UMD Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences

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UMD Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences

The official page of the Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at the University of Maryland in College Park, MD and Ph.D.

A Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences with an undergraduate major was established at the university in 1973 with 5.5 full-time equivalent faculty, following c. 20 years during which Geology courses had been offered on Campus. Programs for the M.S. degrees started in 1982, by which time the Department comprised ~ 10.5 full-time equivalent faculty. There are currently approximately 18 tenured/tenure-track faculty members, 58 professional-track faculty members, five staff members, 79 undergraduate and graduate students, average research funding of more than $4 million annually and the support of 10 philanthropic funds. The Department contributes to the University Honors Program, provides leadership of the College Park Scholars Program in Science and Global Change, and sponsors the Earth Surface Processes Specialization within the campus-wide Environmental Science and Policy Program. The Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences encourages interdisciplinary approaches to the study of the Earth and participates in the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC). This Center has been formed through collaboration between the University of Maryland and NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to carry out preeminent research and teaching programs in Earth System Science. The Department is part of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.

09/10/2026

08/31/2026

The latest edition of the GeoGram is now available! Look for it in your mailboxes soon or view it online at https://www.geol.umd.edu/geogram.

Learn about our new faculty, the awards and recognition of our students and faculty, and a letter from our new department Chair, Dr. Sarah Penniston-Dorland.

08/25/2026

Congratulations to Distinguished University Professor Richard Walker who was elected to the 2026 class of Meteoritical Society Fellows!

https://meteoritical.org/news/meteoritical-society-fellows-2026

08/12/2026

UMD Geologists Measuring Ground Vibration Near an Elephant Enclosure

A recent study by faculty from the University of Maryland's Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences used seismic monitoring to address a non-traditional challenge (i.e., not earthquakes): investigating ground vibrations around an amusement and safari park in New Jersey. The study explored whether nearby roller coasters impact the acoustic and seismic environment of Joyce, a resident African elephant at the safari park – a critical question given that elephants are highly sensitive to low-frequency vibrations (Poole, 2011).

https://www.geol.umd.edu/news/celebrating-world-elephant-day-august-12-umd-geologists-measuring-ground-vibration-near-an-elephant-enclosure.php

07/21/2026

Congratulations to undergraduate major Kamirah Billups who received a CMNS Alumni Network Endowed Undergraduate Award to support her attendance at field camp at Bowling Green State University in Ohio this summer.

06/25/2026

Fifteen eager high school students had the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes tour of the Mineral Sciences Department at the National Museum of Natural History. Volcano Camp, run by Prof. Megan Newcombe and her associates, provides the opportunity to learn about volcanoes, an experience that culminates in student presentations about their week-long research experience.

06/15/2026

Questions about volcanoes? Ask Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences' Megan Newcombe in today's Reddit Ask-Me-Anything: https://redd.it/1u68jcl

Megan's research combines experimental petrology, numerical modeling, and state-of-the-art geochemical analyses to study volcanoes on the Earth, the Moon and Mars.

Alongside her research, Megan is dedicated to education and outreach, hosting an annual Volcano Camp that brings local high school students into the lab for hands-on science.

06/03/2026

We pleased to announce that Professor Sarah Penniston-Dorland has been named Chair of the Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences, effective July 1, 2026.

Sarah has been with the department since joining as a lecturer in 2004 and was promoted to professor in 2020. Between 2017 and 2022 she served as the department's director of graduate studies.

She is taking over from Professor James Farquhar who has served as chair for the past five years, overseeing our 50th anniversary celebration as well as the change to our new name to better reflect the many areas of study by our faculty and students.

You can read the full announcement here: https://cmns.umd.edu/news-events/news/sarah-penniston-dorland-chair-geological-environmental-planetary-sciences

05/15/2026

PhD Student Elizabeth Huang recently competed in the final round of the university-wide Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition. Elizabeth was one of only 20 3MT Finalists across every college, representing CMNS with her presentation entitled A Tapestry of Stone.

2026 3MT Competition at the University of Maryland

04/27/2026

Maryland Day was a big success this year! Check out the photo album to see the fun the visitors had at our events.

Address

8000 Regents Drive
College Park, MD
20742

Website

https://www.geol.umd.edu/

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