West Texas / NOVA field exchange in spring semester

Spring break field course: GOL 295  Regional Field Geology of west Texas: March 8 to 15, 2014, and Appalachian Geology: May 19-24, 2014. West Texas and southern New Mexico showcase tectonic, sedimentary, geomorphic, and volcanic features which provide world-class examples of geologic processes. Students in this course will travel to El Paso, TX, and complete field studies of locations in Carlsbad Caverns, the Rio Grande Rift, the Franklin and Guadalupe Mountains, and Kilbourne Hole volcano, as well as complete a geophysics training exercise at the University of Texas, El Paso. The course will be co-taught by Callan Bentley (NOVA) Joshua Villalobos of El Paso Community College and will involve collaboration between geology students at EPCC and NOVA.

Airfare, lodging, and transportation are covered for approved students by a grant. The National Science Foundation is fully funding this “field exchange” in hopes of increasing the proportion of geologists from under-represented groups (women and ethnic minorities). In other words, accepted students will pay for their tuition and food, but everything else is free.

In mid-May 2014, EPCC students will visit Northern Virginia in the second half of the course, and NOVA students will play a role in hosting them and introducing them to Mid-Atlantic geology. Students who go to Texas will also commit to the NOVA-focused 2nd half of the course.

The course will involve STRENUOUS outdoor physical activity: Students are expected to hike several miles at high elevations in mountainous desert terrain in order to accomplish course objectives. Enrollment is competitive, and by permission of the instructors only. For up-to-date information, an application, and a complete itinerary, see the course website, http://www.nvcc.edu/home/cbentley/texas or contact Callan, at cbentley@nvcc.edu or (703) 323-3276. His office is CS 248A on the Annandale campus of NOVA.