UMass Amherst Dept. of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences

Congratulations to department head Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette on being appointed Distinguished Professor by the UMass Board of Trustees earlier this month. Distinguished Professorships are awarded by the Board of Trustees to full professors at UMass Amherst for outstanding national or international contributions in research, teaching, and/or public service

Dr. Julie Brigham-Grette was recently interviewed by Channel 22 News' InFocus on the warming waters of the Atlantic Ocean: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKP5Dgixxww&list=PLmfzHgbX9Y57Z1-a4rXY6KClRn4f0rFcs

InFocus featuring Julie Brigham-Grette (Warming Atlantic Ocean) InFocus featuring Julie Brigham-Grette (Warming Atlantic Ocean)

Hands-on experience, outside in the field, has always been a core component of educating and training the earth science workforce. A modern fleet of vans makes field trips, outdoor labs for courses, research, and public outreach accessible for students.

Please join us in supporting high-quality student education during with a small gift to EGCS:

https://umass.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-day/111216/department/119408

Real learning happens beyond the classroom. Your gift to EGCS helps us keep our fleet of vans running, enabling students to participate in experiential, field-based courses we offer.

Please join us in supporting our students during UMassGives!

https://umass.scalefunder.com/gday/giving-day/111216/department/119408

It turns out that the simple depth of a boot print can say a lot about the state of the habitat, as sedimentologist Ash Oh shared this past February at this year’s Ocean Sciences Meeting, held in Glasgow in the UK. Read more about the research Ash presented at https://blogs.egu.eu/geolog/2026/04/13/footprints-reveal-climates-mark-on-mudflats/

In a first-of-its-kind study, a team of researchers led by EGCS geoscientist Dr. Michael Rawlins has shown in fine-grained detail what happens when Arctic permafrost thaws: https://www.umass.edu/news/article/wisconsin-sized-chunk-alaskan-permafrost-thawing-arctic-and-global-climate-may-never

Pop by the Massachusetts Undergraduate Research Conference this Friday afternoon to see several undergraduates in our programs present their phenomenal research. A schedule of presenters is at https://www.umass.edu/earth-geography-climate/news/egcs-massachusetts-undergraduate-research-conference

Join us this Friday at 12:20pm for a guest lecture by Dr. Za Barron (Norwegian University of Science and Technology) for a talk on Emplacement Sustainability as a place-based dialogue. In person and on Zoom: https://www.umass.edu/earth-geography-climate/events/emplacement-sustainability-place-based-dialogue-guest-lecture-dr-za-barron

Dr. LaToya Eaves is the invited speaker for this year's Bromery Lecture, speaking on Black Geographies and the Global Struggle for Liberation in the Appalachian South. Join us on Monday, April 13th at 12:20pm in ILC S211 - https://www.umass.edu/earth-geography-climate/events/black-geographies-and-global-struggle-liberation-appalachian-south-bromery-lecture-dr-latoya-eaves

The Bromery lecture is a once-a-year special lecture, endowed by the family of the late Commonwealth Professor of Geophysics and former UMass Amherst Chancellor Dr. Bill Bromery, intended to bring eminent scholars and role models to the University.

Join us this Friday at 12:20pm for guest lecture by Dr. Andrea Hawkes: a Tale of Two Coastal Ghost Forests; Deformation, Drowning, Drought, and Dredging. In person and on Zoom - https://www.umass.edu/earth-geography-climate/events/tale-two-coastal-forests-deformation-drowning-drought-and-dredging-guest-lecture-dr-andrea-hawkes