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Physcial Science Department Bob Thompson Emeritus Geology Instructor |
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Physcial Science Department Bob Thompson Emeritus Geology Instructor |
CURRICULUM VITA
EDUCATION:
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Master of Science in Geology Summer 1968
Thesis: Geology of Wet Beaver Creek Canyon, Arizona
Advisor: Dr Richard Rush
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
Bachelor of Science Winter 1966
Major: Geology
Minors: Biology and Forestry
Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ
NSF Short Course on Astrogeology Summer 1968
New Mexico State University, Las Cruses, NM
NSF Short Course on Water Resources Summer 1969
Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA
NSF Short Course on Mineralogy, Petrology, and Geochemistry Summer
1970
Farleigh Dickinson University, Madison, NJ
NSF Short Course on Modern Carbonate Sedimentation Summer 1971
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
Radiation Safety Short Course Summer 1980
Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ
ACEPT Workshop in Science Teaching Methods Summer 1999
TEACHING EXPERIENCE:
ADDITIONAL WORK-RELATED EXPERIENCE
Chair, Applied Sciences Department 1987-2000
Glendale Community College
Assistant Chair, Applied Sciences Department 2000-2001
Glendale Community College
Chair, Special Events Committee 1987
Geological Society of America National Meeting
Member, GCC President's Advisory Committee 1995-1996
Work contributed to substantially increased faculty hiring
Member (representing Dept chairs) GCC Curriculum Committee
1996-2000
Member, GCC Staffing Committee 2000-2001
Member, Environmental and Educational Advisory Committee 1989-2000
Arizona Geological Survey
Work contributed to the reinstatement of Earth
Science as a valid
science for Arizona high school curricula
Member, Arizona Environmental Education Advisory Task Force
1988-1993
State of Arizona
Work contributed to the Arizona Environmental Education Law
(HB 2675 in 1990), the "environmental license plate"
for
Arizona automobiles, the Framework for Environmental Literacy,
and
the Comprehensive Plan for Environmental Education in Arizona
Chair, Arizona Geology Articulation Task Force 1988,1992,1995
As a member of this organization since its inception, and chair
for
3 terms, my work contributed to the course equalization and
transferability of many geology courses between the many community
colleges and the state universities within Arizona
Chair, Maricopa Community College Geology Instructional Council
1984-1996
As a member of this organization since its inception, and chair
for
many years, my work helped promote unity within MCCD campuses
that offer geology courses, and helped gain transferability of
numerous
geology courses to the state universities
Field Assistant 1966-1968
U.S. Forest Service - Beaver Creek Watershed Project
Gathered and interpreted geologic, hydrologic, and biologic
data
Student Assistant 1966-1968
Museum of Northern Arizona
Assisted Museum researchers in gathering data in the field
Maintained rock, mineral, and fossil collection for the museum
Technician and Field Assistant 1966
US Geological Survey and NASA
Collated Lunar Orbiter photos in preparation for picking site
for 1st lunar landing and
assisted experts in training of astronauts for studying lunar
surface while on the moon (EVA) at Meteor Crater and San Francisco
Volcanic Field
PROFESIONAL ACCREDITATION
Permanent Teaching Certificate
Arizona Community College Board
Certified Professional Geological Scientist Certificate
#4993
American Institute of Professional Geologists
Geologist Certificate #16776
Arizona Technical Board of Registration
Certified Professional Geologist Certificate #603
Indiana Department of Natural Resources
Geologist Certificate #118
Alaska Department of Commerce and Economic Development
PROFESIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
Geological Society of America
American Institute of Professional Geologists
Sigma Gamma Epsilon (national geologic honorary)
NAU Chapter charter member and 1st president
National Geographic Society
PUBLICATIONS
"Faulting in Wet Beaver Creek Canyon, Arizona (abstract)
1968
Arizona Academy of Sciences Proceedings
"Creede Shale Fossils" 1971
Guidebook of the San Luis Basin, Colorado
New Mexico Geological Society
"Geology of the Defiance Mine" 1980
Mineralogical Record V.11, #4
"Camp Verde Evaporites" 1983
Mineralogical Record V.14, #2
Physical Geology Lab Manual 1988-2005
Glendale Community College
Environmental Geology Lab Manual 1989-2005
Glendale Community College
PERSONAL INFORMATION
Married (since 1975), 3 children (all now enjoying success
in life)
I tend to become very heavily involved with personal and family
activities
Used to race cars competitively in high school and college
now I watch races on TV
Used to ski competitively now I just cruise the slopes with
one of my daughters at Christmas
Used to collect minerals and display them competitively
now I just enjoy them
Used to fly hang gliders competitively now I just remember
the great times
I'm an air-head at heart flying has been a major
part of my life for many years, and continues:
Earned my Private Pilot rating in 1971 have logged 300+
hours of powered flight
Got into hang gliding in 1973.. way back when it was just beginning
Am a Charter Member of Arizona Hang Gliding Association and U.
S. Hang Gliding Assoc.
Became a Certified Hang Gliding Instructor in 1976
Earned Master Hang Glider Pilot Rating in 1979
Set World Record for distance flown in a hang glider in 1982 (140
miles)
Earned Bronze, Silver, Gold Badges and all 3 Diamonds for Hang
Gliding in 1983
Was third hang glider pilot to ever fly more than 200 miles in
a single flight (218 miles in 1987) (Mt.
Elden <Flagstaff> to Cortez, CO)
Flew hang glider across Grand Canyon in 1985 (Grand
Canyon, North Rim)
Was member of U.S. Hang Gliding Association Board of Directors
1982-1986
Author of 27 articles in Hang Gliding Magazine
Author of 14 articles in Arizona Flyways Magazine
Logged over 3000 hours in hang gliding and over 5,000 miles of
X-C hang gliding flight
Earned Glider Rating in 1995
Have logged 1200+ hours soaring in gliders
Currently, I own my own high performance
glider, a Ventus, and fly as often as possible
I very much enjoy hiking, and am quite comfortable with long hikes
(10-20 miles), large elevation gains (5,000'+), and hiking at
high altitudes (12,000-14,000' above sea level). See the 2 attached
photos.. one looking down from
Sheep Mtn (our cabin is just to the right of Dave's shoulder),
and the other looking up at
the peak the other photo was taken from the top of..... photo
taken from our dining room window. (We hiked up to it and back
from the cabin.) It was a fun hike for me, rather heavy for Alicia
and Dave...
My wife and I spend our summers in the San Juan Mountains of southwestern Colorado surrounded by natural beauty, incredible geology, cool clean air, pure cold water, and few people. There, I relax, hike, fly my glider, raft the streams, ride my motorcycle and drive my truck over the 4 wheel-drive roads and high passes, poke around old mines, enjoy the rural folksy atmosphere, and pretty much just enjoy life in general.
During the summer of 2002 the area where I spend my summers was involved in the Missionary Ridge Fire. The fire burned over 70,000 acres, and came within several hundred yards of my cabin (see photos). As I have a minor in forestry and had previous fire fighting experience, I stayed to protect my property (for 34 days), and was successful. Being a geologist I knew that shortly after the fire should be expected mud / debris flows, which did occur, and I was right in the middle of some of them (see photos). I discovered trenches carved by some of the debris flows had exposed stratigraphy of previous fires and erosional events (see photos). The strata contained charcoal, and we were able to get a grant from the Colorado Geological Survey for a dozen Carbon dates. This exposed stratigraphy is now the subject of a paper that was presented at the GSA Rocky Mountain Region Meeting in May, 2003 ("Evidence for a Connection Between Wildfires, Erosion, and Landscape Development Over the Past 3500 Years in Southwestern Colorado" by Frenchette, Gonzales, Kenny, and Thompson), and is also now a master's thesis subject for a student (Jed Frenchette) at Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO. So much occurred in such a short period of time, that I would like to share with others, that I wrote a book about my experiences, which was published in January of 2004 (Fire Story: Vallecito Burning - A Personal Account of the Missionary Ridge Fire Near Durango, Colorado During the Summer of 2002").
I "retired" from full time teaching, after 33 years,
on June 2, 2001, but the door I went through was a "revolving
one". I taught under Emeritus Faculty
status during Spring semesters at G.C.C. for an additional 5 years.
After teaching at GCC for 38 years and at ASU West as a Faculty
Associate for 17 years, I am now fully retired. It has been a
pleasant and rewarding time in my life.
