An activities coordinator at North River Health Campus, a senior living facility on the north side of Evansville, recently reached out to USI's Geology and Physics Department to see if a visit to campus for one of their residents—Tom, who is passionate about geology—could be arranged. Dr. Paul Doss, Professor of Geology, and Dr. Tony Maria, Associate Professor of Geology, were more than happy to fulfill Tom's wish.
Tom expressed specific interest in seismology and igneous rocks, and when he arrived, he shared stories about his interest in the lapidary arts. Doss and Maria even had the chance to see a beautiful belt buckle Tom made with a Sodalite mineral inlay.
Doss and Maria also shared the online presence of the Advanced National Seismic System seismometer available on campus and spoke directly to the University's record of the recent large earthquake in Haiti. At one point in his career, Tom made his own seismogram, and the three discussed his experience while poking around USI's diverse collection of rocks.
As for Tom's next visit to campus, Maria says he'll have a microscope prepared to project to a computer screen so Tom's able to get a closer look at USI's plentiful rock collection. Tom, Doss and Maria enjoyed visiting, reminiscing and sharing their love for Earth science with one another, and the three geologists look forward to their next reunion.