March 19, 2024
New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources researchers Bill McIntosh and Nelia Dunbar, along with Earth and Environmental Science Department faculty member Veronica Prush and Ph.D. student Kyle Gallant joined University of Houston and Wharton County Junior College faculty and students in January 2024 to introduce them to the fascinating volcanic and structural geology of southwestern New Mexico. The group camped at Rockhound State Park and worked in the nearby Cookes Range.
New Mexico Tech geoscience alumnus Peter Copeland, a faculty member at the University of Houston, was awarded National Science Foundation funding to broaden participation in geoscience studies by historically underrepresented students through field training. One of the project's goals was to actively engage students in the research process by providing a group of strong mentors representing a range of geoscience expertise to interact with the undergraduates. “I enjoy being able to show my students New Mexico geology on these winter field trips, which I have loved since I was at Tech,” said Copeland. “It was great to be able to have folks from the Bureau of Geology and the EES Department on this year’s trip.”
In addition to those from the University of Houston and NMT, researchers and graduate students from the University of Kansas also participated. This field trip was the first in a series of similar trips that will take place over the next few years, and NMBGMR geoscientists look forward to future participation.