Kathleen Surpless
Kathleen DeGraaff Surpless , Ph.D.
Associate Professor, Geosciences
| Education | Subjects Taught | |
|---|---|---|
Ph.D. - Stanford University B.A. - Amherst College |
Environmental Geology Climate Change Exploring Earth Earth History Sedimentology & Stratigraphy |
My goal is to teach students how to think critically and analytically about the world around them; in short, how to think as scientists.
Because petroleum, natural gas, and coal formed in ancient sedimentary basins, researching these questions is critical for targeting energy resource exploration. Also, the success of current efforts to capture carbon and store it underground depends on a detailed understanding of the layering and structure below the surface. Finally, these are fundamental research questions because sedimentary basins are essential to understanding the formation and destruction of past mountains and ocean basins, changing climates, and the evolution of life. My research focus is on sedimentary basins in the Cordilleran mountain belt of the western United States and Canada.
Funding
I have been awarded grants from the American Chemical Society's Petroleum Research Fund and from the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Program to support my research in Cretaceous basins of the North American Cordillera. These grants, totaling more than $450,000, enable a closer integration of my research and teaching and have allowed me to expand my research focus and involve more undergraduate students.
Publications
Surpless, Kathleen D., and Augsburger, G. A., 2009, "Provenance of the Pythian Cave conglomerate, northern California: Implications for mid-Cretaceous paleogeography of the U.S. Cordillera." Cretaceous Research, vol. 30, p. 1181-1192.
Surpless, Kathleen D., Ward, R.W., and Graham, S.A., 2009, "Sedimentology and facies architecture of slope gully deposits, Monterey Formation (Miocene), Gaviota Beach, California." Marine and Petroleum Geology, vol. 26, p. 269-288.
Surpless, Kathleen D., Graham, S. A., Covault, J. A., and Wooden, J. L., 2006, "Does the Great Valley Group contain Jurassic strata? Reevaluation of the age and early evolution of a classic forearc basin." Geology, v. 34, no. 1, p. 21-24.
Trinity and Community Involvement
Through Trinity's HHMI-sponsored Science Academy, I co-taught middle school students from three middle schools and two SAISD academies over four days during the Science Academy (Earth Science unit) held at Trinity since 2006. I also worked with elementary and middle school teachers lacking a science background to help them improve both their content knowledge and their understanding of the process of science during Trinity's Science Teaching Institute.
I have served on the Trinity University United Way Committee, Lecturers and Visiting Scholars Committee, Trinity Women in Science and Technology (TWIST) Steering Committee, and the Undergraduate Research Committee. I'm also the Faculty Advisor for Trinity's Sigma Gamma Epsilon chapter and the Geology Club.
Contact Information
Department of Geosciences
Trinity University
One Trinity Place
San Antonio, TX 78212
210-999-7365
ksurples@trinity.edu
