Student Perspective
“Right now, with climate change, scientists are looking for valid ways to remove carbon from the atmosphere because that’s something that’s desperately needed.”
Katie Mahorney ’22
Geosciences
Portland, Oregon
Lawrence Research Fellows
As a Lawrence University Research Fellow, you will have the opportunity to participate in student-faculty collaborative research, whether it’s with our professors here on campus or with one of our collaborating off-campus programs around the world.
History of the Earth and Life
A study of the physical, chemical, and organic evolution of the Earth since its origin 4.5 billion years ago, with emphasis on times of change and crisis. You'll also examine the evolution of ideas about Earth’s history, illustrating how science and culture are inherently entangled.
Courses cover the scientific fundamentals to current day issues.
Program Profile
"That process from idea...through exposition and research meetings is about what you'd get at a Master's program." — Clark
Faculty Profile: Marcia Bjornerud
"We don't engage students, we immerse students, and it starts with field work." — Bjornerud
See in 4D
With an array of tools from petrographic microscopes to scale-model river systems, drones to X-ray diffractometry, you can investigate the Earth across a vast range of scales in space and time.
Get a little dirt on your hands
The best way to get to know our planet is to get up close and personal. Field-based study in locations like Scotland, Puerto Rico, Hawai’i, the Adirondacks and right here in Wisconsin is an essential part of studying geoscience at Lawrence.
The Chandler Senior Experience
Building on a junior seminar and senior capstone that engages you in the scientific process on your way to becoming a scientific practitioner (e.g., framing testable hypotheses, collecting and analyzing meaningful datasets, and developing models of geologic phenomena), you’ll apply your skills to a particular project or problem in the earth sciences.
Examples of recent Senior Experiences:
- Petrographic, microstructural and geochronologic analyses of the Eau Pleine Shear Zone, central Wisconsin
- Mapping the North Upper Mutnovsky Geothermal Field, Kamchatka, Russia
- GIS/GPS Analysis of Bluff Retreat along the Lake Michigan shoreline
Geosciences Outcomes
Hands-on field experience and self-driven exploration of the world of geosciences puts you on the path to solve some of the planet’s most pressing problems.