Baylor Geology Department Welcomes Berkeley Professor for Distinguished Lecture

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The Baylor University Department of Geology in the College of Arts and Sciences will host the O.T. Hayward Distinguished Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 23, in Room D109 of the Baylor Sciences Building, 101 Bagby Ave. The lecture will feature Bill Dietrich, Ph.D., professor of earth and planetary science at the University of California at Berkeley.
Dietrich will speak about the question "Is there a topographic signature of life?" and will emphasize the importance of life on the formation of topography. He also will "explore mechanisms linking biota to erosional processes and explore several hypotheses about an earth without life as a way to reveal the role biota may play in shaping landscapes."
Dietrich is the co-founder of the National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping. While his primary research focus is the processes that underlie the evolution of landscapes, Dietrich is co-developing a digital terrain model for predicting salmon populations from digital terrain data with the National Center for Earth Surface Dynamics. He earned his bachelor's degree at Occidental College and his master's and Ph.D. at the University of Washington.
About Baylor University
Baylor University is a private Christian university and a nationally ranked research institution, characterized as having "high research activity" by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The university provides a vibrant campus community for approximately 15,000 students by blending interdisciplinary research with an international reputation for educational excellence and a faculty commitment to teaching and scholarship. Chartered in 1845 by the Republic of Texas through the efforts of Baptist pioneers, Baylor is the oldest continually operating university in Texas. Located in Waco, Baylor welcomes students from all 50 states and more than 80 countries to study a broad range of degrees among its 11 nationally recognized academic divisions.
About the College of Arts & Sciences
The College of Arts & Sciences is Baylor University's oldest and largest academic division, consisting of 27 academic departments and 13 academic centers and institutes. The more than 5,000 courses taught in the College span topics from art and theatre to religion, philosophy, sociology and the natural sciences. Faculty conduct research around the world, and research on the undergraduate and graduate level is prevalent throughout all disciplines.
For more information, visit the Baylor University Department of Geology or call (254) 710-2361.
by Carmen Galvan, student newswriter, (254) 710-6805