Annual Department Field Trip
Early in each fall semester, the department runs a field trip open to all students in our major programs. Several faculty members go as well. Each year we visit a different location. Previous trips have been to parts of Ontario, central New York, and even central and southern Maine. This trip is co-sponsored by the Geology Club.
National and International Field Courses
Other field experiences are courses themselves that provide opportunities to experience geology and geological phenomena farther afield than our course-related trips. Upper-division courses and graduate-level courses have been run to parts of the western United States to study classic geological locations such as the Grand Canyon; the San Francisco Volcanic Field; the Havasupai Indian Reservation with the Havasu Falls in Arizona; Zion National Park; Veyo Volcanic Field in Utah; Long Valley Caldera and Mono Lake in California; Death Valley; and Meteor Crater in Arizona.
Other trips have included Hawaiian volcanos, the Swiss Alps, and the volcanoes of the greater El Salvador area in Central America.
For more information on this field trip and future trips, please contact Gary Solar at (716) 878-6731.
Astronomy Geology Club
The AstroGeo Club is a club focused on 4 simple things: space, rocks, fun people, and free food! Learning about the rocks beneath our feet and the grand universe in which we reside.
The group meets every Tuesday at 12:15 p.m. in SAMC 106
Field Education
The Earth Sciences faculty is committed to students' success by offering as many field experiences as possible. We offer many styles of opportunities for students to experience the natural setting of many of the in-class topics studied through the curriculum.
Past field trips include Hawaii, the American West (Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon, and Zion National Parks), the Adirondacks, and Maine. Trips to Europe are planned.
Internship and Career Opportunities
Buffalo State's Earth Sciences Department offers several field-based courses and has strong relationships with local companies and government agencies which help to provide opportunities for hands-on experiences and work-related internships prior to graduation.
The internship program is designed to provide students seeking careers in the geosciences with professional work experience. It is generally expected that the student will have junior or senior standing. Internship opportunities are advertised within the department, but may also be initiated by the student. A written agreement between the student, field supervisor and a faculty supervisor will be formulated.
Research Projects
Research opportunities are available to students in the study of rocks, fossils, environmental issues, and geological processes. Laboratory work and hands-on outdoor data collection are central investigation techniques applied by Earth Science majors.
Each year, our students present their work at the Student Research and Creativity Conference.