Kyle C. Fredrick, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Earth Sciences
California University of Pennsylvania
From California to California: A Journey of Geodiscovery
Each year, students of Geology venture from CalU and the familiarity of southwestern PA to parts of the
US to which many of them have never been, nor even imagined. It is these educational opportunities
that, in a way no other class or school experience can, crystallizes the geological curriculum and instills a
curiosity and appreciation for the Earth in our students. It is the most identifiable reason behind the
rebirth and growth of the Geology program at CalU over the past several years.
Geology programs throughout the US recognize the importance of field experiences in all forms for
undergraduate geology students. However, economic pressures over the past several years have forced
many schools to rethink their curriculum, removing or scaling back field trips that had been a staple of
their programs. At CalU, however, thanks to administrative support and faculty persistence, we were
able to initiate a continuing program whereby each summer students complete a “regional field
experience.” Formatted as a 3-credit course, these trips take students to various regions of the country,
visiting sites of geological interest. Students share new experiences of scenery, climate conditions,
geology, and even social situations. For juniors and seniors, the course has proven to be the
quintessential capstone for most of the participants. For younger students, it is a launch pad toward a
more engaged relationship with the subject matter in subsequent courses.
In Summer 2013, we endeavored on a new adventure across the US, driving from California, PA to the
state of California. Covering over 5000 miles, students were exposed to a variety of geologic settings,
from the first stop near Santa Fe, NM to the last night in Ouray, CO, and grew as scientists and friends.
The highlights of the trip included the Grand Canyon and Yosemite. But for the students, those were
just parts of the continuous journey exposing them to red rock canyons, cinder cone and caldera-style
volcanoes, basin and range topography, and alpine glacial terrains.
Biography:
Dr. Kyle C. Fredrick is an Associate Professor of Geology in the Department of Earth Sciences at
California University of Pennsylvania (CalU). He joined the faculty in Fall 2007 and has directed the
Geology Program since that time.
Kyle received his B.S. in Geology from the University of Wisconsin – River Falls in May 2000. He moved
on to the University at Buffalo (UB), in Buffalo, NY, where he received his PhD in Geology in June 2008.
His doctoral work focused on groundwater modeling and surface/ground water interactions.
After his undergraduate degree, he attended the geological field camp of UB, mapping in Colorado,
Utah, and Wyoming. Kyle began his teaching career as a teaching assistant for the UB field camp in 2001
and 2002, following up as a field camp instructor in 2004, 2005, and 2007. His first full-time teaching
was at Buffalo State University from Spring of 2005 through Spring 2006. In Fall 2006 he began a oneyear position at Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY as a Visiting Instructor. After
completing his first year as a tenure-track professor at CalU, Kyle led his first regional field trip to the
Colorado Plateau. He has followed that up with trips each summer to regions including the Yellowstone
area, New England, and eastern California.