Department of Geological, Environmental, and Marine Sciences (GEMS)
This handbook provides a thorough overview of the department, its faculty, and student
accomplishments and opportunities. For the most recent information about each faculty member,
course offerings and syllabi, facilities, student activities, and requirements for all GEMS majors and
minors, please visit the department’s web site at http://www.rider.edu/gems. In addition, numerous
links to other web sites provide easy access to a variety of geological, environmental, and marine
science-related research and general interest resources. The department’s newsletter, Surf and Turf, is
published once a year and is available for download from the web site. The newsletter’s articles
highlight student, alumni, and faculty activities, research, and awards, along with updates on events,
speakers, and field trips. If you have any questions regarding this information, or about the department
in general, please feel free to contact us.
GEMS Programs
GEMS offers six majors and two minors. Five of the six majors are described below, while information
on the sixth major, Integrated Sciences and Math, is available in a separate handbook.
1. Geosciences
The geosciences major incorporates a broad and challenging curriculum, which emphasizes and
investigates many of the important geologic subdisciplines. These include rock-forming mechanisms
and controls, deformational and tectonic processes, the weathering and erosion of geologic materials,
the transportation and deposition of derived sediments, and the physical and biological history of the
Earth. In addition, all geosciences graduates must attend a senior-level geology field camp (not offered
at Rider) where they learn and practice fundamental field and mapping skills, as well as how to
professionally apply and integrate what they have learned in their individual class and laboratory
courses to complex, real-world geologic problems.
2. Environmental Sciences
Drawing on programs and faculty of the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Physics, and GEMS,
the environmental sciences program crosses social, political, and scientific boundaries. All
environmental sciences majors will participate in extensive fieldwork, exploring a rich diversity of
ecological environments and acquiring the knowledge and skills required for a wide range of potential
careers. Depending on an individual student’s area of interest, an environmental sciences major may
study such subdisciplines as cell and molecular biology, environmental biogeochemistry, organic and
inorganic chemistry, plant ecology, forest dynamics, climate change, or coastal processes.
3. Marine Sciences
The marine sciences major investigates and emphasizes the multiple feedback interactions among
unicellular to vertebrate marine organisms, the physiochemistry of the water in which they live, and
the substrates in and/or on which they dwell. Typically, students who major in the marine sciences also
double major or minor in one or more of the following programs: biology, chemistry, earth and
environmental sciences, environmental sciences, geosciences, and psychology (for marine mammal
training).
1
Revised 2/16/16
4. Liberal Studies: Environmental Emphasis / 5. Liberal Studies: Marine Ecological Emphasis
The Bachelor of Science Degrees in Liberal Studies: Environmental Emphasis and Marine Ecological
Emphasis are designed primarily as second majors for students in the CLAES School of Education
interested in teaching science in elementary schools. The programs are tailored to meet the
interdisciplinary science objectives of elementary education majors and to facilitate the timely
completion of their dual requirements in the School of Education and the School of Liberal Arts and
Sciences. These programs are not designed to prepare students for further study in science disciplines
at the graduate or professional level, or to teach science at the middle school or high school level.
GEMS Student Information
Research Assistantships
Faculty members from the Departments of Biology, Chemistry and Biochemistry, and GEMS have
submitted numerous grant proposals to various funding organizations. These include the American
Chemical Society, Council for Undergraduate Research, Dreyfus Foundation, National Institute of
Health, National Science Foundation, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, NJ Department of
Coastal Resources, NJ Water Resources Research Institute, Research Corporation, Rippel Foundation,
National and NJ Sea Grant, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. These grants allow the departments
to offer financial assistance to students in the form of research assistantships. Financial support for
undergraduate research also is available from Sigma Gamma Epsilon, Sigma Xi, and the Rider
University GEMS Student Research Fund.
Internships and Summer/In-Semester Employment Opportunities
A number of private environmental consulting firms, the Delaware River Basin Commission, the
Mercer County Wildlife Center, the NJ Geological Survey, the NJ Department of Environmental
Protection, and the Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey, have provided part-time
employment to our majors as part of formal internship programs. In addition, GEMS majors with an
interest in the marine sciences have interned at the NJ Marine Mammal Stranding Center in Brigantine,
Jenkinson’s Aquarium, Marine Aquarium at Norwalk, CT, Newfound Harbor Marine Institute, FL, NJ
State Aquarium at Camden, Rutgers Marine Field Station, Tuckerton, NJ, Shoals Marine Laboratory,
ME, and the Universities of Maryland and Delaware Sea Grant Programs. Many of these internships
have led to the use of state-of-the-art research equipment, the securing of permanent full-time
employment upon graduation, and the donation of specialized services to the department. Full-time
summer employment with many of these organizations also is possible. Furthermore, GEMS students
also may be employed on a part-time basis on University work-study allocations to the department
during the summer and/or the regular school year.
Organizations and Activities
GEMS students can become active in a number of on-campus student organizations and clubs,
including Sustainable Rider. The primary function of these organizations is to enhance the educational,
professional, and social development of member students. These organizations also may host invited
lectures by professional environmental scientists. National organizations also may fund student
independent research.
2
Revised 2/16/16
GEMS students can attend professional meetings and field trips sponsored by many sponsoring
organizations. These include the Alliance for New Jersey Environmental Education (hosted by Rider
University), American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, the Geological Society of America,
the Geological Association of NJ, the NJ Academy of Science, the NJ Water Works Association, and
the New York and Pennsylvania State Geological Associations. Attending these meetings and field
trips provides students with a greater awareness and understanding of current research problems and
allows GEMS majors to meet faculty and students from potential graduate schools.
Student Honors and Awards
College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences Honor Society: Awarded in recognition of the
highest scholastic achievement and distinction in the College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Sciences.
Minimum GPA of 3.5 in senior year or 3.75 in junior year required for consideration by the faculty of
the college.
GEMS Honors Program: Graduation with honors in any GEMS major is awarded in recognition of
majors who have demonstrated outstanding academic and research abilities. Enrollment in the program
is by invitation of the GEMS faculty. Eligibility requirements include a minimum GPA of 3.5 in
courses required for the major and the satisfactory completion of a Senior Thesis or a three- or fourcredit Independent Research and Study course, depending on the specific major. In addition, an honors
candidate must maintain an overall minimum GPA of 3.0.
Sigma Xi: National Scientific Honor Society, Rider Chapter. Demonstration of research proficiency is
required by publication or presentation of senior thesis or independent research on campus or at a
local, state, or national meeting. In GEMS, a minimum research grade of B+ is required for nomination
consideration by the faculty research supervisor.
Latini Memorial Award: The Rider chapter of Sigma Xi, the national scientific research society,
underwrites this award, which is presented to a senior education/physical or biological science double
major. The student must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA and demonstrate proficiency in science
research based on a credit-bearing senior thesis or independent research.
Beta Beta Beta: “Tri-Beta” is a national honor society affiliated with the American Association for
Advancement of Science and the American Institute of Biological Sciences. Membership is extended
to science and science education majors who have demonstrated superior academic achievement.
Recent GEMS Student Research
Amber Andyshak: Factors influencing the growth and habitat choice of the Northern Piperfish,
Syngnathus Fuscus.
Kevin Becker: Impact of the Folcroft Landfill Superfund site on the water quality of the Lower Darby
Creek near the Philadelphia International Airport.
Stacy Belgiovene: Female brood production, egg development and sperm limitation in the invasive
European green crab Carcinus maenas.
Michael Ciaramella: Isolation of marine haloarchaea from a mid-Atlantic salt marsh.
3
Revised 2/16/16
Elissa Connolly-Randazzo: The sex ratio of stoplight parrotfish found in Roatan, Honduras.
Samantha DeLaunay: Methodology of garnet separation to investigate the provenance of New Jersey
beach sands.
Elizabeth Evans: Cohabitation of damselfish in the western Caribbean.
Nicole Glen, Theresa Contor, Alison Golinski, Amanda Kagel, Elise Proctor, Carey Sliko, Brian
Tate, Alyssa Tomlinson, and Susan Zabrocky: Comparison of plankton composition, phytoplankton
growth, and zooplankton grazing at a coastal ocean versus a shallow back-bay site in New Jersey.
Alison Golinski: Sexual selection in the oyster toadfish, Opsanus tau.
Daniel Hewins: Increase in impervious area and its hydrological impact over the last 50 years in the
Delaware River Basin.
Maria Huffine: Retention of sodium in a soil column experiment.
Kenneth Kacperowski, Timothy Swavely, and Heather Warren: Relationships among grain size,
infiltration rate, and foreshore slope on New Jersey beaches.
Christien Laber: Toxin production of the dinoflagellate Karlodinium veneficum with variation in light
intensity.
Ashleigh Layton: Characteristics of soils near I-95.
Jessica Langlois: Feeding rates of the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Karlodinium veneficum depend on
prey density.
Kelli Lucarino, Carl Natter, and Daniel Carlson: Road salt application and its impact on the water
quality of the Delaware River.
Carl Natter: Weathering rate of rocks in the non-tidal portion of the Delaware River Basin.
Carl Natter: Glauconite deposition in the Cretaceous/Tertiary strata of the New Jersey Coastal Plain.
Matthew Nelson: Effect of structural water in clay minerals on the estimation of soil organic matter
content by the LOI analytical method.
Matthew Nelson: Is New Jersey barrier island morphology controlled by the Pleistocene-Holocene
unconformity along the Inner Continental Shelf?
Anne Paul: Comparing predatory fish populations between two islands: densely populated Roatan,
Honduras, and sparsely populated San Salvador, Bahamas.
Valerie Romaniello: Evaluation of Methodology in the Estimation of Percent Organic Matter in Salt
Marsh Sediments.
4
Revised 2/16/16
Leeann Sinpatanasakul: CaCl2 salt transportation in soil column.
Carey Sliko, Alison Golinski, and Susan Zabrocky: Phosphate stress in two strains of the
mixotrophic dinoflagellate Prorocentrum minimum determined using a single-cell alkaline phophatase
assay (ELF 97).
Brian Tate: Spatial distribution of intertidal organisms on man-made intertidal substrates in New
Jersey.
Robert Weber: Effectiveness of wetland mitigation and restoration.
Susan Zabrocky: Variation in the feeding and decoration behavior of spider crabs in tropical regions
of the Eastern United States and Caribbean.
Charlie Zielinski: Analysis of trichloroethylene (TCE) transport into soil and groundwater.
GEMS Graduate School Placements
Over the past 25 years, GEMS graduates have pursued advanced degrees at some of the most
prestigious graduate schools in the country. These include Arizona State University, Boston College,
Boston University, Bowling Green University, Bryn Mawr College, University of California-Santa
Barbara, University of Cincinnati, Colorado School of Mines, University of Delaware, University of
Denver, Drexel University, Florida State University, Hofstra University, University of Illinois,
University of London (UK), Louisiana State University, University of Maine, University of Maryland,
University of Michigan, Montclair State University, New Mexico State University, North Carolina
State University, University of North Carolina, Nova Southeastern University, University of
Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University, University of Prince Edward Island, Queens College
(CUNY), Rutgers University, University of San Diego, University of South Carolina, Southeastern
Nova University, University of Southern California, University of South Florida, SUNY-Buffalo,
SUNY-Stony Brook, University of Tampa, Vanderbilt University, Virginia Tech, University of West
Virginia, and The College of Williams and Mary (VIMS). Most GEMS students attend these graduate
programs with financial support, often in the form of merit-based teaching or research assistantships.
In addition, some GEMS graduates remain at Rider for graduate degrees, usually to acquire their
teaching certification or MBA.
GEMS Graduates Employers
Over the past 25 years, many GEMS graduates have been employed by state and federal geological
surveys and environmental protection agencies, by the mining, forestry, and petroleum industries, by
environmental consulting firms, museums, and aquariums, and by academic and research institutions.
Companies and organizations have included the Adventure Aquarium-Camden, Amoco Oil, Applied
Earth Sciences Inc., AquaTek Environmental Inc., ARCADIS, the Arizona Department of
Environmental Quality, Barnstead/Thermolyne, Boston University, California State University, the
Cancer Research Institute of Hawaii, Columbia University, Congoleum Corp., ConocoPhillips, Cornell
University, the Department of the Navy, Earth Engineering, Inc, EarthTech Inc., the East-West
Institute, ENSR Inc., Environmental Compliance Monitoring, Inc., Enviro Services Inc., ExxonMobil,
the Florida Aquarium, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Geo-Cleanse
International, Groundwater and Environmental Services, Inc., Habitat Management & Design, Inc.,
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the Maritime Aquarium of Norwalk, the Maryland
5
Revised 2/16/16
Department of Natural Resources, the National Audubon Society, the National Aquarium-Baltimore,
the National Park Service, the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, the NJ Geological Survey,
the NJ Marine Sciences Consortium, the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, Old
Dominion University, TRC Omni Environmental Corporation, Orange Coast College, Parsons
Engineering Science, the Peace Corps, Remora Energy, Sadat Associates, Science Applications
International Corporation, Shearson Lehman Brothers, Inc., the South Carolina Department of Natural
Resources, Sun Oil, Union Texas Petroleum, the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the United
States Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Geological Survey, the Virginia
Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Marine Resources Commission, VWR
International, Walt Disney World (EPCOT Center), Weston Solutions Inc., Woodward-Clyde
Consultants, Yale University, and many more. Additional GEMS graduates have gone on to successful
careers in various other fields, including law, teaching, architecture, international commerce, sales,
insurance, and computer science.
GEMS Facilities and Equipment
Marine Field Stations: A number of different field marine science field courses are offered by GEMS
and are taught during the spring/summer in alternating years at various field station, including the
Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences (BIOS); the Shoals Marine Laboratory (SML), Appledore Island,
Gulf of Maine; the Institute of Marine Sciences, Roatan, Honduras; and the Newfound Harbor Marine
Institute, Big Pine Key, Florida. The cost to students for each of these field courses is approximately
$2500, depending upon which laboratory facility is utilized. This cost includes room and board for
approximately two weeks, transportation, and laboratory and boat rental fees; course tuition typically is
included as part of Rider’s spring semester full-time tuition fee. Each course focuses on the biological,
physical-chemical, and sedimentological aspects of various habitats, which can include mangroves,
rocky intertidal, sponge communities, coral reefs, kelp beds, and soft coral communities, depending on
location. Course emphasis is on team exercises in each habitat, team mapping projects, and individual
experimental projects. Most habitats are located in shallow water accessible by wading or snorkeling.
SCUBA certification is not required nor needed for these courses.
Rider University also is a member of the New Jersey Marine Science Consortium and students and
faculty have access to consortium facilities at Fort Hancock, located on Sandy Hook.
Geology Field Camps: The satisfactory completion of a geology field camp course (not offered by
Rider, although typically awarded the equivalent of at least 3 semester hour credits) is required for the
geosciences major. Many educational institutions and organizations offer these field camps (including
some overseas) and the course normally is taken during the summer following the junior or senior
year; credit is easily transferred to Rider. The cost for a field camp course ranges from approximately
$2000 to $4000, depending on length, location, and tuition charges. Although many Rider geosciences
majors enroll in the field course offered by the University of Houston-Yellowstone Bighorn Research
Association (YBRA) at Red Lodge, Montana, any geology field camp approved by the department is
acceptable.
Rider University has an exchange agreement with the Universidad San Francisco de Quito (Ecuador),
which operates the Galapagos Academic Institute for the Arts and Sciences (GAIAS), located in Puerto
Baquerizo Moreno, the capital of the Galapagos Island Archipelago on the island of San Cristóbal.
GAIAS offers full-semester study abroad programs, including programs in Evolution, Ecology, and
Conservation in the Galapagos; Marine Ecology; Mountain Studies; and Galapagos and Andean
6
Revised 2/16/16
Geosciences. Students can apply the courses they take at GAIAS toward fulfilling their GEMS major
requirements. For additional GAIAS program and cost details, students should go to their website at
http://www.usfq.edu.ec/gaias or contact the Rider University Center for International Education.
Rider University and BIOS also have an articulation agreement that enables Rider students to earn 14
semester credit hours in a fall semester at BIOS, which is accepted for equivalent Rider credit in the
marine sciences major. Financial aid can be applied toward the tuition costs at BIOS or GAIAS.
Campus Facilities and Equipment
GEMS has access to a variety of laboratory and research spaces, all housed in the Rider University
Science and Technology Center. Some of the available state-of-the-art instrumentation and other
resources located within this facility and accessible to all departmental faculty and students include the
following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Inductively coupled plasma (ICP) emission spectrometer
X-ray diffractometer
Marine aquarium lab
Sample preparation lab
Climate-controlled greenhouse
Field vans
Air abrasive system
Magnetic mineral separator
GIS capable computer labs
GPS units
Submersible water chemistry probes and analyzers
Piezometer kits
Flow meters
Petrographic and stereographic optical microscopes with video capability
Rock and wood saws, thin sectioning system, polishing/grinding laps, and tumblers
Tree coring, cutting, and analysis equipment
Recirculating flume
Refrigerated aquaria, seawater tables, and constant temperature cold room
Auto level
Laser rangefinder
Chemical field kits
Fluorescence spectrometer
Electronic dissolved oxygen, oxidation-reduction potential, and pH meters
Refractometers and photometers
Plankton nets, corers, and permeometers
Sieve sets, eolian sediment traps, and sieve shakers
Portable PVC meter-square quadrats and 1.5 meter stadia poles
Underwater video camera and camera with strobe
Marian S. Hubbard teaching collection of approximately 1000 species of shelled organisms
Mineral, rock, and fossil collections
7
Revised 2/16/16
GEMS Faculty
Full-Time Faculty
Dr. Jonathan M. Husch received his doctorate from Princeton University in 1982 and currently holds
the rank of Professor of Geologic and Environmental Sciences. A member of the Rider faculty since
1980, he was appointed GEMS Chair in December 2006. Jon's Ph.D. dissertation was a comprehensive
study of the petrogenesis and evolution of Paleozoic anorthosites and related rocks associated with
subvolcanic ring complexes, Air Massif, Republic of Niger. In addition to his teaching responsibilities
at Rider, Jon has been a faculty member for the Princeton-Penn-YBRA Geology Field Camp in Red
Lodge, Montana. Jon also was a Visiting Research Scientist at Rutgers University where he continued
with his ongoing research project on the geochemistry, mineralogy, and petrogenesis of Early Jurassic
diabase in the Newark Basin of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Jon and his students have co-authored
numerous papers and presentations on this topic and also on the petrogenesis of Late Archean
amphibolites from southwest Montana, and the ICP analysis of trace metals in marine, lacustrine, and
other environmental samples, particularly those associated with the Centennial Lake Watershed
Restoration Project and various research projects focusing on the Delaware River Watershed. He was
appointed to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Science Advisory Board in
2010. Jon also is the Rider University NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative and is extensively
involved in a wide variety of athletic issues, activities, and projects on campus. He represented Rider
University as a member of the 2001 People to People Delegation to Cuba on Women in Sports and he
has traveled recently to Costa Rica, Iceland, Ecuador and the Galapagos, and Panama as part of his
team teaching for Rider’s unique Nature’s Business course. Finally, Jon has been honored for his
teaching excellence by being selected for inclusion in the 2002 and 2007 editions of "Who's Who
Among America's Teachers" and for his service to Rider University by being awarded the 2005 Frank
N. Elliot Award for Distinguished Service. Dr. Husch can be reached at 609-896-5330 (e-mail:
husch@rider.edu; office: SCI323D).
Selected Publication Titles
Retention of sodium in a watershed due to the application of winter deicing salt. Proceedings of the
Tenth International Symposium on Stochastic Hydraulics and Fifth International Conference on Water
Resources and Environmental Research.
Soil mineral structural water loss during LOI analyses: Impact on organic matter content
determinations. Canadian Journal of Soil Science.
Changes in the impervious surface area, flood frequency, and water chemistry within the Delaware
River Basin during the past 50 years: Initial results. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference
on Hydroscience and Engineering (ICHE-2006).
Geochemistry and petrogenesis of Early Jurassic diabase from the central Newark basin of New Jersey
and Pennsylvania. Geological Society of America Special Paper.
The Palisades sill: Origin of the olivine zone by separate magmatic injection rather than gravity
settling. Geology.
8
Revised 2/16/16
Dr. Daniel L. Druckenbrod received his Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences from the University of
Virginia in 2003 and currently holds the rank of Assistant Professor I of Environmental Sciences.
Before becoming the department’s newest full-time faculty member in September 2009, Dan was an
Instructor of Biology at Sweet Briar College in 2001, a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the
Environmental Sciences Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory from 2003 to 2005, and an
Assistant Professor of Environmental Sciences at Longwood University in Farmville, Virginia from
2005 to 2009. The recipient of many honors, awards, and grants for his scholarly and research efforts,
Dan uses tree rings, computer models, historical documents, and field surveys to study how forests and
their environments change over long time scales. His most recent projects investigate forest dynamics
since the colonial era at significant historical sites, including George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Plantation and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello Plantation. Dan also is a peer reviewer for numerous
scholarly journals and for the National Science Foundation. Dan encourages students to participate in
his research or to develop research projects on environmental science topics. Previous student projects
have led to presentations at statewide and national scientific conferences. Dr. Druckenbrod can be
reached at 609-896-5422 (e-mail: ddruckenbrod@rider.edu; office: SCI323F).
Selected Publication Titles
Forest cover in the Virginia Piedmont 1860 to the present, Part I: Extent and trends, and Part II:
Distribution and topography. Association of American Geographers Abstracts.
Investigating habitat value to inform contaminant remediation options. Journal of Environmental
Management.
Comparing current and desired ecological conditions in the Cumberland Plateau and Mountains, USA.
Journal of Land Use Science.
Geomorphic response to historical agriculture at Monument Hill in the Blue Ridge Foothills of Central
Virginia. Catena.
Dendroecological reconstructions of forest disturbance history using time series analysis with
intervention detection. Canadian Journal of Forest Research.
Spatial pattern and process in forest stands within the Virginia piedmont. Journal of Vegetation
Science.
Dr. Reed A. Schwimmer, a 1984 Rider geosciences graduate, received his Ph.D. in geology from the
University of Delaware in 1999 and currently holds the rank of Associate Professor of Geological and
Marine Sciences. Reed has a broad background in the Earth sciences, particularly in coastal geology
and geomorphology. He has taught a variety of courses and classes for the University of Delaware,
Kutztown University, and the National Audubon Society. He also worked as an environmental scientist
in Maryland and as the wetland compliance officer for the town of Greenwich, Connecticut. Reed's
primary research interests, and those of his students, focus on the development and evolution of coastal
salt marshes and barrier islands in New Jersey and elsewhere along the Atlantic coast. Reed also is
active in the Rider Science Education and Literacy Center (SELECT), the development of new science
education curricula, and is the department representative to the Geological Society of America. Dr.
Schwimmer can be reached at (609) 896-5346 (e-mail: rschwimmer@rider.edu; office: SCI323E).
9
Revised 2/16/16
Selected Publication Titles
Synthesizing process and pedagogy in the development of a field marine science course for K-8
teachers. Journal of Geosciences Education.
A temporal geometric analysis of eroding marsh shorelines: Can fractal dimensions be related to
process? Journal of Coastal Research.
Rates and styles of marsh shoreline erosion in Rehoboth Bay, Delaware, U.S.A. Journal of Coastal
Research.
A model for the evolution of marsh shorelines. Journal of Sedimentary Research.
Dr. Gabriela Smalley received her Ph.D. in marine and estuarine environmental sciences from the
University of Maryland in 2002 and currently holds the rank of Assistant Professor II of Geological
and Marine Sciences. Before coming to Rider in 2004, Gabi was a postdoctoral fellow at the Georgia
Institute of Technology’s Chemical Ecology Laboratory in Savannah. Gabi has a broad background in
oceanography, particularly in biological oceanography, and teaches the oceanography courses for
marine science majors at Rider. Her research interests focus on plankton ecology. Gabi is specifically
interested in microbial trophic interactions, algal bloom dynamics, and chemical signaling between
planktonic predator and prey. She has participated in numerous research cruises in the Chesapeake
Bay, the South Atlantic Bight, and in waters off Norway. Her lab and students currently are working
on a project looking at nutrient limitation in various phytoplankton species and the different ways these
organisms deal with it. Dr. Smalley can be reached at 609-896-5097 (e-mail gsmalley@rider.edu;
office SCI323A).
Selected Publication Titles
Comparing predatory fish populations between two islands: densely populated Roatan, Honduras, and
sparsely populated San Salvador, Bahamas. Proceedings of the 2010 Benthic Ecology Meeting.
Chemical cues induce consumer-specific defenses in a bloom-forming marine phytoplankton.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.
The use of a single-cell alkaline phosphatase assay (ELF 97) to determine phosphorus limitation in
mixotrophic dinoflagellates. American Society of Limnology and Oceanography Abstracts.
Feeding in the mixotrophic dinoflagellate Ceratium furca is influenced by intracellular nutrient
concentrations. Marine Ecology.
Ecology of the red-tide dinoflagellate Ceratium furca: distribution, mixotrophy, and grazing impact on
ciliate populations of Chesapeake Bay. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology.
A new method using fluorescent microspheres to determine grazing on ciliates by the mixotrophic
dinoflagellate Ceratium furca. Aquatic Microbial Ecology.
Dr. Hongbing Sun received his doctorate from Florida State University in 1995, specializing in
environmental and coastal hydrology, and currently holds the rank of Professor of Geological and
Environmental Sciences. Prior to joining the Rider faculty in 1997, Hongbing was an Assistant
10
Revised 2/16/16
Professor of Geology at Temple University. His research has focused on the interaction of groundwater
and ocean tides along the New Jersey Coast, estuary dynamics of Apalachicola Bay, Florida, and the
effect of the fluctuation of water level on gasoline contamination in New Jersey aquifers. More
recently, Hongbing and his students have begun examining the tidal effect on the borehole fluid and
temperature change in the deep-ocean sediments of the Juan de Fuca Ridge, eastern Pacific Ocean, and
the impacts of development on water quality and flood frequency and intensity in the Delaware River
Basin, particularly processes controlling salt migration through the watershed. Finally, Hongbing
continues as a member of a research team, funded by the Edwin B. Forsythe Wildlife Refuge in
Brigantine, NJ, investigating the control of phragmites through tidal inundation at the Refuge. Dr. Sun
can be reached at 609-896-5185 (e-mail: hsun@rider.edu; office: SCI323C).
Selected Publication Titles
Retention of sodium in a watershed due to the application of winter deicing salt. Proceedings of the
Tenth International Symposium on Stochastic Hydraulics and Fifth International Conference on Water
Resources and Environmental Research.
Soil mineral structural water loss during LOI analyses: Impact on organic matter content
determinations. Canadian Journal of Soil Science.
Changes in the impervious surface area, flood frequency, and water chemistry within the Delaware
River Basin during the past 50 years: Initial results. Proceedings of the 7th International Conference
on Hydroscience and Engineering (ICHE-2006).
Response of Phragmites to environmental parameters associated with treatments. Wetlands Ecology
and Management.
Analysis and forecasting of salinity in the Apalachicola Bay, Florida: Use of ARIMA models. Journal
of Hydraulic Engineering.
Land subsidence due to groundwater withdrawal: Potential damage of subsidence and sea level rise in
southern New Jersey. Journal of Environmental Geology.
Adjunct Faculty
Dr. William B. Gallagher was, until his retirement in 2008, the Assistant Curator of Natural History,
Collections and Exhibits, Natural History Bureau, New Jersey State Museum. He also was a GEMS
Visiting Assistant Professor for the 2008-2009 academic year and is currently a Rider University
Science and Technology Advanced Research Institute (STARI) Fellow. Bill received his Ph.D. in
geology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1990 where his doctoral dissertation investigated the
Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary and its associated mass extinction event. He has traveled the world
during the course of his field studies on dinosaurs and other vertebrate species, including stops in Iran,
Egypt, China, Russia, Argentina, Ireland, England, the Netherlands, Italy, and Switzerland, as well as
much of eastern North America and most of the American west. Bill has taught both undergraduate
and graduate courses at numerous other institutions, including the University of Pennsylvania, Rutgers
University, Drexel University, Richard Stockton College, and Kean University, and has authored over
70 scientific papers, articles, and abstracts, as well as the popular book, When Dinosaurs Roamed New
Jersey. His current research interests include the paleoecological dynamics of mass extinction events,
11
Revised 2/16/16
especially the Cretaceous/Paleogene (K/P) Boundary mass extinction event, which coincided with the
disappearance of the dinosaurs.
Selected Publication Titles
When Dinosaurs Roamed New Jersey. Rutgers University Press.
A new Mosasaur specimen from Maastricht (the Netherlands), with a review of the Late CretaceousEarly Paleogene marine faunas of New Jersey and Limburg. The Mosasaur.
Faunal changes across the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) boundary in the Atlantic coastal plain of New
Jersey: Restructuring the marine community after the K-T mass-extinction event. Geological Society of
America Special Paper 356.
Dr. Karl Muessig is the New Jersey State Geologist and Director of the New Jersey Geological
Survey, positions appointed by the Governor. He received his Ph.D. degree in geology from Princeton
University in 1979 and currently holds the rank of Adjunct Associate Professor. Karl's doctoral
dissertation was a regional sedimentologic, structural, and petrologic study of petroleum basins in
northwestern Venezuela. He has a broad background in economic, environmental, petroleum,
sedimentary, and structural geology, tectonics, and hydrology. In addition to his over 20 years with the
New Jersey Geological Survey, Karl also has extensive experience working for the petroleum industry,
both in research labs and field mapping. He also presently serves as the Association of American State
Geologists annual meeting host, the editor of the State Geologists Journal, and on the Hard Minerals
Sub-Committee of the Outer Continental Shelf Policy Committee for the U.S. Minerals Management
Service, Department of Interior.
Selected Publication Titles
New Jersey's cooperative study of offshore sand resources in federal waters for beach replenishment.
Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs.
Distribution of heavy minerals and gravel in sediments of the New Jersey shelf as determined from
grab and vibracore samples. Proceedings of the Third Symposium on Studies Related to Continental
Margins.
Structure and Cenozoic tectonics of the Falcon Basin, Venezuela and Adjacent Areas. Geological
Society of America Memoir 162.
Dr. Kenneth F. Najjar is Head of the Planning and Implementation Branch of the Delaware River
Basin Commission, where he is responsible for comprehensive planning for the 13,500 square mile
river basin, watershed planning, water quality field studies and evaluation, water supply and
sustainable use studies, water conservation, stream geomorphology and restoration, and public
education and outreach. Ken received his Ph.D. degree in Environmental Science from Rutgers
University in 1989 and currently holds the rank of Adjunct Assistant Professor. His Ph.D. dissertation
was a three-part mathematical model of stormwater pollution in a tidal embayment along the New
Jersey shore. Ken also is a licensed Professional Engineer in New Jersey, New York, and
Pennsylvania. Ken has worked in the environmental field for over 25 years and has expertise in the
areas of surface and ground water hydrology, air and water quality, stormwater management, wetlands
12
Revised 2/16/16
protection, discharge permitting, environmental site assessment, stream ecology, brownfield
evaluation, and hazardous waste characterization and remediation. In 2005, Ken received the Water
Resources Association 2005 Government Award for his leadership in the planning and development of
the 30-year comprehensive Water Resources Plan for the Delaware River Basin. In addition to
teaching at Rider, Ken is an Adjunct Professor at Mercer County Community College and Villanova
University where he teaches courses in the areas of civil and environmental engineering.
Affiliated Faculty
The following are either full-time faculty in other science departments or full-time employees at Rider
University with faculty status who teach courses required by one or more of the GEMS programs.
Dr. Kelly Bidle received her Ph.D. in molecular and cell biology from the Center of Marine
Biotechnology at the University of Maryland in 1996 and currently holds the rank of Associate
Professor of Biology. Kelly’s dissertation research examined the genetic adaptations employed by
hyperthermophiles, microorganisms that thrive in deep-sea hydrothermal vents. Following graduate
school, Kelly was awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded postdoctoral fellowship to
continue her deep-sea research at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography where she examined the
effects of high hydrostatic pressure on deep-sea microbes. At Rider, Kelly continues to focus her
research primarily around understanding the molecular and genetic adaptive strategies employed by
microorganisms from extreme environments such as the deep-sea or hypersaline lakes. Kelly’s NSFfunded research helps to support numerous student research projects and their travel to national and
international meetings. Several of Kelly’s undergraduates have been the recipients of prestigious
national undergraduate research fellowships and have been named as co-authors on peer-reviewed
publications. Students in her lab gain valuable experience learning fundamental tools in molecular
biology that can then be applied to a host of environmental microbiology, marine biology, or genomic
studies. Dr. Bidle can be reached at 609-895-5418 (e-mail kbidle@rider.edu; office: SCI338D).
Selected Publication Titles
Overexpression and characterization of a prolyl endopeptidase from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon
Pyrococcus furiosus. Journal of Bacteriology.
RecD function is required for high-pressure growth in a deep-sea bacterium. Journal of Bacteriology.
A phylogenetic analysis of microbial communities associated with methane hydrate containing marine
fluids and sediments in the Cascadia Margin (ODP Site 892b). FEMS Microbiology Letters.
HMG-CoA reductase is regulated in response to salinity in the haloarchaeon Haloferax volcanii.
Extremophiles.
Dr. Kathleen M. Browne received her Ph.D. from the University of Miami in 1993 and currently
holds the rank of Associate Professor of Geological and Marine Sciences. Her doctoral thesis
investigated the processes controlling the formation of lamination in Bahamian cyanobacterial mats
and mounds known as stromatolites. Kathy's main research interests focus on the interaction of
biological, chemical, and sedimentological processes producing cyanobacterial mats in subtropical,
carbonate environments in the Bahamas and Australia. This research has been supported by grants
from the National Geographic Society and the Kanagawa Museum of Natural History in Tokyo. Kathy
13
Revised 2/16/16
has most recently been studying microbial mats and tide pool physiochemistry from New Jersey
marshes. In addition, Kathy has initiated long-term chemical and physical studies of Centennial Lake
on the Rider University campus as part of the Centennial Lake Watershed Restoration Project. Kathy
now serves as the University’s Assistant Provost, Academic Director of the Rider Teaching and
Learning Center (TLC), and the Director of the Rider Science Education and Literacy Center
(SELECT). Dr. Browne can be reached at 609-895-5408 (e-mail browne@rider.edu; office: SCI303).
Selected Publication Titles
Modern marine stromatolitic structures: the sediment dilemma. Stromatolites: Interaction of Microbes
with Sediments.
Schizothrix gebeleinii sp. nov. builds subtidal stromatolites, Lee Stocking Island, Bahamas.
Algological Studies.
Modern marine stromatolites in the Exuma Cays, Bahamas: Uncommonly Common. Facies.
Normal-marine salinity of intertidal stromatolites, Exuma Islands, Bahamas. Geology.
Dr. Bruce S. Burnham received his doctorate in Chemistry from the University of North Carolina,
Chapel Hill in 1994 and currently holding the rank of Associate Professor of Chemistry and
Biochemistry. Bruce's Ph.D. dissertation involved a study of the synthesis, pharmacological activity,
and toxicology of boronated nucleosides (amine-boranes). His recent research, which often involves
the work of numerous students, has focused on the search for new anticancer/antiviral or lipid lowering
agents, some of which are analogs to natural marine compounds. Bruce also has an interest in the
toxicological effects of various compounds in animal models. Dr. Burnham can be reached at 609-8965207 (e-mail: bburnham@rider.edu; office SCI336C).
Selected Publication Titles
Lipid-lowering polymers derived from halophenyl pyrroles. Journal of Polymeric Materials.
Lipid-lowering effects of ethyl 2-phenacyl-3-arylpyrrole-4-carboxylates. Molecules.
The hypolipidemic activity of boronated nucleosides in male mice and rats. Anticancer Research.
Dr. Laura Hyatt received her Ph.D. in biology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1996 and
Currently holds the rank of Associate Professor of Biology. Dr. Hyatt’s research, and that of her
students, focuses on understanding why and how some exotic plants establish populations that grow
very rapidly and alter recipient communities and ecosystems. Studying biological invasions has
important basic and applied consequences. Not only does an understanding of the ecology of exotic
species provide important insights into how complex ecological systems function, but it also assists in
the development of intelligent control programs grounded in basic principles of ecological dynamics.
Dr. Hyatt also is interested in the properties possessed by ecosystems that are especially susceptible to
being altered by the introduction of novel species. Bringing these two approaches together provides a
more comprehensive view of the biological invasion process and gives us novel insights into the
regulation of all kinds of ecosystems, invaded or not. Dr. Hyatt can be reached at 609-895-5419 (email: lhyatt@rider.edu; office: SCI338F).
14
Revised 2/16/16
Selected Publication Titles
Invasibility of forest communities in southeastern New York. Biological Invasions.
The distance dependence prediction of the Janzen-Connell hypothesis: A meta-analysis. Oikos.
Seed bank formation during early succession in a temperate deciduous forest. Journal of Ecology.
Dr. Paul Jivoff received his Ph.D. in zoology from the University of Maryland in 1995 and currently
holds the rank of Associate Professor of Biology. He has been a research associate at the Smithsonian
Environmental Research Center in Maryland and, most recently, at the Rutgers University Marine
Field Station in Tuckerton, NJ. His research, and that of his students, includes studies on reproduction
in the commercially valuable blue crab, interactions between the blue crab and the invasive European
green crab, and the influence of artificial shorelines on estuarine habitats and organisms. Dr. Jivoff can
be reached at 609-895-5421 (e-mail: pjivoff@rider.edu; office: SCI339A).
Selected Publication Titles
Evaluating salt marsh restoration in Delaware Bay: The response of blue crabs, Callinectes sapidus, at
former salt hay farms. Estuaries.
A review of male mating success in the blue crab, Callinectes sapidus, in reference to the potential for
fisheries-induced sperm limitation. Bulletin of Marine Science.
Biotic resistance to invasion: native predator limits abundance and distribution of an introduced crab.
Ecology.
15
Revised 2/16/16
GEMS Major/Minor Requirements (Revised For Fall 2010)
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GEOSCIENCES MAJOR
GEMS (46+ credits)
______ ENV-200
______ ENV-205
______ GEO-100
______ GEO-102
______ GEO-201
______ GEO-305
______ GEO-306
______ GEO-310
______ GEO-350
______ GEO-407
______ MAR-120
______ MAR-121
______ MAR-210
______ ------------
Statistical and Computer App. in the Nat. Sciences
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
Earth Systems Science
Earth Materials and Processes Lab
Elements of Mineralogy
Petrology and Petrography
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Structural Geology
Soils and Surficial Processes
Hydrology and Water Resources
Oceanography
Introductory Oceanography Lab
Marine Life Through Time
Approved Geology Field Camp (not offered at Rider)
Chemistry (8 credits)
______ CHE-120
______ CHE-121
______ CHE-122
______ CHE-123
Principles of Chemistry
Principles of Chemistry Lab
Introduction to Chemical Systems
Quantitative Methods Lab
3
1
3
1
Physics (4 credits)
______ PHY-100
______ PHY-100L
Principles of Physics I
Principles of Physics I Lab
3
1
Electives (6 credits; select two)
______ ENV-220
Weather and Climate Change
______ ENV-375
Environmental Biogeochemistry
______ GEO-168
Mesozoic Ruling Reptiles
______ MAR-340
Marine Processes and Environments Seminar
Credits
4
3
3
1
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
1
4
3+
3
3
3
3
Geosciences majors also will take either MTH-105 Algebra and Trigonometry or MTH-210 Calculus I
to satisfy the SLAS core requirement.
TOTAL CREDITS: 64+
16
Revised 2/16/16
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES MAJOR
GEMS (26 credits)
______ ENV-100
______ ENV-200
______ ENV-205
______ ENV-220
______ GEO-100/113
______ GEO-102
______ GEO-350
______ GEO-407
Introduction to Environmental Science
Statistical and Computer App. in the Natural Sciences
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
Weather and Climate Change
Earth Systems Science or Environmental Geology
Earth Materials and Processes Lab
Soils & Surficial Processes
Hydrology and Water Resources
Biology (12 credits)
______ BIO-115
______ BIO-116
______ BIO-350
Principles of Biology: Animals
Principles of Biology: Plants
General Ecology
Credits
4
4
3
3
3
1
4
4
4
4
4
Chemistry (12 credits)
______ BCH-225
Introduction to Organic and Biochemistry
______ CHE-120/121 Principles of Chemistry & Lab
______ CHE-122/123 Introduction to Chemical Systems & Lab
4
3/1
3/1
Physics (4 credits)
______ PHY-100
______ PHY-100L
3
1
Principles of Physics I
Principles of Physics I Lab
Electives (10-11 credits; select three courses; one from each group.)
Group A: Biotic Processes
______ BIO-250
Field Nat. History
______ BIO-272/L Intro. Marine Bio/Lab
______ BIO-321
Env. Microbiology
______ BIO-335
Mod. Plant Bio.
______ MAR-227-9 Field Marine Sci.
______ MAR-360
Plankton Ecology
4
3/1
4
4
4
4
Group C: Social Processes
______ AMS-250
America and the Future
______ AMS-304
Tech./Science in Amer.
______ BHP-231
Natural Adventures
______ BHP-232
NJ Shoreline-Sci./Pol.
______ ECO-335
Public Sector Economics
3
3
3
3
3
Group B: Abiotic Processes
______ ENV-350 Env. Toxicology
______ ENV-375 Env. Biogeochem.
______ GEO-201 Elements of Min.
______ GEO-305 Petrol and Petrog
______ GEO-306 Sed. and Strat.
______ MAR-330 Chemical Ocean.
______ MAR-410 Physical Ocean.
3
3
4
4
4
4
3
______
______
______
______
______
______
3
3
3
3
3
3
HIS-299
IND-316
PHL-320
POL-215
POL-328
SOC-225
Am. Env. History
Nature’s Business
Phil. of Science
Global Politics
Env. Policy/Politics
Population Study
Environmental Sciences majors also will take either MTH-105 Algebra and Trigonometry or MTH210 Calculus I to satisfy the SLAS core requirement. Upper-level MAR courses require MAR-120 and
MAR-121 as prerequisites.
TOTAL CREDITS: 64-65
17
Revised 2/16/16
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MARINE SCIENCES MAJOR
GEMS (34 credits)
______ ENV-200
______ GEO-100
______ GEO-102
______ GEO-306
______ MAR-120
______ MAR-121
______ MAR-227-9
______ MAR-330
______ MAR-340
______ MAR-401
______ MAR-410
Biology (8 credits)
______ BIO-115
Statistical and Computer App. in the Natural Sciences
Earth Systems Science
Earth Materials and Processes Lab
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
Oceanography
Introductory Oceanography Lab
Introduction to Field Marine Science
Chemical Oceanography
Marine Processes and Environments: Seminar
Marine Ecology
Physical Oceanography
Credits
4
3
1
4
3
1
4
4
3
4
3
Principles of Biology: Animals
or
Principles of Biology: Plants
--------------------------------------Intro to Marine Biology
Marine Biology Lab
4
Chemistry (8 credits)
______ CHE-120
_____
CHE-121
______ CHE-122
______ CHE-123
Principles of Chemistry
Principles of Chemistry Lab
Introduction to Chemical Systems
Quantitative Methods Laboratory
3
1
3
1
Physics (8 credits)
______ PHY-100
______ PHY-100L
______ PHY-101
______ PHY-101L
Principles of Physics I
Principles of Physics I Lab
Principles of Physics II
Principles of Physics II Lab
3
1
3
1
______
BIO-116
______
______
BIO-272
BIO-272L
Electives (7-8 credits; select two)
______ BIO-372
Behavior of Marine Organisms
______ ENV-205
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
______ MAR-210
Marine Life Through Time and Lab
______ MAR-325
Marine Vertebrates: Fish to Mammals
______ MAR-360
Plankton Ecology
4
3
1
4
3
4
4
4
Marine Sciences majors also will take either MTH-105 Algebra and Trigonometry or MTH-210
Calculus I to satisfy the SLAS core requirement.
TOTAL CREDITS: 65-66
18
Revised 2/16/16
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LIBERAL STUDIES:
MARINE ECOLOGICAL EMPHASIS MAJOR
GEMS (24 credits)
______ ENV-200
______ GEO-100
______ GEO-102
______ MAR-120
______ MAR-121
______ MAR-210
______ MAR-380
______ MAR-401
Biology (8 credits)
______ BIO-115
Statistical and Computer App. in the Natural Sciences
Earth Systems Science
Earth Materials and Processes Lab
Oceanography
Introductory Oceanography Lab
Marine Life Through Time
The Learning and Teaching of Marine Science
Marine Ecology
Credits
4
3
1
3
1
4
4
4
Principles of Biology: Animals
or
Principles of Biology: Plants
-------------------------------------------Introduction to Marine Biology/Lab
Marine Biology Lab
4
Chemistry (4 credits)
______ CHE-120
______ CHE-121
Principles of Chemistry
Principles of Chemistry Lab
3
1
Physics (4 credits)
______ PHY-100
______ PHY-100L
Principles of Physics I
Principles of Physics I Lab
3
1
______
BIO-116
______
______
BIO-272
BIO-272L
Electives (7-8 credits; select two)
______ BIO-372
Behavior Marine Organisms
______ GEO-306
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
______ MAR-227–9 Introduction to Marine Field Science
______ MAR-325
Marine Vertebrates: Fish to Mammals
______ MAR-330
Chemical Oceanography
______ MAR-360
Plankton Ecology
______ MAR-410
Physical Oceanography
4
3
1
4
4
4
4
4
4
3
Marine Ecological Emphasis majors also will take either MTH-105 Algebra and Trigonometry or
MTH-210 Calculus I to satisfy the SLAS core requirement.
TOTAL CREDITS: 47-48
19
Revised 2/16/16
REQUIREMENTS FOR THE LIBERAL STUDIES: ENVIRONMENTAL EMPHASIS MAJOR
GEMS (26 credits)
______ ENV-100
______ ENV-200
______ ENV-205
______ ENV-220
______ GEO-100/113
______ GEO-102
______ GEO-350
______ GEO-407
Credits
4
4
3
3
3
1
4
4
Introduction to Environmental Science
Statistical and Computer App. in the Natural Sciences
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
Weather and Climate Change
Earth Systems Science or Environmental Geology
Earth Materials and Processes Lab
Soils and Surficial Processes
Hydrology and Water Resources
Biology (8 credits)
______ BIO-115
______ BIO-116
Principles of Biology: Animals
Principles of Biology: Plants
4
4
Chemistry (4 credits)
______ CHE-120
______ CHE-121
Principles of Chemistry
Principles of Chemistry Laboratory
3
1
Physics (4 credits)
______ PHY-100
______ PHY-100L
Principles of Physics I
Principles of Physics I Lab
3
1
Electives Group A (4 credits; select one)
______ BIO-250
Field Natural History
______ BIO-272/L
Introduction to Marine Biology and Lab
______ BIO-335
Modern Plant Biology
______ BIO-350
General Ecology
______ BIO-372
Behavior of Marine Organisms
______ MAR-227-9 Introduction to Field Marine Science
______ MAR-380
The Learning and Teaching of Marine Science
______ MAR-401
Marine Ecology
4
3/1
4
4
4
4
4
4
Electives Group B (3 credits; select one)
______ AMS-250
America and the Future
______ AMS-304
Technology and Science in America
______ BHP-231
Natural Adventures: Journeys in Amer. Ecology/History
______ BHP-232
Issues at the NJ Shoreline-Science and Politics
______ HIS-299
American Environmental History
______ IND-316
Nature's Business
______ PHL-320
Philosophy of Science
______ POL-215
Global Politics
______ POL-328
Environmental Policy/Politics
______ SOC-225
Population Studies
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
Environmental Emphasis majors also will take either MTH-105 Algebra and Trigonometry or MTH210 Calculus I to satisfy the SLAS core requirement. Upper-level MAR courses require MAR-120 and
MAR-121 as prerequisites.
TOTAL CREDITS: 49
20
Revised 2/16/16
MARINE SCIENCES MINOR REQUIREMENTS*
GEMS (12 credits)
______ GEO-100
______ GEO-102
______ MAR-120
______ MAR-121
______
MAR-380
______
MAR-227-9
Biology (8 credits)
______ BIO-115
______
BIO-116
______
______
BIO-272
BIO-272L
Earth Systems Science
Earth Materials and Processes Lab
Oceanography
Introductory Oceanography Lab
--------------------------------------------------Learning and Teaching of Marine Science
or
Introduction to Field Marine Science
3
1
3
1
Principles of Biology: Animals
or
Principles of Biology: Plants
---------------------------------------Introduction to Marine Biology
Marine Biology Lab
4
4
4
3
1
Elective (3-4 credits; select one)
______ GEO-306
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
______ MAR-325
Marine Vertebrates: Fish to Mammals
______ MAR-330
Chemical Oceanography
______ MAR-360
Plankton Ecology
______ MAR-410
Physical Oceanography
*Marine Sciences majors may not select this minor.
4
4
4
4
4
3
TOTAL CREDITS: 23-24
EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES MINOR REQUIREMENTS*
GEMS (20 credits)
______ ENV-100
______ GEO-100
______ GEO-102
______ GEO-350
______ GEO-407
______ MAR-210
Introduction to Environmental Science
Earth Systems Science
Earth Materials and Processes Lab
Soils and Surficial Processes
Hydrology and Water Resources
Marine Life Through Time
Elective (3-4 credits; select one)
______ ENV-200
Statistical and Computer App. in the Natural Sciences
______ ENV-205
Introduction to Geographical Information Systems
______ ENV-220
Weather and Climate Change
______ ENV-375
Environmental Biogeochemistry
______ GEO-168
Mesozoic Ruling Reptiles
______ GEO-201
Elements of Mineralogy
______ GEO-306
Sedimentology and Stratigraphy
4
3
1
4
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
4
4
TOTAL CREDITS: 23-24
*Geosciences and Environmental Sciences majors may not select this minor.
21
Revised 2/16/16