INTEGRATING UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION AND SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY THROUGH FIELD RESEARCH IN IGNEOUS PETROLOGY

Advanced igneous petrology courses at many undergraduate institutions have been disseminated into other courses or eliminated altogether. This trend reflects a shift in the mission and emphasis of many Geoscience programs, and the perception that these courses no longer meet the needs of students in current career paths. This has occurred in spite of the fact that an understanding of igneous processes is fundamental to developing a strong perspective on Earth and planetary phenomena, and that igneous petrology is still a dynamic area of applied research. Field-based research developed around an advanced petrology course at the undergraduate level can enrich the experiences of students by allowing them to learn about important topics while gaining experience in scientific inquiry. Offering research opportunities in a class can also engage more students in active research and applied science than is generally possible with grant-supported projects.

We present a strategy to teach advanced petrology that can better train undergraduate students as scientists, and strengthen the educational goals of an entire program. The igneous petrology course at Fort Lewis College was recast to engage students in field research focused on a specific locality, in this case the diatreme complex at Ship Rock, Navajo Nation, New Mexico. This strategy gave students an opportunity to use field work to investigate advanced topics in igneous petrology, engage in scientific research, develop problem-solving strategies and important skills that are needed for all careers in science, and make new discoveries that contribute to the broader scientific community. The students also addressed actual problems in geology, rather than textbook exercises with no authenticity or context, allowing them to develop a sense of ownership in the project. In addition, this course sparked several long-term research initiatives that continue to engage other students in geologic problems in the Navajo volcanic field.