Geosciences at Virginia Tech

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Geosciences at Virginia Tech Virginia Tech's Department of Geosciences focuses on research, education, and outreach.

Virginia Tech's Department of Geosciences focuses on research, education, and outreach dealing with the nature of the earth. Our students and faculty investigate earth processes at scales that range from atomic to planetary. Our growing geosciences community consists of over 50 graduate and over 80 undergraduate students working with 22 professors, six adjunct faculty, 12 emeritus professors, and seven postdocs and research associates. We encourage interdisciplinary approaches to research in the geosciences, both within the department and through interdepartmental programs.

Excited to share a newly published study in Water Resources Research!PhD student and lead researcher Esther Oyedele, alo...
10/14/2026

Excited to share a newly published study in Water Resources Research!

PhD student and lead researcher Esther Oyedele, along with Virginia Tech professor Dr. Susanna Werth and Grace Carlson, investigated how groundwater resources across the Colorado River Basin have responded to two decades of drought and surface water shortages. Their findings reveal striking differences between the Upper and Lower Basins, with particularly rapid groundwater losses in the Upper Basin during recent droughts.

These findings raise important questions about long-term water security in a region that supports millions of people, agriculture, and ecosystems.

Link in comments!



Image description: a composite image showing the cover of an academic paper and a headshot of Esther Oyedele.

Thinking about changing your major or adding a major or minor? Come check us out at Majors Fair! We'll be there to talk ...
10/14/2026

Thinking about changing your major or adding a major or minor? Come check us out at Majors Fair! We'll be there to talk with you about how adding geosciences to your studies can enhance your career goals and help get you where you want to be professionally!

Squires Commonwealth Ballroom, 14 October from 10-3.



Image description: a promotional flier announcing the date and time of a college majors fair with photos of geoscience students

Students in our study abroad program in Switzerland experienced several on-site field trips to experience geoscience in ...
10/09/2026

Students in our study abroad program in Switzerland experienced several on-site field trips to experience geoscience in situ. These students receive credit for several core geoscience classes as well as satisfy the field camp requirement for the geoscience major. What a wonderful opportunity, and it looks like a great time!



Description: several photos showing college-age young adults near rock outcrops and in learning centers, receiving instruction from professors.

09/28/2026

Virginia Tech Geosciences is pleased to participate in CASERM, a collaborative research consortium between industry leaders, the National Science Foundation, Colorado School of Mines, and Virginia Tech. During the recent consortium meeting in Golden, Colorado, VT Geoscience and Mining Engineering students and faculty visited the Mines Museum of Earth Science. Everyone had a wonderful time seeing another geoscience museum, especially finding some minerals from Virginia!



Pictured: a group of six people, four students and two faculty, standing in a group, with a mineral display case in the middle. The display case holds several brightly colored minerals and is labeled, "Minerals from the Eastern United States."

09/28/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Seyi Dasho (advisor: Dr. Manoochehr Shirzaei) on the successful defense of his PhD!

Dr. Dasho will soon join Virginia Sea Grant as a postdoctoral fellow. Best wishes, Dr. Dasho!



Pictured: a group of smiling people standing in front of a projector screen.

Congratulations to Dr. Matthew Tascione (advisor: Dr. John A. Hole) for his successful defense of his PhD! Dr. Tascione'...
09/24/2026

Congratulations to Dr. Matthew Tascione (advisor: Dr. John A. Hole) for his successful defense of his PhD! Dr. Tascione's thesis was titled, "Multi-Scale Characterization of Mining-Induced Deformation Using Radar," focusing on identifying mining-related hazards to improve safety. He presented how he uses ground penetrating radar to identify and characterize fractures within the roofs of salt mines in tandem with satellite-based radar studies of ground deformation above mines. Dr. Tascione collected GPR data in underground salt mines and developed a novel processing stream to successfully characterize fractures, earning him the epithet, "The Radar King," by his peers. Congratulations again!



Picture 1: a group photo of five people, a young man standing with his PhD committee of four members. One member is appearing on the projector screen via Zoom.

Picture 2: A young man standing at a podium with his advisor about to begin a presentation. The title of the talk is visible on the slide.

09/23/2026

Wow! What an amazing donation for our Museum of Geoscience from VT alum Andy Bailey. Andy pursued a minor in geoscience in tandem with his major in accounting in order to explore his interest in the Earth. His collection was inherited from his grandfather, an oil and gas surveyor in the 1940s. Included in the collection is a hadrosaurus vertebra and several other samples of interest, which will be used to enhance the Museum's outreach endeavors. Thank you, Andy!

Do you love burritos? A student club here at the Department of Geosciences, Friends of the Museum of Geoscience, is host...
09/15/2026

Do you love burritos? A student club here at the Department of Geosciences, Friends of the Museum of Geoscience, is hosting a fundraiser at Chipotle next Tuesday (22 September) from 4-8 pm. This fundraiser is only at the Prices Fork location in Blacksburg. Show this flier to the cashier before paying to help them out!

Image description: a flier for a student club fundraiser at Chipotle with a picture of a burrito wrapped in silver foil.

09/15/2026

Please join us for this week’s seminar with Dr. Larissa Dobrzhinetskaya (University of California, Riverside).

Dr. Dobrzhinetskaya’s talk is titled: “Microdiamonds from Ultrahigh-Pressure Metamorphic Terranes, Ophiolite, and Volcanic Sources."

Seminar is Friday, September 18th, in Derring 4069 at 3:30 pm. Light refreshments are served.

09/10/2026

Join us for our seminar tomorrow with Dr. Phil Prince, a geologist with Appalachian Landslide Consultants.

Dr. Prince's talk is titled, “LIDAR change detection and field insights on the processes behind Hurricane Helene's debris flows in North Carolina."

Dr. Prince recently made a popular video explaining the mechanics of the recent landslide in Nepal.

Ferring Hall 4069 3:30 PM.

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Blacksburg, VA
24061

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