The Atlanta Consortium
for Research in the Earth Sciences (ACRES)
Summer Research Experiences Program
Websites:
http://www.dc.peachnet.edu/~acres/acres.html
http://www.gsu.edu/~wwwcom/philgeo.htm
Contact: Dr. Pamela Burnley
Summer 2000
The Atlanta Consortium for research in the Earth Sciences (ACRES) consists
of 11 earth science faculty from Georgia State University, Fort Valley
State University, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Georgia
Perimeter College, and Columbus State University. We are working together
to extend and diversify the community of individuals participating in
geoscience research. Consortium goals include promoting undergraduate
research in the geosciences, introducing K-12 science teachers to research
in the geosciences, and encouraging the participation of members of underrepresented
groups in geoscience research. In order to reach our goals, we have created
a summer research experiences program for undergraduates and science teachers.
This summer, twelve participants including nine undergraduates and three
local science teachers worked on four different research projects which
are listed below. In addition to conducting research, each week the students
attended a reading seminar on the philosophy of science led by Dr. William
Evans of the Department of Communication, a science colloquia and a group
meeting where group progress was shared. There were a number of field
trips, including a Geology of Georgia trip led by Dr. Tim LaTour and a
canoe trip on the Sequatchie River in Tennessee. The participants each
wrote a research paper and worked in their research groups to create research
presentations. These presentations can be viewed on the program's web
site (http://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~acres/acres.html).
Evaluation also forms a significant part of the ACRES Program. Dr. O.
Jarrett, of the College of Education at Georgia State, is working with
us to determine how we can make the summer program the best possible experience
for all involved and also to quantify the impact that the summer program
has on the participants' attitude towards and understanding of science.
Research Projects:
Biostratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Clay Mineralogy of the Sandersville
Limestone of Central Georgia:
Research Faculty: Dr. John R. Anderson, Dr. W. Crawford Elliott and Dr.
Cheryl Gullet-Young
Participants: Jennifer Germano, Kara Pajewski and Sara Tourscher
Theoretical and Experimental Evaluation of the Behavior of Fluid Inclusions
in Metamorphic Rocks:
Research Faculty: Dr. Pamela Burnley, Dr. David Vanko and Dr. Aditya Kar
Participants: Laura Lukes, Donna Khallouf and Jack Pepper
Comparative Geochemistry of Rocks in the Uchee Belt:
Research Faculty: Dr. Tom Hanley, Dr. Aditya Kar and Dr. Timothy E. LaTour
Participants: Jeffery Davison, Krisha Hansel, Jeremy Kobor and Amanda
Shopa
Trace Metal Concentration with Respect to Storm Cycles in the Piedmont
Province of Georgia:
Research Faculty: Dr. Mohmamad Ghazi and Dr. Zhi-Yong Yin
Participants: Willisha Davidson, Michell Glover and Jessica Tharpe
Colloquium Series:
Dr. Deborah Freile, Assistant Professor, Berry College, "What Modern
Rhodoliths Allow Us To Say About Past Environments: Modern Caribbean Patch
Reef Rhodoliths as Analogues to Oligocene Rhodoliths of the Suwanee Straits"
Mr. Jack Raymer, Jordan, Jones & Goulding, "A Geological Evaluation
for the Chattahooche Tunnel, Cobb County, Georgia"
Dr. Thomas Hanley, Professor, Columbus State University, "A Geologist
Visits Panama"
Dr.Tim Long, Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, "Recording
Georgia's Earthquakes"
Dr. Glenn B. Stracher, Associate Professor of Geology, East Georgia College,
"Anthracite Smokers, Symplectite Coronites, and Brittle-Ductile Deformation:
These are a few of my favorite things"
Mr. Julain C. Gray, Graduate Teaching Assistant, Georgia State University,
"Seeing the Light: Synchrotron X-Ray Microprobe Analysis of Fluid
Inclusions"
Publications:
Burnley, P.C., Jarrett, O.S., Evans, W., 2002, A Comparison of Approaches
and Instruments for Evaluating a Geological Sciences Research Experiences
Program, Journal of Geoscience Education (submitted February 1, 2001).
Hansel, Krisha, Hanley, Tom, and Commander, Cason, Kar, Aditya, LaTour, Timothy E., and Burnley, Pamela C, 2001, Petrographic and Geochemical Study of Rocks from Eastern Panama: an Atlanta Consortium for Research in the Earth Sciences (ACRES) Progress Report: [in press]
Hansel, Krisha, Kobor, Jeremy, Shopa, Amanda, and Davison, Jeff, Hanley, Tom, Kar, Aditya, LaTour, Timothy E., and Burnley,Pamela, 2001, Geochemical, Petrological and Field Study of Motts Gneiss and other Lineated Gneiss in the Uchee Belt of Western Georgia and Eastern Alabama: an Atlanta Consortium for Research in the Earth Sciences (ACRES) Progress Report: [in press]
Burnley, Pamela C., Davis, Mary K., Blount Marqi, Dozier, Charmel, Khallouf, Donna, Lukes, Lauara, Pepper, Jack, Gray, Julian, Kar, Aditya, and Vanko, David A., 2000, The use of numerical methods to study decrepitation and volume changes of fluid inclusions: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v.32, no.7, p. A153.
Jarrett, Olga S., Burnley, Pamela C., and Evans, William, 2000, Development of an instrument for evaluating science students attitudes towards and understandings of science: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v.32, no.7, p. A266.
Hansel, Krisha, Kobor, Jeremy, Shopa, Amanda, Davison, Jeff, Hanley,
Tim, Kar, Aditya, LaTour, Timothy E., and Burnley, Pamela, 2000, Geological
and Geochemical Study of Gneisses, Amphibiolites, and Additional Rocks
in the Uchee Belt of Western Georgia and Eastern Alabama: an Atlanta Consortium
for Research in the Earth Sciences (ACRES) Progress
Report: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v.32, no.7,
p. A272.
Pajewski, K.A., Germano, J.M., Tourshcer, S.N., Anderson, J.R., Young
C.D., and Elliott, W. Crawford, 2000, Micropaleontology, Clay mineralogy
and Petrology of the Eocene Sandersville Limestone, Georgia: Geological
Society of America Abstracts with Programs, v.32, no.7, p. A272.
