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From Phoenix to Flagstaff, our caravan of three white vans trundled down interstates and bumpy dirt roads. Pulling off to the side, a stream of 34 people would rush out onto roadside outcrops, hand lenses strung around our necks and field notebooks in hand.

The X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) lab uses x-rays, a portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, to determine the chemical composition of rocks, minerals, and soils. This data can be used to interpret important information about a rock’s history, including how and when it formed.

The mantra “study what you love” encourages students to venture into previously unfamiliar fields. Bria Dox ’22, for example, took advantage of Hamilton’s academic diversity to discover her passions for mineralogy and volcanology. This summer, she dove deeper into these fields through a geoscience research project, analyzing the mineral chemistry of rocks from Oregon’s Sand Mountain volcanic field.

Three faculty members were named recipients of Hamilton’s highest awards for teaching in the 2019-20 academic year. Dean of Faculty Suzanne Keen announced the honors at the May faculty meeting.

Lucas Mangold, a rising senior from Greenwich, Conn., is spending the first weeks of summer break getting an early start on his thesis research. A geosciences major, he is analyzing local microspherules under the guidance of Professor of Geosciences Dave Bailey.

Collector’s Guide to the Balmat Mining District, St. Lawrence County, New York, co-authored by Professor of Geosciences David Bailey, was published this spring by Schiffer Publishing.

Several senior geosciences majors presented their senior thesis research results at the Geological Society of America (GSA) Northeastern Section meeting held in Albany, N.Y., last month. Alexander Doig received an Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Award for his presentation of “Orientation, Spatial Distribution, and Chemical Composition of Paleozoic Diabase Dikes on Swans Island and Neighboring Islands, Penobscot Bay, Maine.”

Lots of “oohs” and “ahhs” and a couple shrieks were heard in the Taylor Science Center during spring break when two groups of local third-grade students visited for some hands-on science learning with the help of Hamilton’s science faculty. For more than 20 years, Professor of Biology Dave Gapp has organized “Science Exploration Days” which bring classes of elementary school students to Hamilton for guided tours and short lessons in various areas of science.

Six Hamilton faculty members were recognized for their research and creative successes with the Dean’s Scholarly Achievement Awards, presented by Dean of Faculty Patrick Reynolds during Class & Charter Day on May 13. The awards recognize individual accomplishment but reflect a richness and depth of scholarship and creative activity across the entire faculty.

Hamilton College archaeologists were well-represented on the program of the 77th Annual Meeting of the Society for American Archaeology held April 18-22 in Memphis, Tenn. Several students, faculty members and alumni presented research with other Hamilton alumni in attendance.