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Geosciences

Studying geosciences at Denison

GEOSCIENTISTS INVESTIGATE THE EARTH in the broadest sense; how it formed, how it evolved and continues to evolve, how Earth systems interact to produce the environment in which we live, and how present and future changes may affect the habitability of Earth.

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Professors David Hawkins and David Greene lead a departmental field trip through southeastern California, including the Mojave Desert, eastern Sierra Nevada, Mono Lake and Death Valley

The central goal of Denison's Department of Geosciences is to educate students about the nature and history of the Earth, the processes that shape the Earth and the impacts those processes have on human populations. The department emphasizes field study and hands-on experience in all courses. Class and departmental field trips visit locations from Maine to Costa Rica, and there are numerous opportunities for individual research with faculty.


An understanding of the Earth is an important component of global citizenship. Many critical environmental issues face humanity, including global climate change, water shortages, loss of arable land, natural hazards such as earthquakes and flooding, and the availability of petroleum and other energy resources.

Denison students with training in the geosciences will contribute to solving these and other problems, while increasing opportunities for humans to live sustainably on the Earth.

The geosciences major and minor

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Faculty and students on a recent departmental trip to Costa Rica that included stops at the Arenal, Poas and Irazu Volcanoes, as well as the La Selva Biological Station and the Cura National Wildlife Refuge.

The Department of Geosciences offers both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees. The B.S. degree is most suitable for students anticipating a career in the geosciences; the B.A. is appropriate for those with broader interests or who seek a less specialized course of study. Earning a B.A. degree does not preclude a professional career in the geosciences, although admission to some graduate programs may require completion of additional science and mathematics courses.


Earning a geosciences degree at Denison (B.S. or B.A.) requires completing an introductory course, five core courses and three additional advanced geoscience courses.

Additional requirements for the B.S. degree include four semesters of cognate sciences (chemistry, physics, biology or mathematics), and a geoscience field course. Both B.S. and B.A. candidates are required to pass a comprehensive exam, normally administered the senior year.

Students may minor in geosciences by completing one introductory course, a course in historical geology and four additional courses in the geosciences.

Students majoring in geosciences may also choose concentrations in geography, geophysics or environmental studies.

Opportunities for students

Students have the opportunity to enhance their classroom learning by participating in departmental field trips (at least one per semester) to areas of geological interest. Recent trips include: eastern California; the Outer Banks of North Carolina; the coast of Maine; west Texas and New Mexico; Sudbury, Ontario; Death Valley California; and Costa Rica. The cost of these trips is supplemented by funds endowed by departmental alumni.

Denison geosciences faculty are both teachers and scholars, and they welcome the opportunity to do research with their students.

Recent student/faculty research projects include:

Students often present their research results at professional conferences such as the Geological Society of America meetings.

Generous support is available on a competitive basis for students completing field camps, summer internships, and other field research experiences.

Employment opportunities for student within the department include working as teaching and laboratory assistants and assisting in developing and maintaining departmental collections.

The C.L. Herrick Geological Society is an active, student-run organization, which coordinates guest lectures and social events throughout the academic year. Also student-initiated and operated is The Denison Journal of Geoscience, an annual publication featuring articles on a wide range of geologic and geographic topics.

What do geosciences majors do after Denison?

Recent Denison geoscience majors have found employment in a broad range of fields, including petroleum exploration, environmental geology, geotechnical engineering, environmental law, earth science teaching and academic research in topics that span the disciplines. While many of our graduates continue their geoscience training in graduate school, others apply their geoscience background and liberal arts education to a wide variety of careers.

Who are our professors?

Department Chair and Associate Professor David P. Hawkins joined the faculty at Denison in 1999. He earned a B.A. at Clark University, an M.S. at George Washington University and a Ph.D at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His specialties are mineralogy, petrology and geochemistry. His research interests include the relationship between granitic plutons and volcanism in coastal Maine.

Professor Tod A. Frolking joined the faculty at Denison in 1984. He earned a B.A. at the University of New Hampshire and an M.S. and a Ph.D. at the University of Wisconsin. His specialties are physical geography and surface processes. His current research concerns the impacts of glaciation on central Ohio's river systems, water resource issues, both local and global, and geoarchaeology projects linking soils to prehistoric land use in both central Ohio and eastern Hungary.

Assistant Professor David H. Goodwin joined the faculty at Denison in 2003. He earned a B.S. at Lyndon State College, an M.S. at the University of Montana and a Ph.D. at the University of Arizona, Tucson. His specialties are paleontology and sedimentology. His research interests include developmental versus environmental constraints on bivalve mollusk shell development.

Associate Professor David C. Greene joined the faculty at Denison in 1996. He earned a B.S. at the University of California, Santa Cruz, an M.S. at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and a Ph.D. at the University of Nevada, Reno. His specialties are structural geology and tectonics. He is currently involved in research on regional tectonics in central Australia, and the Sierra Nevada of California.

Assistant Professor Johanna Kieniewicz joined Denison's faculty in 2007. She earned her B.S. at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and her Ph.D. at Washington University, St. Louis.

For more information about the department and curriculum, go to:

Geology Department

or contact:

David P. Hawkins, Chair
Department of Geology
Olin Hall, Room 309
Denison University
Granville, Ohio 43023

Phone:  (740) 587-6217
Fax:  (740) 587-6774
E-mail:   David Hawkins