Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Earth Sciences and Geologic Resources will host an Earth Science Day event from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Cole STEM Building Atrium.
This free open house event is open to the public and joins the American Geosciences Institute in celebrating Earth Science Week. Visitors who have minerals, rocks or fossils they would like to have identified are encouraged to bring them for a free identification service. There will be geology-themed activities for all ages, including “Digging for Dinosaurs,” smashing geodes and an augmented reality sand table.
“Our annual Earth Science Week celebration is designed to increase awareness and help our community gain a better understanding of the planet we call home,” said Dr. Wesley Brown, chair of the department. “The enthusiastic faculty and students are eager to open the doors of the Department of Earth Sciences and Geologic Resources to the community and answer all earth-science-related questions.”
This year’s theme, “Geoscience Innovating for Earth and People,” emphasizes the many ways that innovations and problem-solving in the geosciences are helping communities around the world create healthier, increasingly more sustainable lives, according to Dr. Liane Stevens, assistant professor of geology.
“Our lives are so intertwined with the Earth that we often don’t realize the many ways that earth science impacts us,” Stevens said. “Beyond accessing resources and planning for natural disasters, earth scientists are working to protect our planet and environment.”
For more information, contact Stevens at stevenslm@sfasu.edu or (936) 468-2024.
ABOUT STEPHEN F. AUSTIN STATE UNIVERSITY
Stephen F. Austin State University, the newest member of The University of Texas System, began a century ago as a teachers’ college in Texas’ oldest town, Nacogdoches. Today, it has grown into a regional institution comprising six colleges — business, education, fine arts, forestry and agriculture, liberal and applied arts, and sciences and mathematics. Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, SFA enrolls approximately 11,000 students while providing the academic breadth of a state university with the personalized attention of a private school. The main campus encompasses 421 acres that include 36 academic facilities, nine residence halls, and 68 acres of recreational trails that wind through its six gardens. The university offers more than 80 bachelor’s degrees, more than 40 master’s degrees and four doctoral degrees covering more than 120 areas of study. Learn more at sfasu.edu.
