Undergraduate Research
Undergraduate research is encouraged and supported at The College of Saint Rose. Four geology majors have received prestigious Undergraduate Summer Research Grants from Saint Rose since the inception of the grant program in 2010: Kathleen Feiner (Geology 2011), Lauren Droege (Geology 2012), Steve Zehner (Geology 2013), and Ryan Feiner (Geology 2013). Additional students have pursued research projects independently with faculty supervisors. I supervised Kathleen Feiner, Valeria Bianchi, Caitlin Lauback, and Nicole Finnegan.
Kathleen Feiner (Geology 2011) and
Valeria Bianchi (ESAE 2011)
Katie and Val joined me and colleagues from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale for two weeks of field work in the Karoo Igneous Province of South Africa in 2009. Large volcanic events occurred in the Jurassic leaving behind complex networks of sills and dikes. By examining the magnetic fabric within the sills it may be possible to locate the source of the magmatic activity. Katie and Val assisted in sample collection and completed a petrographic study of the samples. Katie also used SEM analysis to identify the opaque phases to determine if they were appropriate for magnetic fabric analysis. She concluded there were complex microstructures within the magnetite grains that may account for anomalous fabric results.
(L to R) Stephanie Maes, Valeria Bianchi, and Katie Feiner in South Africa.
Caitlin Lauback (Geology 2011)
Caitlin studied stream health and stream channel morphology of the Normanskill in Albany, NY. In 2009, in collaboration with Dr. Paul Benzing and his students, she completed a stream visual assessment. The protocol utilizes a series of 10 conditions that correlate to stream health. The second phase of her project was to measure changes in sinuosity of the stream and to calculate rates of meander migration. Using Google Earth and topographic maps of Albany, stream tracings were made for years: 1891, 1947, 1995, 2003, and 2009. Since 1891, sinuosity has increased only slightly (SI = 1.56 to SI = 1.81) and the stream has not migrated significantly. Her work has provided baseline data for long term ecologic and geomorphic monitoring of the Normanskill.
Caitlin Lauback doing field work in the Normanskill.
Nicole Finnegan (ESAE 2013)
The long-term goal of Nicole’s project is to establish permanent hydrologic stations for local and regional watershed monitoring. Since May 2012, Nicole has monitored five sites on the Normans Kill to assess the impact of urbanization on the water quality. Three sites are located in the vicinity of the historic Normanskill Farm. The fourth and fifth sites are located upstream from the effluent of the Guilderland wastewater treatment plant. Conductivity, TDS, dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, pH of the water, turbidity, and nitrate and orthophosphate content were measured. Preliminary data indicate downstream change in water chemistry is likely associated with the wastewater treatment plant effluent. The second phase of Nicole’s project will begin in spring 2013 with the installation of stream gaging staffs and pressure transducers to measure water levels. “Citizen Scientists” will assist in data collection by texting information about station number and stream height from the gaging staff, which will be relayed to an informational website (www.crowdhydrology.com). The data will then be available to the public as an online educational tool.
Stephanie Maes (left) and Nicole Finnegan (right) at the 2012 Annual GSA
meeting, where Nicole presented a poster on her Normanskill research.
Office: 167 Science Center/Albertus Hall
Mailing address: The College of Saint Rose, 432 Western Avenue, Albany, NY 12203
Office phone: 518-454-2910
Email: maess AT strose.edu