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Field Trips and Seminars

Geology students examining samples on a field trip to Missouri.

There is an old saying that "the best geologist has seen the most rocks," so a Wheaton Geology education includes travel to areas of special scientific interest. Field trips are taken during courses or as extra-course activities during Christmas and spring break. Trips have included: quarries, fossil localities and museums in northern Illinois; the ancient crystalline rocks in Missouri, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, and Canada; the Appalachian Blue Ridge Mountains; the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains; the Florida keys; Central Texas, and the Rockies. Opportunities for field trips outside of the U.S. include exploring the coral reefs of Belize and the regional geology of the Middle East.

In addition to hosting invited speakers to the Geology Department, students and faculty take time each semester to hear guest speakers at Chicago-area universities or travel to regional and national geological conferences.

Research and Professional Meetings
Independent research projects and internships are available to motivated students. There are many different ways to participate in research. Independent projects may be arranged, or interested students can become involved in ongoing faculty investigations. Project work may be field-oriented, lab-oriented, or a combination. Recent examples include studies in global sea level change, geoarchaeology, Precambrian bedrock geology, groundwater hydrology and stream sedimentology. Over the past four years, the College has sponsored summer research opportunities that fund research with faculty and provide housing and salary for students. Students and faculty frequently have the opportunity to present their research and regional or national professional meetings.

Internships
Internships are actual work experiences and valuable assets for students planning to become professional scientists. Each year the government and the private sector offer a number of limited-term positions to Wheaton scholars. Wheaton College's own HNGR (Human Needs and Global Resources) Program has given Geology majors a chance to share their time and talent as interns among needy people worldwide.

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