(518) 442-4479 email
SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor

1977, Ph.D., Stony Brook University (SUNY)

INTRODUCTION

My research deals with the following four (4) topics. The first three of these topics are associated with a NASA Astrobiology Institute grant in collaboration with colleagues at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Syracuse University, University of Arizona, University of North Dakota, and Albion College. (a) Placing geochemical constraints on the composition of the Earth's atmosphere through geological time, especially during the early Archean (3500-3900 My in the past) and the Hadean (3900-4550 My in the past). The goal of this effort is to determine if the atmosphere was ever suitable for the production of prebiotic molecules via a Urey-Miller process. Information about the composition of the volcanic gasses that entered the Archean/Hadean atmosphere relies on the chemical behavior of transition elements (e.g., Cr, V) as recorded by the whole-rock compositions of basaltic-to-komatiitic rocks erupted on the Earth through time. (b) Placing constraints on the time-dependent flux of meteorites and comets that impacted the Earth. The goal is to determine the frequency of impact events through time, and how those events may have influenced the emergence of sustainable life on this planet. To accomplish this, chemical and isotopic analyses are performed on impact-produced glasses (100-300 microns each) collected during the Apollo missions to the Moon. (c) Placing constraints on the processes and materials that contributed to the formation of large prebiotic polymers that could have led to the emergence of living systems. A narrow compositional range of montmorillonite clays have been found to that contribute to that task. Were those specific kinds of clays present on the Earth during Hadean times? (d) Unrelated to the author's work with NASA, he is also studying the chemical compositions of sedimentary rocks in the Hartford Basin (Connecticut) for information about Jurassic environments.

Efforts to live more sustainably

My family lives in rural setting not far from the UAlbany campus where we are trying to use our knowledge of the environment to live greener life-styles (i.e., practice what we preach). To that end, we have (a) installed 3.2 kilowatts [kW] of solar panels for generating ~35% of our home's annual electrical energy, (b) installed a solar thermal system consisting of 40 evacuated tube collectors for generating most of our domestic hot water that has lowered our annual use of electrical energy by another 35%, (c) purchase the remainder of our electrical energy from renewable sources, specifically wind, that is option available to all electric rate-payers in New York State, and (d) participate in a recycling campaign that has cut the volume of our domestic waste by nearly 75%. In addition, we host visits to our home by undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Science and/or belonging to the University's Honors College to describe our efforts to live in a more environmentally responsible manner. Although we still have a ways to go in further lowering our carbon footprint, my family has begun the journey and continues to make progress.

AWARDS

2005 Executive Award: Science Teachers' Association of New York State (STANYS)

2007 Torch Award: Outstanding contributions to the undergraduate academic experience

State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching

University at Albany President's Award for Excellence in Teaching

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES

Associate Director, New York Center for Astrobiology (NASA), 2009 - 2013

Principal Investigator, NASA Astrobiology Program, 2009 - 2013

Guest editor, professional journal 'Elements' (February 2009 issue)

223 INVITED PRESENTATIONS

(to public and professional groups since January 2000)

MEMBERSHIPS ON SCIENTIFIC REVIEW PANELS

(NASA) Lunar Science Institutes Review Panel, 2008

(NASA) Stand Alone Missions of Opportunity Review Panel, 2009

(NSF) Math and Science Partnerships Site Visit Team, 2004 (Chair), 2005 (Chair)

(NASA) Lunar and Planetary Geosciences Review Panel, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2005

(NASA) Discovery Missions Review Panel, 1994, 2006

(NASA) President's Commission on the Moon, Mars and Beyond, 2004 (invited testimony)

(NASA) Astrobiology Institutes Review Panel, 2003

(NSF) Math and Science Partnerships' Review Panel, 2003, 2004

UNIVERSITY SERVICE (2008-2009)

Chair, University Senate

Chair, University Senate Executive Committee

Member, University Planning and Policy Council

Member, President's Budget Advisory Group

Member, Selection Committee for University Distinguished Professors

Member, Honors College Governing Board

Member, Selection Committee for President's Award for Leadership

Member, Advisory Committee on University Site Planning

Member, Community Outreach Committee

Member, Provost's Freshman Year Experience Task Force

Member, Provost's Honorary Degree Advisory Panel

Undergraduate Advisor, Environmental Science program

COURSES TAUGHT (2008 - present)

Spring 2008 (8 credits)

         ENV 250: Sustainable Development: Energy and Resources (3 credits; NS GenEd)

         ENV 350Y: Environmental Geochemistry (4 credits)

         ENV 395Z: Writing in the Environmental Sciences (1 credit)

Fall 2008 (4 credits)

         ENV 105: Introduction to Environmental Science (3 credits; NS GenEd)

         UFSP 100: It's not easy being 'Green' (1 credit; University Freshman Seminar Program)

Spring 2009 (8 credits)

         ENV 250: Sustainable Development: Energy and Resources (3 credits; NS GenEd)

         ENV 350Y: Environmental Geochemistry (4 credits)

         ENV 395Z: Writing in the Environmental Sciences (1 credit)