This wednesday October 1, Prof Emeritus Hank Woodard of Beloit College will visit friends in Houghton, Pete and Carol Ekstrom. Woodard has been a forceful leader of earth sciences education for more than 50 years, at Beloit College. Geosciences are absent or under emphasized in US schools so most professionals in the field do not discover its advantages until they come to college. And even then, many colleges either do not offer the field or they underfund it, perceiving it to have limited interest.
In view of the importance of earth science in environmental and sustainability issues this is bad for the country. Beloit, with Woodard’s vision and energy, has shown the way for others by developing an exemplary and high visibility undergraduate geosciences program that has fed many students who were headed elsewhere into academic and industrial careers in earth science. He was an early leader of the Keck Geology Consortium–an association of undergraduate earth science programs and a major source of excellent graduate students for the world.
A reception celebrating Woodard’s visit will take place this wednesday October 1 at 5 pm —in the 6th floor Atrium of the Dow Building. Woodard will be accompanied by two other Beloit associates: Prof Emeritus Richard Stenstrom and Mary-Margaret Coates (now at Colorado School of Mines). Wine and beer can be purchased onsite with refreshments. There will be a brief recognition of the visitor at 5:30 pm. Come and toast this national educational leader!