Department Chair Welcome

In the Department of Earth Science at UVU, our #1 goal is to provide students with rewarding, dynamic educational experience. We pride ourselves on being able to offer personal attention to the needs of students with diverse backgrounds and educational goals. Our degree programs provide a wide range of skills and knowledge that are applicable to today´s earth science job markets, as well as a broad-based general science education that´s ideal for students planning to continue to graduate programs in law, business, or medical fields. We incorporate field trips and/or practical working experience in nearly all of our courses. Our easy access to the geology of the Wasatch Range and Utah´s National Parks, our ties to local employers, and our diverse, dynamic faculty make the UVU Department of Earth Science a natural choice for anyone pursuing an education in the earth sciences.

Weihong Wang Photo

Weihong Wang

Associate Professor
Department Chair

Geography

[email protected]

More Information

801.863.7607 | PS 218 | MS: 179

 

books on a shelf

Earth Science Department Mission

“Civilization exists by geologic consent, subject to change without notice”

- Will Durant

The above quote emphasizes our society’s dependence on the earth. The earth provides the raw materials for building, the soil and water to grow our crops, and the energy to fuel our industries, power our cars, and heat our homes. The earth is also capable of causing devastation through droughts, earthquakes, landslides, and other natural disasters. It is the job of the earth scientist to understand earth’s history and active processes in order to make good use of earth’s resources and to avoid its hazards.

About the Earth Science Department

The Earth Science faculty at UVU is devoted to dynamic, effective undergraduate education. Our department includes 12 full-time faculty members, 10 with Ph.D.’s and two with M.S. degrees. Among our faculty members we have expertise in soil and water resources, earthquake and landslide hazards, the behavior of earthquake faults, environmental policy, geochemistry, geographic information systems, the growth of mountain ranges, the formation of rocks and minerals, and paleontology. Our courses emphasize the practical aspects of the course material, and we take great advantage of Utah’s amazing opportunity for course-related field work. In addition to great classes, our students participate in extracurricular field trips throughout the western U.S., and they are active in a variety of research projects.

If you are interested in any of these areas, please contact the Earth Science Advisor, or Department Chair.

Earth Science Advisors

Research Areas & Faculty

 
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Anthropology

Anthropology explores the study of human societies, cultures, and their evolution over time.
Earth from space

Biogeochemistry

Biogeochemistry investigates the chemical processes and cycles that occur in the environment, involving the interactions between living organisms and the Earth's geological systems.
Windmill

Environmental Science & Management

Environmental Science & Management focuses on understanding and addressing environmental issues, emphasizing sustainable practices and resource management.
Rock spires

Geomorphology

Geomorphology examines the formation and evolution of Earth's landforms, studying processes like erosion, weathering, and deposition.
Examining a rock under a microscope

Geoscience Education

Geoscience Education involves the study and improvement of methods for teaching and learning geoscience concepts.
Ancient ruins

Human Geography

Human Geography explores the spatial relationships between people and their environments, analyzing patterns of population, culture, and economic activity.
Water

Hydrology

Hydrology investigates the distribution, movement, and properties of water in the atmosphere and on Earth's surface.
Iceburg

Paleoclimatology

Paleoclimatology studies past climates by examining climate proxies such as ice cores, tree rings, and sediment layers.
Fossil in rock

Paleontology, Sedimentology

Paleontology involves the study of fossils to understand the history of life on Earth and the evolution of species.
Rocks

Petrology, Geochemistry Petrology, Geochemistry

Petrology examines the composition, origin, and classification of rocks to understand Earth's crustal processes.
Volcano

Physical Geology

Physical Geology focuses on the study of Earth's materials, processes, and features, including rocks, minerals, and landforms.
Rock formations caused by water erosion

Structural Geology

Structural Geology investigates the deformation and arrangement of rocks in the Earth's crust, analyzing the forces that shape the Earth's lithosphere.

Faculty & Staff

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