Institute on Lake Superior Geology

Tag: Institute on Lake Superior Geology

Research Discovery Earns Senior Katy Cummings Geology Award

A potential breakthrough discovery helped Lawrence University senior Katy Cummings earn the “Most Promising Undergraduate Student Award” at the 2011 meeting of the Institute on Lake Superior Geology May 18-21 in Ashland.

Katy Cummings ’11 at the 2011 Institute on Lake Superior Geology meeting.

Cummings, a geology and biology double major from Dousman, was honored for her poster “Possible eukaryotic macrofossils in the 1.1 Ga Copper Harbor Formation, Michigan,” which she co-authored with Marcia Bjornerud, professor of geology and Walter Schober Professor of Environmental Studies.

The poster presentation was based on research Cummings conducted last fall during a field trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Cummings discovered what may be some of the oldest non-bacterial life forms yet documented in non-marine rocks.

The Institute on Lake Superior Geology is a non-profit professional society that provides a forum for the exchange of geological ideas and scientific data and promoting better understanding of the geology of the Lake Superior region. Its annual meeting draws geologists from the United States, Canada and throughout the world.

Lawrence Geology Major Cited for Presentation at Institute Annual Meeting

Lawrence University senior Amy Garbowicz was honored with a “Best Paper Award” for her presentation at the recent 49th annual Institute on Lake Superior Geology in Iron Mountain, Mich.

A geology major from Three Lakes, Garbowicz was one of more than 20 student presenters, most of whom were graduate students from major research institutions, to deliver a technical paper at the Institute’s annual meeting. She was one of three students cited with a “best paper” award, which included a monetary prize of $150.

Garbowicz delivered a talk on her research on mineralized slip striae on ancient fault surfaces in rocks related to the one billion year-old Mid-continent Rift, a geological system similar to the East African Rift. She has been investigating the reasons why this rift stopped from splitting North America in two. Her research in northern Wisconsin provides new insights into the causes of copper mineralization in the Keweenaw peninsula, which is part of the Mid-continent Rift.

The Institute on Lake Superior Geology is a non-profit professional society that convenes once each year in either the United States or Canada, providing a forum for the exchange of geological ideas and scientific data and promoting better understanding of the Precambrian geology of the Lake Superior region.