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As a subject, Geology has been taught at Western since the opening of the Normal School in 1904. The instructor of that course, which was called "Geographic Geology and Evolution of the North American Continent, was Leslie H. Wood, in whose honor Wood Hall is named. During the first few years, Wood was the only instructor in the Department of Geography and remained at the fledgling school for many years. In 1907, a course called "Minerals and Rocks" was added to the geography curriculum. Although this course was not retained for long, it is significant because a course by the same name is still taught in the Geosciences Department.

By 1925, the Geography Department had grown to four faculty members, and its name had changed to the Department of Geography and Geology. There were three geology courses at that time: 207A-Geographic Geology, 207B-Economic Geology, and 207C-Historical Geology, another course that is still taught. Although the other faculty members occasionally taught a geology course from time to time, the vast majority of geology courses were taught by Professor Wood.

In the 1931-1932 academic year, a major transition in geology instruction began as Dr. William J. Berry arrived at the school and Leslie Wood retired at the end of the year. Dr. Berry remained in the department for 28 years, retiring after the 1958-59 academic year. During his tenure, in which he served as chair of the department for many of those years, Berry was the only faculty member who taught geology courses on a regular basis. In the 1939-1940 academic year, Geography and Geology 335, Mineralogy, was introduced as a new course. Sixty-two years later the course is still being taught under the same number. In the 1946-47 academic year, the following geology courses were taught: 230A-Dynamic Geology, 230B-Historical Geology, 230C-General Geology, 332-Physiography of the United States, 335-Mineralogy, and 350-Field Geology-Summer Trip. The last course was described as a field trip from Kalamazoo to the Black Hills region of South Dakota, with a course fee of $50. Although local field trips were common in many of the geology courses, this appears to be the first extended field trip taken out of the region. One of the faculty members in the department at the time, a geographer, was Dr. H. Thompson Straw, whose name is coincidentally very similar to a longtime member of the Geology Department, W. Thomas Straw, who arrived several decades later.

The modern era of the Geology Department began in 1959 with the hiring of Dr. Lloyd J. Schmaltz. At that time, the combined department was housed in the old Natural Science Building (West Hall) on East Campus. Dr. Schmaltz became the advisor for a new major in geology, which included Physical Geology, Historical Geology, Invertebrate Paleontology, Mineralogy, Petrology, and Structural Geology. Other courses offered included Introduction to Geology, Economic Geology, and Geomorphology. In 1962, the department moved into the newly constructed Wood Hall. A major and minor in Earth Science were added in 1963, and on July 1, 1965, the Department of Geography and Geology formally split into separate departments of Geography and Geology. Dean George Mallinson was instrumental in this transition and also helped Dr. Schmaltz establish two very successful NSF funded summer institutes for high school earth science teachers. At the time of the new department's inception, the faculty consisted of Drs. David Kuenzi, Richard McGhee, and Richard (Skip) Davis, along with Dr. Schmaltz.

Rood Hall, the new home of the Geology Department, was constructed in 1970. Faculty growth thereafter was extremely rapid. By 1971, the faculty totaled seven, with three relatively new members, Drs. John Grace, Richard Passero, and W. Thomas Straw, all of whom subsequently played major roles in the Department for years to come, along with several others of shorter tenure.

Graduate programs began in the late 1960s with a master's degree in Earth Science Education, which built upon the highly successful undergraduate Earth Science Teaching program that was headed by Dr. Passero. Soon after, a master's in Geology (1970-1971) was initiated and the department's research activities, which had always been strong, were brought to the forefront. Graduates found excellent employment opportunities in the petroleum and mining industries.

The 1970s was a decade of continued expansion in faculty and programs. One of the first research concentrations in the Department was Rocky Mountain tectonics, which involved Professors David Kuenzi, Ron Chase and new faculty member Chris Schmidt. This research program has been the recipient of many NSF grants over the years. In addition to Rocky Mountain research, sedimentological studies by Dave Kuenzi in Guatemala and the Lake Michigan coastal erosion studies of Skip Davis with the US Army Corps of Engineers were very successful for several years. Similar Lake Michigan bluff erosion studies were undertaken in the 1990s by Ron Chase and Alan Kehew and are in progress during the centennial year.

Another new faculty member in the early 70s was Dr. William Harrison. Dr. Harrison arrived as a paleontologist, but quickly developed an interest in the Petroleum Geology of the Michigan Basin. He established the Michigan Basin Core Research Laboratory, which gradually grew over the years to become a major resource to the Petroleum industry in Michigan. At the time of the Centennial, the Core Lab has over 35,000 feet of core from 300 wells and is anticipating several new major acquisitions. The lab has outgrown its facilities in the basement of West Hall and the department is actively pursuing funding to construct a building with core storage and laboratory space for core research .

During the 1970s, two factors combined to drive a reevaluation of departmental programs and a major new focus of the department. These factors were a downturn in hiring in the always cyclical petroleum industry and a national de-emphasis on science education. In response, the department created a document entitled "A Master Plan for Development" in 1973 that outlined a far-reaching move into environmental geology, a subject that was becoming increasingly publicized at that time. Environmental crises such as the contamination at Love Canal were being discovered on a regular basis and the contamination by waste disposal practices of groundwater, previously thought to be a pristine, naturally filtered resource, was beginning to be recognized as a major national issue. Although resources were not provided for implementation of many of the specific recommendations of the master plan, the overall emphasis on environmental geology would serve the department well for the next three decades. New research programs and degree concentrations developed under the environmental master plan spearheaded by Drs. Passero, Straw, and Schmaltz proved to be a ground-breaking approach that was eventually emulated by most geology departments in the country.

One of the goals of the environmental focus of the department was to provide geologic and hydrogeologic information for the local and regional areas. This goal led to the publication of "Kalamazoo County: Geology and the Environment" in 1978. In 1979, the department was awarded approximately $600,000 from the US Environmental Protection Agency to investigate the aquifers of Michigan in relation to underground injection of hazardous wastes. This project culminated in the publication of the "Hydrogeologic Atlas of Michigan", which still serves as the most significant statewide reference on aquifers in Michigan. The atlas is still in high demand by consulting companies and agencies involved with the state's groundwater resources.

With the arrival of Dr. William Sauck 1979, applied geophysics became one of the strengths of the department The application of geophysics to environmental problems was a new research area in which Dr. Sauck and later Dr. Estella Atekwana developed strong reputations. Dr. Sauck left the department to teach in Brazil but later returned, first as researcher in the Institute for Water Sciences and more recently back into the department.

The department's growing expertise in environmental geology and hydrogeology led to the awarding of a GEM (Groundwater Education in Michigan) Regional Center by the Kellogg Foundation, the development of the Institute for Water Sciences, and a multi-year Research Excellence and Economic Development grant from the State of Michigan in 1985. In addition to funding a number of research projects, two new hydrogeology faculty members, Drs. Duane Hampton and Alan Kehew, were brought into the department. At about the same time, Dr. David Barnes arrived to bolster the department's expertise in sedimentology.

Dr. Lloyd Schmaltz retired in 1988 and was replaced as chair by Dr. Thomas Straw. The department's excellent museum in Rood Hall, under the supervision of curator Robert Havira, was renamed the Lloyd J. Schmaltz museum in honor of his long service and significant contributions spanning the entire existence of the department to that time. After retirement, Dr. Schmaltz continued to lead his highly popular raft trips down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon for students, alumni, and friends of the department.

Over the past 15 years, the department has continued to evolve and change in many ways. A PhD program in hydrogeology was introduced in 1990. Although small, the program has been very successful in placing graduates in academia and industry. A hydrogeology summer field camp is known nationally for its applied training. New faculty replacing those who arrived in the 1960s and 1970s broadened the scope of the department and its teaching and research activities. These faculty include Dr. R.V. Krishnamurthy (Isotope Geochemistry), Dr. Daniel Cassidy (Bioremediation), Dr. Michelle Kominz (Geophysics), Dr. Carla Koretsky (Geochemistry), and in 2002, Dr. Michael Grammer (Sedimentology). A new name, the Department of Geosciences, was chosen in 1997 to reflect the broader, interdisciplinary, approach to the earth sciences represented by these additions. Dr. Alan Kehew became chair after of the retirement of Dr. Straw in 1996 and remains in this position at the time of the centennial. The department continues to receive the assistance and support, of a very active advisory council that meets on campus twice a year. The members of the council include alumni of the department, as well as prominent geologists and supporters from Michigan and elsewhere. Over the years, many capable staff members have provided support services to the department. Current staff members Kathy Wright, Beth Steele, and Brian Bird epitomize these essential members of the department.

As the University Centennial year dawns, the Geosciences Department is strong and vigorous. It continues to produce graduates that achieve success in a wide range of fields. Research activities have been expanded and stimulated by the addition of new faculty members and new facilities in Haenicke Hall. A fund raising drive for a new core lab facility is just beginning. Although the next century will bring changes that we cannot foresee, the need for earth scientists will become even more critical as our society confronts global problems involving climate change, natural resources and the environment. It is very likely that faculty, students, and alumni of the WMU Geosciences Department will be making contributions to the solutions of these problems at the time of the WMU Bicentennial.

Department of Geosciences
1187 Rood Hall
1903 West Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, MI 49008
Phone: (269) 387-5485
Fax: (269) 387-5513
mohamed.sultan@wmich.edu

Any questions concerning the website should be directed to: johnson.haas@wmich.edu
©2007 Department of Geosciences, WMU