A COMMITMENT TO PUBLIC GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION: ROBERT H. DOTT, JR

For many years Bob Dott has led field trips, presented lectures, and contributed to the preparation of field guides and other materials for the public. Bob is widely known and respected for such geoscience education, in large part because he brings the same intellectual energy and attention to detail to these efforts as he does to his research and technical writing and teaching of sedimentology, stratigraphy, regional geology, and the history of geology. Popular themes include the geologic history of Wisconsin, geology of the Baraboo region of Wisconsin, and the history and sedimentology of the Paleozoic seas in the Midwest.

A well informed and excellent field teacher, Bob invites questions and promotes the interchange of ideas. His extensive knowledge of geology and the history of geology allows him to develop rich and interesting educational programs that deliver information while providing the audience with insight into how a geologist learns about the Earth and its history.

Not long before his retirement, in the midst of several other major research and writing projects, Bob became intrigued by a request to write a book describing the geology of Wisconsin along state highways. He had long recognized a need for a reference on Wisconsin geology for non-geologists and for geologists new to the state. It proved to be an opportunity he could not refuse. The decision to go forward with this demanding project is typical of Bob’s long-term commitment to high-quality public geoscience education.

Since that book, Roadside Geology of Wisconsin, was published by Mountain Press in early 2004, it has proven to be very popular and created much excitement. Roadside has served as a catalyst for many public education lectures, field trips, magazine and newspaper articles, and public radio interviews. We feel very fortunate to have been able to work with Bob in preparing Roadside Geology of Wisconsin and participating in a variety of his related public geoscience education efforts.