few years, more than a dozen
students who have worked with Les have presented their
projects at Geological Society of America conferences.
The projects range from mapping dinosaur trackways to
gully morphology on Mars to water and rock
geochemistry and stream bank erosion, as well as
reservoir and lake sedimentation in the upper
Susquehanna River basin.
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Devin Castendyk
Dr. Castendyk returns from sabbatical leave this
August. Over the past two years, he visited Antarctica
twice to conduct research on lakes in the McMurdo Dry
Valleys, investigated the environmental impact of oil
sands mine pit lakes in Alberta, and worked as a Research
Associate at the University of Colorado,
Boulder. In May, he lead the first international Water
Resources field trip to Lake Atitlan, Guatemala
with Tracy Allen from Geography. This will become an
annual trip for E&AS majors.
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News
from the faculty
Jerome Blechman
Pragnyadipta Sen (Deep)
Looking back at the self-bio that I wrote for the
last alumni newsletter, I see that not a whole lot has
changed. Last time I wrote that I was no longer Chair,
after five years of running the Department of Earth
Sciences. Now, I’m no longer Chair after 1.5 years of
running the Department of Earth and Atmospheric
Sciences. Hmm… I was doing that additional stint of
Department Chair while Dr. Ebert was Interim Dean. To
get him back I volunteered to run the search for a new
Dean. Now, with Dean Sharma on board, Dr. Ebert could
go back to being Chair and I could go back to being the
synoptics professor in my teeny tiny office across the hall
from the weather labs. My dream job!
During the past couple of years I also served on
two search committees for the new Library Director and
I’m still Chair of the College Library Committee. The
Library’s role is expanding from merely housing books to
being an information and service center. The Library
Committee is right in the middle of that. Exciting!
I currently sit on the Dean’s Advisory Council,
the Provost’s Task Force on Renewal, Tenure, and
Promotion, and the Milne Space Planning Group. Two
summers ago, I was a member of the President’s Council
on Diversity Workgroup. I continue to run our local
forecasting contest and I am the local chair for our Team
WxChallenge. On a personal note, the Fraternal Bowling
League folded (gah!) so those of us who were left joined
the Friday night mixed league, called the TGIF. Now I’m
President of the TGIF league. I just can’t help it.
I’m pleased to teach a continuing parade of
wonderful meteorology majors. Some of them have
worked on Independent Studies and Internships that I’ve
sponsored. It’s very gratifying when you all go out there
and continue to advance our science with your hard work
and bright new ideas. Teaching young people how to
forecast the weather is what I love to do and, for the
immediate future, I have no plans to stop.
Hello! I joined the Earth and Atmospheric
Sciences Department at SUNY Oneonta as a lecturer in
Fall 2013. My research interests are in structural geology
and tectonics, specifically, mountain building. I will be
graduating from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
with my doctoral degree in Fall 2014. At present I have
two students from Oneonta working on quantifying strain
in the Hudson Valley fold-thrust belt. I am passionate
about teaching and I am very excited to join a wonderful
community that supports high quality teaching and
research.
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Todd Ellis
Every year is eventful when you're a professor,
and this past year has been no different. I'm still leading a
research grant on the professional development of
teachers to use NASA data for classroom inquiry, and I
still lead the NASA CloudSat mission outreach program.
This year, that work included a week long workshop in
North Carolina and a virtual training workshop hosted
from California and delivered to teachers in Thailand.
The coming year promises much more of the same. In
addition, I'm hoping that by the time you read this, I'll be
an associate professor and tenured, which would be great.
I won the Award for Excellence in the use of instructional
technology in May 2013. Most recently, I was elected to
be the Presiding Officer of the Faculty for the coming
academic year. It will be a very busy year. Allyson and
Gwendolyn, my now 18-month old daughter, are doing
very well, and every day is a new adventure. I hope that
every day is an adventure for you all too.
Keith Brunstad
It’s good to be back after dancing with the Devil
and Grim Reaper last spring semester. Over the summer
Duncan Maccrea and I toured the SW stopping in the
Jemez Mountains, Black Canyon of the Gunnison, and
Grande Canyon on our way to visit the Bagdad Copper
Mine in Arizona. Later in the summer, Nevin Henderson,
Chris Linkletter and myself spent some time sampling the
Marcy Anorthosites located in the Adirondack Mtns. The
sampling campaign was a success and Chris and Nevin
are prepping their respective samples for chemical
analysis. Finally, I am advising Danielle Magee on her
dam sediment release project on Oneonta Creek. This
year is shaping-up to be a busy one.
Leigh Fall
Leigh begins her fourth year at Oneonta with
great enthusiasm. Her current research is working with
moon snails from Long Island Sound to gain a better
understanding of this predatory snail’s place within the
food web. She finished a bone trampling project with a
student and is beginning another student project on the
hypoxia in Long Island Sound. She continues to attend
professional meetings as well as teaching workshops to
learn innovative ways to teach our students. In addition
to teaching our majors in the classroom, Leigh is the
current advisor of Sigma Gamma Epsilon and has majors
helping her as teaching assistants.
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News from the Emeritus
at Bering Glacier, Alaska
Conferences – It has been rewarding to present
papers (mostly on Bering Glacier) at every Annual GSA
meeting for the last couple decades, most recently (Oct
2013) in Denver where we also gathered about 40 Earth
Sciences alumni from the Denver Corridor for a
wonderful reunion. Great fun – even got to see a few of
the students who were on early Western Regional Field
Trips through the 70’s and 80’s.
Travel for pleasure – In 2008 Judy and I were part
of an 18-person group to trek the southern approach to
Everest in the Himalaya’s taking me to an all time high of
18,300 feet. Since then other destinations have been
Chile, Patagonia, Peru, and Mexico.
In closing, I would encourage all alumni who
recall the captivating lectures and collegial attachment
with Dr. Simmonds to drop him a card or note to recall
his positive impact on you and so many of his students.
Address your note to:
Dr. Jay P. Fleisher
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It is always a pleasure to pass along to all alumni
the activities that have kept me busy since retiring in
2007. First I want say I didn’t retire to get away from
campus, but rather to allow the best of campus to expand
and receive more of my attention, which of course led to
lots of new things.
Recent activities
Came out of retirement in 2010 to be the Director
of the Juneau Icefield Research Program (JIRP). By 2012
it was time to pass that along and move on to other things.
Lectures to the Community Council for Adult
Learning (CCAL) have kept me in front of students of my
generation with 3 lectures annually in a series of topics
such as Intelligent Design vs. Science, Water as a Global
Resource, Iceland-Land of Fire & Ice, Time-the big
picture, Mass Extinction, and most recently AlaskaScenes Seldom Seen.
Field trips (2 weeks each) for Real People
(community groups of ~20) since retiring have included
the Canadian Rockies, Death Valley to the Sierra Nevada,
Newfoundland, and most recently in 2012 Iceland. This
summer (2014) I’ll be leading a GeoVenture for GSA to
Iceland.
Publications – Actually, without campus
distractions and obligations I’ve been able to publish
more since retiring, most recently on Differential Ablation
Dr. Robert T. Simmonds
871 East Oak
Squim, WA
98382-3351
Jay lecturing to a GeoVenture group at the Laki Rift
site in Iceland. Jay and his co-leaders from the UK
conducted a 2 week geologic field excursion to
Iceland in 2014.
One of Jay's life-long highlights (18,300 ft)
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!NEWS from the Emeritus
location, because most of the local cave development was
concentrated at sea level. But it was nice to get away from
the snow.
Now, in May 2014, we have just returned from a
5-week field trip to the Southwest, threading through
New Mexico and Arizona to Death Valley and the
Amargosa Desert of Nevada – the latter two locations
with a USGS colleague who had done much field work in
the area. The main target was Devil’s Hole (shouldn’t
contain an apostrophe, according to government decree,
but we can’t help it). Several decades ago in this deep
water-filled cave the USGS obtained an 800,000-year
record of calcite deposits whose oxygen and carbon
isotopes provided one of the first lengthy proxies for
Pleistocene climate change. It relates to our Black Hills
work. On our way through Phoenix we visited Jack
Kepper, who taught sed/strat at Oneonta in the early
1970s. When Peg decided to go for an M.A., it was his
course in sedimentary petrology that launched her on the
road to what she does best today – interpreting past
environments by examining mineral assemblages under
the petrographic microscope.
Dr. Art Palmer
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Since the last newsletter, our lives have followed
a similar path of shuttling around to meetings interspersed
with long stretches at home dedicated to writing, reading,
and relaxing. This past year we were delighted by visits
with (and to) many alumni who still cheerfully keep in
touch. Seeing how little they have changed over the years
is comforting to those of us who are well into retirement.
Photo on the right: International relations in one of the
Czech Republic’s least attractive caves. In the center are
Art (standing) and Peg (kneeling).
In July 2013 we participated in the 16th
International Congress of Speleology in Brno, Czech
Republic. We had last visited the country in 1972, when it
was Czechoslovakia and under the heel of Communism.
At that time the country and its people were very
downtrodden. It was cheering to see how optimistic the
people are now, and how modern their country looks
while carefully preserving 1000 years of history in its
architecture and culture.
Soon afterward we attended a national cave
convention at Shippensburg University, Pa., where our
own Tom Feeney (Water Resources, 1984) led the
geology field trip to wide acclaim. We had a chance to
spend some quality time with Janet Polak (our former
secretary) and Carol Ryder (retired from the Biology
Department) in their elegant retirement village in nearby
Newville.
At October’s national GSA meeting in Denver,
Peg presented a poster on the origin of low-temperature
dolomite in Carlsbad Caverns, NM, where a couple
million years of gentle infiltration and evaporation have
produced a suite of minerals that are very rare anywhere
else. Art gave a talk on the geologic history and origin of
the Black Hills caves of South Dakota (Wind Cave and
Jewel Cave). He and Peg were also co-authors of a
follow-up talk by a USGS geologist on the Pleistocene
water-table fluctuations in Wind Cave. After the meeting
all three were asked to give more detailed presentations at
the regional National Park Service headquarters in Ft.
Collins.
In February 2014 we took part in an international
conference in the Bahamas concerning the origin of
hypogenic (deep-seated) cave origin. It was a strange
So life continues to be happy, both on the road
and in our own little woods at home.
International relations in one of the Czech Republic’s
least attractive caves. In the center are Art (standing)
and Peg (kneeling).
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Students
Meteorology Club
Geology Club
The Meteorology Club continues to be active with
weekly meetings, activities, fundraisers, and trips. The
Club has become very active in community service through
the “Into the Streets” program and volunteering at
Saturday’s Bread. For summer 2014, several members
have been recruited by alumnus Don Berchoff (’84) to
assist with the American Meteorological Society’s summer
workshop at Penn State. What an opportunity for SUNYOneonta students! Please check out the web forecasting at
http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/wxclub/FcstCtrAdmin/
default.html, if you haven’t checked out the page in a
while. Also, please visit the Meteorology home page at
http://www.oneonta.edu/academics/wxclub/ where you can
find pictures and links. The Club is on Facebook, http://
www.facebook.com/groups/247779411953382/, twitter
(@Oneontametclub) and instagram (oneontametclub).
The Geology Club had an active year with weekly
meetings, activities, field trips, and fundraisers. During
Green Week on campus in April, the Club held a panel
discussion after showing the acclaimed, agenda-free energy
documentary Switch. The Club went on several field trips,
such as Vroman’s Nose and Watkin’s Glen this past year.
Thanks to the hard work of the Club’s treasurer, Rebecca
Sedlacek, they were able to raise money selling mason jar
mugs to alumni. The money is raised to pay for field trips
and conference attendance. If you would like to purchase a
mug or a Dragon class, please contact Rebecca
(sedlra10@oneonta.edu). The Club is on Facebook, https://
www.facebook.com/groups/325412120937564/.
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Sigma Gamma Epilson, Zeta Rho Chapter
Sigma Gamma Epsilon (SGE) is the national honor
society for the Earth Sciences. The Oneonta chapter
inducted 12 new members this year. The members are
discussing fundraisers for the upcoming year. They
currently sell snacks to students to help raise money. The
members provide service to the department through clean
up at the picnic and major’s night. At the end of every
semester, the members bring in baked goods for a Student
Appreciation Day. They are on Facebook, https://
www.facebook.com/groups/243577605703987/.
2013–2014
Student
Achievements
Academic Achievement Award: Leland Cohen (Water Resources)
Philo C. Wilson Outstanding Graduating Senior: David Loveless (Meteorology)
Peter W. Knightes ’67 Scholarship: Kelsey Heyne (AEES)
Robert W. Caputo ‘84 Scholarship: Alyssa Dubbs (Meteorology)
Terry Quinn ’82, Eric Tappa ’81, and James Zachos ’82 (QTZ) Scholarship:
Chelsea Krieg (Geology/Biology)
M. Ira Dubins Scholarship: Kelly Graham (Meteorology)
Excellence in Water Resources, Geology, and Earth Science Scholarship:
Dan King (Geology) and Derek Walling (Water Resources)
Dr. P. Jay Fleisher Scholarship: Dan King (Geology)
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Conference Presentations
Conference Presentations
Loveless, D. M., Godek, M. L.,
and Blechman, J. B. (2014)
Developing a Climatology of
Snowfall Events in Oneonta, New
York (Northeastern Storm
Conference)
Frankel, M., and Hasbargen, L.,
(2014)
Using GIS and Google Earth to
make regional measurements and
infer geologic structures in order
to develop working hypotheses
before going into the field (NE
GSA)
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Keefer, S. A., and Brunstad, K. A.
(2013)
Buried stream piracy leads to
cavern development in the
Manlius Limestone, Schoharie
County, NY (GSA – Denver)
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Fuess, A., Hasbargen, L.,
Spaulding, J., and Moore, M.
(2013)
Preliminary geochemical analysis
of the Marcellus Formation in New
York State (NE GSA)
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Ebert, J. R., Howe, R. Stahl, S. L.,
Puoplo, C. A., Kolankowski, S.
M., Haskins, T. D., and Spaulding,
J. G. (2014)
Reinterpretation Of The
“Anomalous” C1 Portion of the
Edgecliff Member of the
Onondaga Formation at Cherry
Valley, NY – An Eastern Outlier of
the Bois Blanc Formation (NE
GSA)
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Magee, D., and Hasbargen, L.
(2014)
Remote geologic mapping utilizing
airborne LiDAR: a case study from
Pennsylvania’s Valley and Ridge
province (NE GSA)
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Moore, M., and Hasbargen, L.
(2013)
Groundwater flow and
geochemistry at Greenwoods
Preserve, Central New York (NE
GSA)
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Kolankowski, S. M., Fall, L. M.,
and Moore, J. R. (2013)
A quantitative analysis of fracture
patterns due to trampling on
microvertebrates (GSA – Denver)
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Baum, A., De Pasquale, R.,
Loveless, D., Contract, J., Scharr,
N., and Godek, M. L. (2013)
Air Mass Frequency During
Precipitation Events in the United
States Northern Plains (AGU)
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Loveless, D. M., and Godek, M. L.
(2013)
Classification of Snowfall Events in
Oneonta, New York from 20022012 (AMS)
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Cohen, L., Spaulding, J., and
Hasbargen, L. (2013)
Geologic maps in a Google
Fusion Table environment: a case
study in New York (NE GSA)
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Student Research
Hasbargen, L., Castendyk, D.
Keefe, L., Lowry, F., Spaulding, J.,
and Fuess, A. (2013)
Groundwater geochemistry: are
wells unique? A case study from
upstate New York (GSA)
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Our students continue to be active in
research with the faculty and attend
professional meetings, such as the annual Geological Society of America (GSA)
meeting, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) fall meeting, the Northeastern
Storm Conference, the annual American Meteorological Society (AMS)
meeting, and Northeastern Section of the Geological Society of America (NE
GSA). Last year, 33 students attended one or more of these professional
meetings.
Sixteen of our majors presented research posters at the annual Student
Research & Creative Activity (SRCA) Day held on March 26 in the Hunt Union
Ballroom. To conduct research, many of them received grants for student/
faculty research. Please visit this link for titles of their presentations: http://
www.oneonta.edu/advancement/grants/SRD%20presentations.asp.
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Graduates
Class of 2012
Christopher Aucoin
Brian Beckemeyer
Amanda Brideson
Daniel Bruton
Richard Bullis III
Ashley Collum
Kevin Delaney
Lauren Dolginko
Jason Doroski
Nicholas Esposito
Kristen Gaynor
Edward Gazzetti
Sarah Hafter
Cody Hitt
Kentaro Ishihara
Richard Jaworski
Emmon Johnson (MA)
Christopher Keefe
Leandra Baker Keefe
Fiona Lowry
Joseph Ludwin
Duncan Maccrea
Steven Menges
William Oakes
Ellen Paccia
Erin Potter
Alicia Pucci
Shane Putnam
Colleen Rappa
Lindsay Raychel
Molly Reed
Michael Scouten
Rachael Smith
Alexander Soroka
Michael Steinhaus
Amy Titcomb
Kristen Tocheny
Curtis Walker
Kevin Walsh
Cailey Wood
Sean Wren
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Class of 2013
Filiz Becer Danielle Browarski
Kevin Byrd
Gregory Charlemagne
Tiana Dellapenna
Rachel Doery
Brittani Doran
Anna Downey
Matthew Dubray
Matthew Eberlein
Sarah Galligan
Kathleen Giacalone
Dean Haussel
Conor Jones
Thomas King
Stephanie Kromhout
Michelle Kuhn
Daniel Linek
Alex Lyakhov
Seth Masten
Andrew Messina
Annelise Muscietta
Monica Nuzzo
Rachel Ouimet
Ryan Pasternak
Kurt Pfaffenberger
Ellyse Powers
Jonathan Rocha
Nicholas Saffioti
Nicholas Testagrose
Vincent Valinoti
Jonathan Visnosky
Charles Walker
Dawn Warren
Michael Williams
Rebecca Zander
Robert Zinke
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Class of 2014 Annika Beard
Patrick Carpenter
Lorenzo Cavazza
Leland Cohen
Jordan Contract
Richard DePasquale
Mathew Frankel
Alayna Fuess
Sophia Kolankowski
Daniel Kopec
Alicia LaCross
David Loveless
Myles Moore
Mary Margaret Pipher
Christopher Puoplo
Daniel Reis
Nicholas Sharr
Shannon Stahl
Sarah Taggart
Anthony Tari
Christopher Walsh
Alexis Williams
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Congratulations EAS students!
9
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Alumni News
The department appreciates the support of the alumni. Please keep us up-to-date
on your accomplishments.
Terry Quinn (Class of 1982)
I am presently the Director of the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas
at Austin (http://www.ig.utexas.edu). I am also a Professor in the Department of
Geological Sciences, where I hold the Albert W. and Alice M. Weeks Centennial
Professorship in Geological Sciences. Scientists from the Institute for Geophysics, a
research unit in the Jackson School of Geosciences, are leading international
investigations of the ice caps on Earth, Mars and Europa; earth’s passive and active
margins; climate change; and applied geophysics.
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For more than 25 years now I have focused on using the geochemistry of
sedimentary archives to reconstruct climate variability over geologic time. Early in
my career I focused on the Cenozoic history of ice volume and ocean history. I have
spent the last decade or so investigating the role of the tropics in global climate variability using corals and cave
deposits. I most recently had the privilege to serve as a lead author for the paleoclimate chapter in the
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report on Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science
Basis. I have been blessed to be able to travel the world to pursue a career I love, but I never forget where it all
started. He will be honored at the SUNY Alumni of Distinction ceremony on September 5 at the Hunt Union.
William Lapenta (Class of 1983)
Bill is the new director of NOAA’s National Center Centers for
Environmental Prediction (NCEP), which is the organization that oversees
forecast units such as the National Hurricane Center and the Storm
Prediction Center (for severe thunderstorms). Bill has invited our
Meteorology Club to visit NCEP in College Park, MD. The Club e-board
members are working on logistics as this will take two days in the middle
of a week during the school year. We're not sure exactly when it will
happen but it looks like the Club will do it sometime this Fall.
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Heather McArdle
(Class of 1993)
Heather was awarded the 2014 American Association of Petroleum Geologists
(AAPG) Foundation's Teacher of the Year. Heather is a geoscience teacher at
Mahopac High School in Mahopac, NY. With 17 years experience, Heather has
authored and published three geoscience lab manuals and created the “Living the
Earth Science” web page. Congratulations Heather! It's wonderful news to see one
of our own achieve this award.
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Alumni
News
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Don Berchoff (Class of 1984)
Don Berchoff is Vice President, Americas and Transport with MetraWeather, a
New Zealand company. Don leads business development and program
execution for North, Central and South America; and leads MetraWeather’s
global product and service strategy for the aviation and ground transportation
industries.
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Prior to joining the private sector, Don was the Director for Science and
Technology at the National Weather Service where he led science and
technology infusion into 122 US Weather Service offices and six weather
centers in the United States. His most significant accomplishments
included fielding a $50M US Doppler Weather Radar upgrade to
improve detection of life threatening severe weather such as hail, snow
and tornadoes, and leading the deployment of the $300M AWIPS 2 program to modernize the country’s
real time weather data processing and forecast/warning system.
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Don retired from the Air Force as a Colonel in 2008. He is a decorated veteran, including recipient of
the Defense Superior Service Medal and Bronze Star. He holds a Masters of Science degree in National
Security Strategy from the National Defense University, a Masters of Arts degree in Procurement and
Acquisition Management from Webster University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Meteorology
from the State University of New York College at Oneonta. He will be honored at the SUNY Alumni of
Distinction ceremony on September 5 at the Hunt Union.
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Malcolm Field (Class of 1981)
After graduating from Oneonta, he obtained an MS at University of
Massachusetts and a PhD at George Mason University and is now
Senior Research Hydrogeologist at the Environmental Protection
Agency in Washington. He is among the top internationally recognized
experts in dye-tracing of groundwater flow and transport of
contaminants in groundwater. He has received 10 EPA achievement
awards and is author of three EPA computer programs that are widely
used for quantifying groundwater tracing, as well as 31 technical papers
in professional journals. He is also a faculty affiliate at George Mason
University, a fellow of the Geological Society of America and the
National Speleological Society, and chief editor of the Journal of Cave
and Karst Studies. His community services include supporter of 8
church funds, the Salvation Army, Red Cross, and Southwest Indian
Foundation, and Youth Sports. He and his wife Robin, also an Oneonta
graduate, have three children, Chris, Henry, and Beatrice, who are following in his footsteps. We
applaud Malcolm for his professional stature and contribution to society. He will be honored at the
SUNY Alumni of Distinction ceremony on September 5 at the Hunt Union.
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Alumni
News
David G. Austin (Class of 1985)
Major Geology
Email david.austin@aecom.com
Job/description Senior Project Manager at AECOM
David writes: David was appointed in 2013 by Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick to the MA Board of
Registration of Hazardous Waste Site Cleanup Professionals (Licensed Site Professional [LSP] Board) (http://
www.mass.gov/eea/agencies/lsp/). The LSP Board licenses and regulates LSPs that are required to be retained
by entities assessing and remediating impacted sites.
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Mike Bradley (Class of 1975)
Major Geology
Email Lonetree9@earthlink.net
Job/description Exploration Manager-Oneonta Resources LLC
Mike writes: Lynn (physics) & Mike are still in Colorado, enjoying 2 new grandchildren, and a robust oil & gas
business. Oil & Gas business keeps us in touch with many other Oneonta grads, such as Jim Terwilliger, Doug
Battin, Bob Coskey, Eddie Agurkis, Wayne Camp, Rich Frommer, Laura Sarle, Tom Birmingham, Wayne
Ziemanski, just to name a few. It’s been a great career. Thx to all the stud profs at Oneonta.
Stephanie Grimes Burns (Class of 2002)
Major Meteorology
Email grimsa04@gmail.com
Job/description Long Island High School Earth Science & Astronomy Teacher in Bohemia, NY
Stephanie writes: I recently had Astronomy students complete a research project on impact craters, and my
students had a research proposal accepted for photographs to be taken by astronauts on the International Space
Station of Earth impact craters for further study. I also was accepted into the New York State Master Teacher
program for the next four years. I live on Long Island with my husband Stephen Burns, Jr. (also an Oneonta
Alum) and my two daughters Madeline-4 and Taryn-nearly 2!
Jessica Callahan (Class of 2007)
Major Meteorology
Email Jess.callahan@gmail.com
Jessica writes: She is engaged to marry Thomas Bennett (Class of 2008, History) in September 2014
Wayne K. Camp (Class of 1976)
Major Geology
Email wayne.camp@anadarko.com
Job/description Distinguished Geological Advisor (Anadarko’s highest technical position) – New ventures
exploration, onshore North America (focusing on unconventional plays)
Wayne writes: Second book that I edited and wrote a paper was published fall 2013 “Electron Microscopy of
Shale Hydrocarbon Reservoirs” American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir 102.
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!Alumni News
Barbara Clarke Crotty (Class of 1979) and Kevin Crotty (Class of 1979)
Major Geology
Barbara and Kevin write: Their son, Sean, has received his PhD in Geography and is teaching at Texas
Christian University, and their daughter, Colleen, is working on her Master’s degree in Marin and
Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington in Seattle. Kevin has recently moved from BHP Billiton
Petroleum to Chevron.
Tamarah Russell Curtis (Class of 2011)
Major Meteorology
Email Tamarah.Carla@gmail.com
Job/description Meteorologist, NWS MDL
Tamarah writes: Married June 2012. Graduated GMU, Masters in Computational Science Dec 2013. Converted
from a Pathways Intern to a full time Meteorologist April 2014. Expecting first child July 2014.
Charles Foster (Class of 1987)
Major Water Resources
Email cfoster@trcsolutions.com
Job/description TRC Solutions Charles writes: I can tell you my corporation is growing and always looking for candidates for hire and is
multidisciplinary in many respects. Although my career focus has always been environmental vs. engineering
geology, we seem to have a niche in many forward looking business sectors. Check out TRC Solutions, see the
website. We have offices across the country and are very well positioned for the future.
Stuart Graber (Class of 1978)
Email smgraber@marathonoil.com
Job/description Geoscience Consultant-Marathon Oil-Gulf of Mexico Production Stuart writes: Located in Houston, TX
Ralph Haefner (Class of 1982)
Major Geology
Email rjhaefner@msn.com
Job/description Deputy Center Director for the U.S. Geological Survey Michigan Water Science Center
Ralph writes: I recently accepted a new position as Deputy Center Director of the USGS office in Lansing,
Michigan. If any of our fellow Oneonta alumni are in the area, please feel free to drop me a line or stop by.
Darlene Kehn Hunter (Class of 2006)
Major Meteorology
Email hunterda@hoosickfallscsd.org
Job/description Earth Science teacher and Earth Club advisor at Hoosick Falls Central School
Darlene writes: I will be running the ESOP Introduction to Meteorology course again this year at Hoosick Falls
High School. My husband Ben and I married over the summer (7/27/13, after the heat wave :-))!
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!Alumni News
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Brian Jackson (Class of 2004)
Major Meteorology
Email Brian.M.Jackson@noaa.gov
Job/description Physical Scientist for NOAA monitoring global sea ice and snow cover and also meteorologist
and blogger for the Capital Weather Gang
Brian writes: My wife, Sarah Emond Jackson (Class of 2005), and I would like to announce the birth of our
first child, Mackenzie Rose, on May 28, 2014!
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John Kucewicz (Class of 1990 & 1992)
Major BS Water Resources (1990) and MA Geology (1992)
Email JCKJR1@cox.net; John.kucewicz@dvn.com
Job/description Geological Advisor, Devon Energy John writes: John’s education in the Water Resources program at SUNY Oneonta came in handy recently when
he and wife Sharon bought a mobile home park served by a ground water system. Pre-purchase due diligence
included a review of the historical water chemistry tests, well design, Well Head Protection plan and other
environmental and economic considerations. Implementation of approved practices per State guidelines
resulted in a license being granted to the LLC owned by Mr. and Mrs. Kucewicz, and to the Park’s on-site
Manager. Monthly water quality testing and approved operational practices safeguard the residents. John’s
Geology education continues to pay dividends in his field of Petroleum Geology at Devon Energy, while
working with a team evaluating more than $2 Billion in oil and gas assets. At the end of May 2014, John and
family visited his home town of Yonkers, New York to celebrate his mother’s 90th Birthday. Phi Delta Rho
Fraternity Brothers from 1968 and later years, joined in Social Media well-wishes to Mrs. Kucewicz, as they
likewise continue to cheer on their respective Brothers’ milestones: A tribute to the lasting relationships built at
SUNY Oneonta.
Kevin P. Lynch (Class of 1995)
Major Geology
Email KPLYNCH@colgate.edu
Job/description Chief Information Officer, Colgate University
Kevin writes: Visit me at http://about.me/Kevin.Lynch
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Bob Mackey (Class of 1985)
Major Geology
Email bmackey@ctkrhs.org
Job/description Teacher/Athletic Director/Girls Basketball Coach at Christ the King High School
Bob writes: Inducted into the Catholic High School Hall of Fame on April 30, 2014
James Mitchell (Class of 2000)
Major Meteorology
Email edgex700@hotmail.com
Job/description Meteorologist at the National Weather Service Office in Buffalo, NY since June 20, 2011. James writes: Separated from the United States Air Force December 31, 2010; Married Taylor Mitchell (maiden
name Lind) June 25, 2011; daughter Maggie born January 5, 2014.
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!Alumni News
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Joanne Owen (Class of 1981)
Major Geology
Job/description Group Expedition Manager at Earthwatch Institute in Boston
Joanne writes: Earthwatch is an environmental non-profit and a unique organization that offers vastly superior
science and learning experiences than mere trip/tour providers. Their mission specifically enables students and
professors to participate in hands-on field research, working alongside peer-reviewed, PhD field scientists in
more than 60 different projects in 32 countries. An overview of the many benefits of participating on an
Earthwatch Expedition can be found at http://earthwatch.org/education/our-approach. Joanne net with the
department faulty this past summer.
Paul Ruscher (Class of 1976)
Major Meteorology
Email ruscherp@lanecc.edu
Job/description I have a new position after retiring from Florida State University (after 25 years as a professor
there). I'm now Coordinator and Faculty Member of the Earth & Environmental Sciences and Watershed
Science programs at Lane Community College in Eugene, Oregon.
Paul writes: Positive influences abounded on me by Docs Berman, Peyrifitte, Wilson, Simmonds, Fleisher,
Dubins, and Palmer, in particular!
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Joseph P. “J.P.” Skelly (Class of 1978)
Major Geology
Email jpthend1@yahoo.com
Job/description I am News Director at KORN News Radio 1490 in Mitchell, South Dakota where I’ve spent
the last 28 years.
Joseph writes: I’m president-elect of the Midwest Broadcast Journalists Association, and a member of the
Radio Television Digital News Association, Society of Professional Journalists and Iowa Broadcast News
Association. Follow me on Twitter @jpthenewsguy.
Evan Slow (Class of 1981)
Major Geology and Anthropology
Email Evan.slow@gmail.com
Job/description Co-owner of Angstrom Scientific, Inc. – www.angstrom.us
Edith Kruse Hollister Thornburg (Class of 1994)
Major Water Resources, Geology minor
Email Edith.Thornburg@gmail.com
Job/description looking for work near the NE side of Columbus, OH as is my Geologist husband
Edith writes: We have a 3-yo Granddaughter these days! She is living in Palm coast with my oldest. My son is
still in the Oneonta/Cooperstown area. He recently graduated from SUNY Oneonta and is looking for a Middle
School English teaching position.
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Michael Stanley (Class of 1975)
Major Meteorology
Email LTCStanley@aol.com
Job/description High School Teacher, San Antonio, TX Teach AP Statistics & Pre-Calculus
Michael writes: Retired Air Force Lt Col, 21 years as Meteorologist
Kermit Witherbee (Class of 1968 & 1979)
Major Earth Science, BS (1968) and Geology, MA (1979)
Email Kwitherb@hotmail.com; kermit.witherbee@nrel.gov
Job/description Geothermal Energy Geologist/Analyst: in the Strategic Energy Analysis Center, National
Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO. Current work includes geothermal analysis in various areas,
including resource assessment, geothermal development and policy analysis.
Kermit writes: Retired from Dept of Interior’s Bureau of Land Management 12/2010 as National Geothermal
Program Manager. Recently lectured at a workshop at Lake Naivasha, Kenya on geothermal well drilling.
Currently living in Elizabeth, Colorado with spouse Maggie, 4 basset hounds and 10 chickens.
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Katie Whittaker (Class of 2003)
Major Meteorology
Email kwhittaker1203@yahoo.com
Job/description High School Science Teacher, Fresh Air Fund Environmental Educator, and Freelance Forensic
Meteorologist
Katie writes: I am currently teaching in Northern Dutchess County, New York, and work for the Fresh Air Fund.
I plan on continuing my education in meteorology next year.
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Psalm Caird Wyckoff (Class of 1995)
Major
Email psalmwycko@hotmail.com
Job/description Mined Land Reclamation Specialists for the NYS DEC in the Division of Minerals (Region 4
office)
Psalm writes: I recently resigned my position as Sr. Planner with Otsego County and started a new job with
NYS DEC in the Division of Minerals as a Mined Land Reclamation Specialist in the Region 4 office. I will
provide regulatory oversight of mining sites in Delaware and Otsego Counties, including unconsolidated mines,
bluestone and sandstone, etc. I've only been on the job for two days, but I got a fun start with seismic
monitoring of a quarry blast at a sandstone quarry in eastern Delaware County. I am looking forward to this
new adventure!
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