2026-27 message from the Chair, Dr. James Riley
Greetings! Students who have taken classes with me know that I frequently turn to music or film as pop-culture references to introduce topics of discussion. So here goes . . . Long before Taylor Swift’s “eras,” there was David Bowie. Bowie was a prominent rock musician who was known for transforming both himself and his sound over the course of his career. He adopted many personas and alter egos that helped define his evolution – from Major Tom to Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane to the Thin White Duke. The chorus of one of Bowie’s early songs, Changes, foretells his episodic reinvention by embracing personal growth amidst the fluidity of time: “Time may change me, but I can’t trace time.”
Adapting to change is a fundamental aspect of science. Change is what drives the scientific method – bringing us closer to truth and at times leading to revolutions in knowledge and thought. Academic disciplines and the departments they are housed in should reflect these changes to prepare students for careers relevant to current demands. Geology and geography programs across the country are currently adapting with increased emphasis on modernized skill sets and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Changes have occurred in our department before and have again this past year. We now offer a single Bachelor of Science degree in Geosciences with three familiar options: Geology, Human Geography, and Environmental/Physical Geography. Each option has its own curriculum, with recent curricular updates modifying the geography options. We still offer small classes to cultivate faculty-student engagement, we promote mentorship via research opportunities, and we are connecting students to internships, but now under an approach that binds our disciplines. To reflect this, we have changed the name of the department to Geosciences.
We have also decided to name our newsletter. Ironically enough, this newsletter was called Geoscience Newsletter in the 1990s and 2000s. In homage to EIU’s setting and having some fun with wordplay, we settled on Erratics. Our alumni are scattered across different states, industries, and careers, just as glacial erratics that dot our landscape were transported far from their source.
In the Department office, Brian Crozier is our new office manager. Brian comes to us from the English Department and is an avid sports enthusiast who bleeds Cubbie blue. Our previous office manager, Kembra Melton, is now down the hall from us working with the Chemistry Department.
Dr. Jim Davis decided to return to the faculty after serving as Department Chair for the past three years. I stepped into this position over the summer and have been grateful for Jim’s guidance. I am looking forward to opportunities our new degree presents to unify our approach as a department, especially in matters of recruiting new students. We already have our first declared Geosciences majors, and we are focused on bringing in more. I hope you enjoy reading updates from our faculty members and the accomplishments of students in this edition of Erratics.
Finally, mark your calendars! We hope to see you at Homecoming on October 24th. Please join us for a department open house on the 3rd floor of the Physical Science Building from 11 AM-12 PM following the Homecoming parade. Reconnect with old friends and classmates, visit with faculty, and enjoy some pastries before heading to Tent City for tailgate festivities.
Until the next ch-ch-changes,
Jim
Annual Newsletters
