Jackson School of Geosciences

Infobox_University
name=Jackson School of Geosciences


established = 2001/2005*
city = Austin
state = TX
country = USA
dean = Chip Groat (interim)
website = [http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/ www.jsg.utexas.edu]
footnotes = * The school was founded in 2001 and elevated to the level of a college in 2005

The Jackson School of Geosciences at The University of Texas at Austin unites the Department of Geological Sciences, one of the largest and most respected academic departments of geological sciences, with two world-renowned research units, the Institute for Geophysics and the Bureau of Economic Geology.

Covering the full breadth of geoscience research and practice, the school is one of the few earth science institutions to combine a strong tradition of basic, collaborative research with a robust program of applied research, creating a unique opportunity for students and scientists at all levels.

The Jackson School is both old and new. It traces its origins to a Department of Geology founded in 1888 but became a separate unit at the level of a college only on September 1, 2005. The school's formation resulted from generous gifts by the late John A. and Katherine G. Jackson valued at over $300 million.

In March 2006, "U.S. News & World Report" ranked the Jackson School of Geosciences ninth among U.S. earth science graduate programs. In addition to the overall ranking, the Jackson School earned top 10 rankings in three of four earth science specialty areas, placing No. 5 in geology, No. 8 in geophysics and seismology, and No. 9 in paleontology. [U.S. News & World Report Rankings of Graduate Programs 2006 http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/news/rels/033106b.html] The school also has a long-standing reputation as the country's top program in sedimentology & stratigraphy. Other areas in which the school is actively involved are hydrology, environmental geology, climate, petroleum exploration, petrology, geochemistry, structural geology and tectonics.

Dr. Chip Groat is the interim Dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences.

Mission & Vison

Mission
To advance understanding of the Earth, its resources, systems,and environment, for the lasting benefit of humankind.

Vision
To become the preeminent geoscience program in the country with international prominence in geology, geophysics, energy, mineral and water resources, and in the broad areas of the earth sciences, including the Earth's environment. To realize this vision, the Jackson School will pursue initiatives that

* Place the school at the forefront of research.
* Place the school at the forefront of education, student services, and student opportunities.
* Create the fabric of a great college.
* Increase our competitiveness for top talent.

Strategic Plan
In 2007, the Jackson School initiated a new strategic plan to realize the school's vision.

Academics

The Department of Geological Sciences offers the following undergraduate degree programs: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science in General Geology, Bachelor of Science in Geophysics, Bachelor of Science in Hydrogeology/Environmental Geology, Bachelor of Science in Teaching, Bachelor of Science in Geosystems Engineering and Hydrogeology. There is also an undergraduate Geological Sciences Honors Program. In the 2006-2007 academic year, the department awarded 49 undergraduate degrees.

The department offers the following graduate degree programs: Master of Science (with thesis), Master of Arts (with report), and Doctoral Degree. In the 2006-2007 academic year, the department awarded 52 graduate degrees.

Students may also graduate with an Interdisciplinary Master Degree through the Energy & Mineral Resources (EER) Graduate Program. The EER Graduate Program provides the opportunity for students to prepare themselves in management, finance, economics, law and policy leading to analytical and leadership positions in resource–related fields. Private sector and government organizations face a growing need for professionals that can plan, evaluate, and manage complex resource projects, commonly international in scope, which often include partners with a variety of professional backgrounds. This program is well suited for those looking towards 21st century careers in energy, mineral, water, and environmental resources.

In March 2006, U.S. News & World Report ranked the Jackson School of Geosciences ninth among U.S. earth science graduate programs. In addition to the overall ranking, the Jackson School earned top 10 rankings in three of four earth science specialty areas, placing No. 5 in geology, No. 8 in geophysics and seismology, and No. 9 in paleontology. [U.S. News & World Report Rankings of Graduate Programs 2006 http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/news/rels/033106b.html]

Research Units

The Jackson School's faculty and research scientists pursue 200 active research projects a year with annual funding of over $25 million. Research is often collaborative across the three scientific units and interdisciplinary with other departments at The University of Texas at Austin.

Department of Geological Sciences

The Department of Geological Sciences is the main academic unit of the Jackson School. Founded in 1888, the Department is one of the oldest, largest, and most prestigious geoscience programs in the world. U.S. News & World Report ranks the Department's graduate program in the top ten nationally for earth sciences, the only program in Texas with this distinction. The Department also has top ten specialty rankings across the spectrum of the earth sciences.

The Department has strong ties to industry due to its large size, prestigious alumni, and geographic proximity to Houston, home to about two-thirds of the country's professional geologists.

Students further benefit from opportunities for employment, research assistantships, and academic credit working with Jackson School scientists at the Bureau of Economic Geology and the Institute for Geophysics.

Bureau of Economic Geology

The Bureau of Economic Geology was established in 1909 as a successor to the Texas Geological Survey and the Texas Mineral Survey. Today the Bureau functions as a research unit of The University of Texas at Austin, the State Geological Survey, and the Regional Lead Organization for the Petroleum Technology Transfer Council. The Bureau provides wide-ranging advisory, technical, informational, and research-based services to industries, nonprofit organizations, and Federal, State, and local agencies. The Bureau also provides facilities and management to the office of Publication Sales, Core Research Laboratories, and the Geophysical Log Facility, all of which serve the public.

Institute for Geophysics

The University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) is known internationally as a leading academic research group in geology and geophysics. Founded in 1972, it is an Organized Research Unit within The University of Texas at Austin, operating under the auspices of the flagship College of Natural Sciences in Austin. UTIG works with the UT Department of Geological Sciences and Bureau of Economic Geology to provide basic and applied geophysical research opportunities for graduate students at the MA and PhD level through its worldwide programs in solid earth geophysics, marine geology/geophysics, and multi-channel reflection seismology. Some of its scientists also participate in the UT Environmental Science Institute.

UTIG research activities are carried out all over the world and include large-scale, multi-investigator, multi-institutional field programs. The importance of geophysical measurements and their mathematical interpretation in the exploration for petroleum and economically useful minerals has also led to valuable partnerships between UTIG and industry. UTIG plays a role in K-12 education through formal teacher-training programs and informal outreach efforts.

UTIG strives to conduct research that expands the frontiers of knowledge in earth science, has societal and economic relevance, and is of human interest. Dedicated to basic and applied research alike, the Institute aims to enhance humanity's fundamental understanding of the dynamic geophysical processes that have influenced and continue to influence Earth's structure and climate.

Geographically, UTIG's scope includes the ocean basins, continental margins, Antarctica, and all sites of seismic activity. Chronologically, its scope is no less vast: from the development of tectonic evolution models that reconstruct continental arrangements as much as a billion years ago to predicting how future climatic scenarios would impact sea-level changes and thus the habitability of densely populated coastal regions. The Institute's research has been and will continue to be highly relevant to natural resource exploration, the assessment of geologic hazards, and the mitigation of environmental damage. The development of new mathematical models, data processing and imaging techniques, and geophysical instrumentation is also an integral part of UTIG's ongoing research and future goals.

Expansion

The Jackson School is the largest geoscience research and educationenterprise at any university. Now, beginning in fall 2007, the school is upping theante, pursuing the largest expansion of any earth science programin the U.S., adding 35 new faculty and scientists over the next five years.

Most openings are not for specific positions but for clusters of highly qualified people in the key thematic areas of the school's strategic plan (see below). This approach allows the flexibility to attract outstanding researchers working across disciplinary boundaries and pushing the frontiers of their fields.At the same time, the school is working aggressively to support and retain existing top talent, while creating an atmosphere that offers incentives for research productivity and fosters the success of all of its scientists. New hires join a stimulating community whose ranks include members of the national academies, leaders of major collaborative research programs, and current and former leaders of the national geoscience societies.

Building on its inherent strengths while expanding its domain, the Jackson School's growth is focused on four major areas of research and education:

* Crust/mantle/core dynamics
* Surface and hydrologic processes
* Energy, environment, and policy research
* Climate systems science.

In each area of focus the school seeks faculty and scientists who are charting the future of their disciplines. Additionally, the school seeks leaders in geoscience pedagogy at the university level. The school also prioritizes three emerging themes that cross-cut all areas of focus:

* Water and water resource sustainability
* Computational geosciences
* Rapid response research.

The opportunity to enhance geoscience-related policy and inform decision-makers is important to all of these themes.

References

External links

* [http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/ Jackson School of Geosciences]
* [http://www.ig.utexas.edu/ Institute for Geophysics]
* [http://www.beg.utexas.edu/ Bureau of Economic Geology]
* [http://www.geo.utexas.edu/ Department of Geological Sciences]