Welcome

About

Preparing you to meet global challenges

One of the "bedrock" principles of geology is that “the present is the key to the past” – in other words, physical processes acting today are the same as those in the past. We might add that geology is also the key to the future. The goal of geology is to understand the past, present and future behavior of the whole Earth system, from the friendly domains of life on the surface to the magnetic dynamo of the planet’s molten core.

In the SFA Department of Earth Sciences and Geologic Resources, our mission is to teach you to use this knowledge to meet some of our most fundamental societal challenges:

  • Providing sufficient natural resources
  • Coping with geologic hazards
  • Preventing and repairing environmental damage
  • Anticipating and adjusting to global environmental changes

As a geology student, you’ll have opportunities to learn both in and out of a classroom, conduct research alongside your professors and join student organizations that interact with industry leaders.

Why study geology?

Geologists are needed everywhere that humans build structures, extract resources or make changes to the environment. Geology literally underlies our civilization and our modern way of life. The iron in your hammer, the copper wire in your computer and the oil-based plastic in your toothbrush all came from the ground you’re standing on right now. 

Even the first tools humans ever made came from knowing the right kind of rock to use to get that sharp edge. Geology puts the changes we make to the Earth today in the context of history and helps us make decisions to improve our future. Let’s face it: Without geology, life would be very different.

A Message from the Department Chair, Dr. Wesley Brown

Welcome to the Department of Earth Sciences and Geologic Resources at Stephen F. Austin State University. The goal of our department is to provide students with an understanding of the past, present and future behavior of the whole Earth system. Studies and training are designed to:

  • Give students an understanding of the methods of science and the fundamentals of Earth science as they relate to the physical environment and our dependence on Earth resources such as minerals, rocks, fuels and water.
  • Give prospective science students the fundamentals of geology as a foundation for other science studies.
  • Provide training in geology and related Earth sciences as an area of specialization for prospective elementary and secondary school teachers.
  • Provide geology majors with a broad foundation in geology for future professional work or graduate study.

Our qualified faculty and staff are very committed to achieving these goals. We are highly engaged in teaching and research with our graduate and undergraduate students.

You are welcome to explore all our department has to offer. If you have questions regarding our degrees, please do not hesitate to reach out. 

Wesley Brown, PhD
936.468.2422
Brownwa1@sfasu.edu