Baylor Department of Geosciences Will Host O.T. Hayward Distinguished Lecture Series

Media Contact: Tonya B. Hudson, Baylor University Media and Public Relations, 254-710-4656
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by Jessie Jilovec, student newswriter, Baylor University Media and Public Relations

WACO, Texas (March 5, 2019) – The Baylor University department of geosciences will host Patrick Belmont, Ph.D., associate professor of hydrology and geomorphology in the department of watershed sciences at Utah State University, for the O.T. Hayward Distinguished Lecture Series from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday, March 7.

Belmont received the Geological Society of America’s 2018 Kirk Bryan Award for Excellence. He also was Utah State University’s Faculty Researcher of the Year in 2018 and will present his lecture on “Restoring the Health of Large Rivers in Agricultural Landscapes.”

His studies focus on understanding how landscape systems have evolved over time. He evaluates how that landscape context influences modern processes and dynamics.

Peter Allen, Ph.D., professor of geosciences in Baylor’s College of Arts & Sciences, said Belmont has done similar research as Allen does, on the agricultural influence on rivers.

“Belmont is a young researcher at the top of his game at Utah State, which is an up-and-coming school in that area,” Allen said. “They are doing some real interesting work in that area of the United States.”

Research on agricultural influence on rivers and streams is a very important line of research, Allen said. He said agriculture is the largest polluter of rivers and streams in the United States, and natural resource conservation services work to diminish the pollutant load in streams while still providing food. Belmont’s lecture will focus on this problem.

The O.T. Hayward Lecture was bequeathed by a former student, who thought the best way to honor the legendary Baylor professor would be to have distinguished lecturers in the geosciences field come speak to the Baylor community. Allen said Hayward was a mentor to many. He passed away in 2010.

The lecture will be in Room D.109 of the Baylor Sciences Building, 101 Bagby Ave. There will be refreshments in the E2 elevator landing of the Baylor Sciences Building. At 3 p.m. Friday, March 8, in Room E.231 of the Baylor Sciences Building, Belmont will present an additional lecture, “Monitoring and Modeling Sediment Dynamics at Large Landscape Scales.”

For more information, visit the department of geosciences website.

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