Explore the geological and environmental issues that impact life in California.
8-units total: students will be enrolled in either FYS 1-1 (4 units) or FYS 1-2 (4 units), as well as GEO 105 (4 units).
Students enrolled in this Immersive Course will fulfill both the fall First-Year Seminar requirement and also the Core Lab Science requirement.
Taught by Prof. Ann Blythe and Prof. Nikki Seymour
The Life on the Edge immersive program pairs a First-Year Seminar with a section of one of Oxy's most popular science courses, Geology 105: Earth: Our Environment. It will focus on geologic and environmental issues that directly impact our lives in southern California.
The program will include a weekend-long field trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, providing students with an hands-on opportunity to explore the desert environment.
Prof. Ann Blythe (FYS 1-1): MWF 1:20-2:15 + F 2:25-3:20
Prof. Nikki Seymour (FYS 1-2): MWF 1:20-2:15 + F 2:25-3:20
Geologic and environmental issues shape everyday life in Southern California—right under your feet! This course invites you to connect science to society, classroom learning to real landscapes, and big ideas to your own life in California. Through integration with GEO 105, this FYS will build on key geologic concepts through lively discussions, thought-provoking readings, and three engaging writing assignments designed to sharpen your critical thinking. You will tackle big, timely questions: How prepared are we for earthquakes, especially the “Big One”? How has water scarcity shaped California’s growth and identity? Where does our energy come from—and what would it take to build a more sustainable future? We will experience in-class concepts first-hand with a two-day field trip to Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, an outstanding example of the region’s dramatic geology and desert environment.
Profs. Ann Blythe and Lydia Harmon: TBA
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Prof. Ann Blythe's Lab TBA OR Prof. Nikki Seymour's Lab TBA
This course will explore the physical processes that shape the environment on the Earth's surface. The course will cover the fundamentals of plate tectonics, rocks, minerals, geologic time, surface processes, and Earth's interior. Special attention will be paid to geologic hazards (such as earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, and landslides), the history and future of global climate change, and the human impact on the environment.
Complete the interest form linked below by the end of the day June 11th. Seats are limited and we may not be able to accommodate all interested students. Sign up early for the best chance getting a seat.
Ann Blythe teaches Introductory Geology, Introduction to Field Methods, Geomorphology, and Sedimentology and Stratigraphy.
Nikki Seymour’s research primarily addresses how deformation related to plate tectonic motion is accommodated in the middle to upper crust, the interactions between magmatism and deformation, and effects of sediment subduction at convergent plate boundaries.