Our Vision and Mission Statement

Together we create and share knowledge at the forefront of Earth and Planetary Sciences to cultivate informed stewardship and inspire curiosity.

We provide a world-class, stimulating intellectual and educational environment that prioritizes people. As a community we are committed to conducting cutting-edge research in Earth and Planetary Sciences to address challenging scientific and societal problems.

View our Strategic Plan

Department News

Announcing: The Louise H. Kellogg Endowed Chair in Geophysics

We are proud to announce the search for a new faculty member to fill the Louise H. Kellogg Endowed Chair in Geophysics. The endowed chair is made possible by a $2 million gift from Doug Neuhauser, Kellogg’s husband honoring her legacy as an inspiring geophysicist, mentor, and leader, dedicated to increasing equity, inclusion, and diversity throughout the scientific community. The area of geophysics for this position is very much open, as we see many different opportunities for synergy and growth given the broad range of research directions currently represented in our department and other opportunities on campus. The appointee is expected to develop and maintain a vigorous externally funded research program, to engage students through teaching and mentoring at the undergraduate and graduate levels, and to provide visionary leadership that enriches and expands scientific excellence in the geophysics community and beyond. More information about the position can be found online through UC Recruit via the job listing https://recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF0589.

Job Opening: Assistant Project Scientist for Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics

Link to Job Posting

Open date: March 15, 2023

The Project Scientist makes significant and creative contributions to a research or creative project in his/her academic discipline. The appointee possesses the subject matter expertise and the creative energy necessary to function at a high level of competence. The appointee will participate in activities to increase, improve, or upgrade competency. Appointees with Project (e.g., Scientist) titles may engage in University and public service. They do not have teaching responsibilities. Although the Project Scientist is expected to work independently under the general guidance of an academic member with an independent research program, he/she is not required to develop an independent research program or reputation. He/she will carry out research or creative programs with supervision by an individual in an academic title that carries with it automatic Principal Investigator status. The Project Scientist does not usually serve as a Principal Investigator but may do so by exception.
 

Job Opening: Visiting Assistant Professor in Geology and Paleobiology

Link to Job Posting

Open date: March 15, 2024

The Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Davis, invites applications for a Visiting Assistant Professor to teach undergraduate courses and conduct research during the 2024-2025 academic year. Candidates must possess a Ph.D. or equivalent degree in Paleobiology, Geosciences or a related field. Preference will be given to candidates who have a background in the fields of both Geology and Paleobiology.

Congratulations to Professor Ryosuke Motani, who has been selected as one of the 2024-2025 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholars!

Congratulations to Professor Ryosuke Motani, who has been selected as one of the 2024-2025 Phi Beta Kappa Visiting Scholars!

More information from the PBK website: 
"Each year, members of the Committee on the Visiting Scholar Program select top scholars in the liberal arts and sciences to visit universities and colleges where Phi Beta Kappa chapters are located. Visiting Scholars spend two days on each campus meeting informally with undergraduates, participating in classroom lectures and seminars, and giving one major lecture open to the academic community and general public."

Full article available here

Sarah Stewart Named American Physical Society Fellow for Research on Evolution of Planetary Systems

For her landmark work in the development and application of shock physics techniques to explain the origin and evolution of planetary systems, Sarah Stewart has been selected as an American Physical Society Fellow.

The prestigious honor is one that no more than half of one percent of the society’s membership (excluding student members) are nominated for each year.

Stewart's nomination stems from her revolutionary theory that the moon formed within the Earth when the planet existed as an astronomical object called a synestia.

Full article available here

Congratulations to Joy Foluso, who was awarded the E-an Zen Geoscience Outreach grant from GSA!

For the fifth year (starting in 2018) the Geology and Society Division has administered the E-an Zen Geoscience Outreach Grant (also known as the E-an Zen Fund Supporting Geoscience Communication). This important GSA Award seeks to fund, annually, two projects that communicate geoscience information to the lay public with the express purpose of promoting the understanding of the geosciences and its relevance to society. The awards are in the amount of $1,500. Geology and Society Division is pleased to be able to support the following outreach projects for 2023:

Geoscience Outreach to Teenagers in Abeokuta City, Ogun State, Nigeria

Proposed by Joy Foluso, PhD, the project will enhance science literacy in high school students in Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria, using hands-on learning to show how geoscientists can address environmental problems resulting from anthropogenic climate change. Students will learn how to collect, analyze, interpret and present geoscientific data through their participation in a one-day workshop.

Congratulations to Tessa Hill, who has been awarded the Rachel Carson Lecture at the Fall 2023 AGU meeting!

Congratulations to Tessa Hill, who has been awarded the Rachel Carson Lecture at the Fall 2023 AGU meeting! The lecture recognizes women doing cutting-edge research in ocean science.

More information (from the AGU website):
The Rachel Carson Lecture is presented annually and recognizes cutting-edge work in ocean science research by a scientist who identifies as a woman. Named in honor of the life and work of marine biologist, Rachel Louise Carson, this lecture is presented by a scientist whose work in the field of ocean science is particularly relevant to current societal concerns.

The Carson Lecture is given during the AGU Annual Meeting, and the named lecturer is recognized at the Ocean Sciences section luncheon during AGU's annual meeting. https://www.agu.org/Honors/carson

Dr. Barbara Ratschbacher awarded Revitalization Research Program Grants

Assistant Professor Barbara Ratschbacher researches continental crust formation in subduction zones, which are collision areas between two tectonic plates. Ratschbacher plans to use the research funds to further work on subsurface magma reservoir processes and how those processes relate to volcanic eruptions and hazards.

“High-silica volcanic rocks have a heavier and more variable iron [Fe] isotope composition than high-silica plutonic rocks (magmas that stall and solidify in the crust instead of erupting),” said Ratschbacher. “The process responsible for this observation is controversial, but one hypothesis states that crystal-liquid separation is the driver of the Fe-isotope fractionation. Crystal-liquid separation is a key process in producing the observed range of volcanic and plutonic rock compositions, and if this hypothesis is correct, Fe isotopes will provide insights into how this process operates.”

More information can be found here