Contact Information
Research Interests
Principal research interests lie in the fields of the petrology (occurrence, origin, and geological significance), geochemistry, and mineralogy of clays. Research experience includes ammonium (NH4) in illite (tobelite); understanding of the origin of anthracite primarily through analysis of associated clay minerals including tobelite; ammonium in geologic environments; mechanism of the smectite to illite reaction; silicate diagenesis in hydrothermal and burial diagenetic environments; Monte Carlo simulations of mixed-layer clay mineral structures; rates of clay mineral transformations; nuclear magnetic resonance characterization of structural environments of interlayer and framework cations in clays; origin of K-bentonite and diffusion in clay-rich strata.
Education
Ph.D., Univ. of Illinois, Geology, 1985
B.S., magna cum laude, Colgate Univ., Geology, 1979
Grants
National Science Foundation, teaching (Co-PI) 2014-2016 $2,000,000
National Science Foundation - research 1995 - 1997 $205,000
National Science Foundation - research 1994 - 1997 $20,000
Univ. of Illinois Research Board - equipment 1995 $6,900
American Chemical Society - research 1994 - 1996 $50,000
Univ. of Illinois Research Board - research 1993 - 1994 $4,900
National Science Foundation - research 1992 - 1994 $144,000
National Science Foundation - equipment 1990 $15,000
Univ. of Illinois Research Board - equipment 1990 $7,500
National Science Foundation - research 1990 - 1993 $165,000
National Science Foundation - research 1987 - 1989 $65,000
American Chemical Society - research 1987 - 1989 $18,000
Awards and Honors
2009 Outstanding Teacher of Freshmen Award, Alpha Lambda Delta Honor Soc., Univ. of Illinois
2004 Dean's Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, LAS College, Univ. of Illinois
2004 Campus Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, Univ. of Illinois
1998 - 2001 Associate Editor for Clays & Clay Minerals
1998 Prokasy Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching, LAS College, Univ. of Illinois
1991 University Scholar's Award, Univ. of Illinois
1989 - 1991 Elected to Council of Clay Minerals Society
1982 - 1985 Exxon Graduate Student Fellowship, Univ. of Illinois
1979 - 1982 Graduate College Fellowship, Univ. of Illinois
1979 Phi Beta Kappa, Colgate Univ.
Courses Taught
Geology 100 Planet Earth
Geology 101 Introduction to Physical Geology
Geology 110 Exploring Geology in the Field
Geology 118 Natural Disasters
Geology 333 Earth Materials and the Environment
Geology 380 Environmental Geology
Geology 415/515 Field Geology - Central California
Graduate course Mineralogy of Clays
Graduate course Petrology of Clays
Graduate course Sedimentary Geochemistry
Graduate course Physical Geochemistry
Short Course (20 hr) on Clay Minerals: Mineralogy, Geology, and Identification by X-ray Diffraction (Given to Illinois State Geological Survey, Champaign, IL)
ESE 445 Earth Resources Sustainability (online)
