Letter from the Chair

October 2024

Greetings Everyone,

We thank you for visiting our little part of the internet and welcome you to the virtual visit of the Department of Geology at Rowan University! No one becomes a geologist because they do not know what they want to do with their lives. They do so because it is their passion. Rocks make people happy and we as geologists are people who love rocks, along with fossils, deep time, shifting continents, glacial movement, the geology of other rocky bodies in the cosmos to name just a few geology-based subjects that we peak our passions. Geologists investigate the Earth’s past to understand the present and predict geologic activity of the planet in the future. It is a science that always works with time—and when time is missing, so are rocks. Geology is the backbone of our society, yet so few folks understand this point. Whether it is buying someone a ring with a precious gem embedded in it, or producing a battery for an electric car that depends on metals refined from raw ore mined from just a few critical locations on the surface of Earth, or concerned with water security of island nations as sea-level raises—geology and geologists are at the center of all these and many more daily needs that define the quality of life in our society. To become a geologist is to be part of the backbone of our entire global society contributing in awesome ways that few folks ever need to think about.

Our department’s curriculum reflects the expertise of our faculty. We have experts in vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology, planetary science, global climate change through investigating Earth’s past to predict the future, synergies with the College of Engineering’s Advance Materials & Manufacturing Institute focused on recycling, and finally Earth/Geoscience education. We offer a BA, BS, PhD in geology plus a 4+1 (BA + MA) with the College of Education. Within geology we have a community where students, faculty, and staff come together to build a happy and creative learning environment for everyone. That learning includes in class and field instruction, research through multiple pathways, and outreach in many areas of our society. Finally, the department is the academic stewards of the Jean and Ric Edelman Fossil Park at Rowan University. The university is completing a more than $70 million dollar investment in the new museum at the fossil park that will be a destination to discovery. We as a department work closely with museum personnel through supporting research, teaching, and outreach endeavors that furthers the experiences of students and faculty at Rowan University.

If you are thinking of applying to Rowan University to enroll within one of our degree-seeking programs in geology and would like additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us. Be healthy and continue to follow your passion in life. Remember, rocks make people happy!

All the very best,

Prof. Harold C. Connolly Jr.

Founding Chair and Professor Department of Geology Rowan University