Welcome to the University of Alabama Department of Geological Sciences, a division of the College of Arts and Sciences.
Our department dates back to the University’s formative years. UA’s first geology program was established in 1847, and the department has historically provided a focus for the mapping and development of the geological and hydrological resources of the state of Alabama.
You can learn more about our department by exploring our website, and learning about each faculty member or different research groups, and the research being performed by faculty, staff and students here at UA. We also have a Newsletter, published each year, that details some of the most recent events.
Research
As The University of Alabama grew and established itself as a major research university, the Department of Geological Sciences also expanded its research activities, which now span the entire range of geological science and cover all corners of the globe.
Faculty
Departmental faculty have been recognized nationally and internationally for excellence in teaching and research. They publish regularly, several have been honored with distinguished lectureships, and many have served on the editorial boards of such internationally-circulated journals as American Mineralogist, Ground Water, Environmental Geology, Geological Society of America Bulletin, Geology, Journal of Paleontology, Tectonophysics, and Water Resources Research.
Facilities
In recent years, the department has undergone a major expansion of research space and equipment. We maintain office space, seminar rooms, and research laboratories in the 145,000-square-foot Tom Bevill Energy, Minerals, and Material Science Research Building. The Bevill Building also houses 5,500 square feet of research space for environmental geology. Our lecture halls and teaching laboratories are in Smith Hall (old Geology Building).
Seminars
The Department of Geological Sciences sponsors a weekly seminar series and several special lectures, including the endowed Drummond Lecture Series. We also regularly host distinguished lecturers sponsored by scientific societies such as the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Society of Exploration Geochemists, the Mineralogical Society of America, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory.
Find upcoming seminars and lectures on our events calendar.
Learn More
Watch this video to learn more about our department and hear a few of our faculty and students talk about why they’re passionate about geological sciences, and why they chose to come here.