The 85th Annual Meeting of New York State Geological Association will be hosted by the Department of Geosciences

The 85th Annual Meeting of New York State Geological Association will be hosted by the Department of Geosciences on Sept. 20 to 22 as part of the department’s 50th anniversary celebration.

The conference is open to anyone interested in earth, environmental or energy sciences, and the department looks forward to hosting undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral students, kindergarten through 12th grade teachers, university faculty, industry and government scientists and engineers, and anyone with an interest in the geology of western New York and nearby areas.

The event will begin with a meet and greet in the Horizon Room of Williams Center from 6 to 9 p.m. on Friday with beverages and snacks. Participants are urged to bring a map, rock sample, photo, or other “geo-items” to share. Saturday and Sunday’s activities include five field trips each day and a banquet on Saturday night. Details of the field trips and the Saturday banquet can be found on the website of the New York State Geological Association. The website also contains a link for online registration for the Saturday and Sunday events. All field trips leave each day at 8 a.m. from the parking lot next to the Administrative Office Complex on Ring Road on campus; transportation is by car-pooling or buses.

Re-registration is strongly suggested and all registration is by common major credit card through the website. In addition to the free mixer Friday evening, there will be a guest lecture on Saturday in McEwen Hall Room 209 at 8 p.m. which is free and open to the public. Dr. Gary Lash of the Fredonia Department of Geosciences will speak on, "Fracturing of the Upper Devonian Shale Succession, Western New York State - What We Can Learn of the Alleghanian orogeny.”

For more information, contact co-organizers Drs. Gordon Baird or Michael Wilson of the Department of Geosciences.