Department Seminar Series
The 2023-24 Department Seminars will be hosted in a hybrid modality. The in-person talk will take place in Tate Hall room B20, or you can watch virtually via zoom on Thursdays at 4:00 p.m. The Zoom link for each individual seminar will be sent out in the weekly seminar announcement. If you do not receive these announcements and would like to join us for our virtual seminar, please send us an email so we may send you the appropriate Zoom webinar link. If you would like to be added to the seminar announcement list, please contact Kaleigh Swift at swift095@umn.edu.
If you missed a seminar, make sure to check our department YouTube channel for the recording. Seminar recordings are posted by 12:00 pm on the Friday following seminar. Please note, not all seminars will be posted as it is up to the discretion of our speakers.
* denotes seminars that are closed to the public
September 7*
Dr. Justin Revenaugh, Department Head, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota
Welcome to the 23-24 school year!
September 14
Dr. Julie Meachen, Associate Professor, Anatomy, Des Moines University
Rappelling into the Pleistocene: Faunal response to a changing world
September 21
Dr. Max Bezada, Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota
Seismic attenuation across the conterminous U.S. and how it can be useful
September 28
Dr. Ranalda Tsosie, Assistant Professor, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Indigenous Approaches to Science and Innovative Technologies to protect Tribal Water Sources
Abstract
Tó Éí Ííná Át’é (Water is life) encompasses not only the essential component of all life, it represents the healing, respect, and restoration. This study utilized a research framework that incorporated the Diné worldview, Diné Science and Western Science. The main motivation was to improve the quality of life of the Diné people. Moreover, restoring and returning to a balanced and harmonious life, by incorporating the principles of Sa’ah Naagháí Bik’éh Hózhóón (SNBH) as the core philosophy to guide the research in a respectful manner. And using this framework to implement Indigenous Research Methodologies for establishing a cohesive and cooperative study that combines western science, traditional knowledge, and community involvement. Currently, many Diné communities are facing challenges with groundwater contamination, lack of appropriate water resources and infrastructure. This study aims to address the long-standing water contamination issues in unregulated water sources. Current research efforts are focused on optimizing a point of use filter, SPC-POU, as a temporary solution for the community to confront the water challeneges. A second effort, Navajo Technical University and New Mexico Tech are partnering to form the N4WPP project. It is a joint endeavor to install water filtration equipment on the Navajo Nation. These facility sites are used to train students to test water quality and maintain filtration units to provide sustainable long-term water resources suitable for agriculture and livestock use, cleaning, and eventually clean drinking water.
October 5
Dr. Andrew Cross, Assistant Scientist, RIDL PI, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
Phase transformations as a source of transient weakening in Earth’s crust and mantle
October 12
Dr. Holly Barnard, Associate Professor of Geography, Associate Dean of Research, University of Colorado - Boulder
TBD
October 19
No Seminar - GSA Week
October 26
Dr. Lars Hansen, Professor, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota
TBD - Post Sabbatical Talk
November 2
Dr. Julie Stein, Emeritus Professor, Department of Anthropology, University of Washington
TBD
November 9
Dr. Fang-Zhen Teng, Professor, Earth & Space Sciences, University of Washington
TBD
November 16
Dr. David Hernández-Uribe, Bridge to the Faculty Postdoctoral Research Associate, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois - Chicago
TBD
November 23
No-Seminar - Fall Break
November 30
Dr. Maria Jacome, Professor, Applied Sciences & Technology, Humber Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning
TBD
December 7
Dr. Marc Hirschmann, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Minnesota
The deep Earth oxygen cycle
Tate Hall B20, or Virtual via Zoom.
September 28
Dr. Ranalda Tsosie, Assistant Professor, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Indigenous Approaches to Science and Innovative Technologies to protect Tribal Water Sources
Abstract below