SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor
1977, Ph.D., SUNY at Stony Brook
Chair-elect: University Senate, 2007 - 2009
Chair, Governance Council of University Senate, 2007
Member, Senate Executive Committee, 2007 - 2009
2007 Torch Award for outstanding contributions to the undergraduate academic experience
Associate Director - New York Center for Studies on the Origins of Life (NASA), 1998 - 2006
NASA Principal Investigator, Exobiology Program, 1998 - 2006
Board of Directors, Dudley Observatory, 2002 - 2004, 2005 - 2006
2005 Executive Award from the Science Teachers' Association of New York State, 2005
Director, University's Astronomical Observatory (2002 - present)
State University of New York Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Teaching
University at Albany President's Award for Excellence in Teaching
Activity on Professional Panels for Federal Agencies
(NASA) President's Commission on the Moon, Mars and Beyond, 2004 (invited testimony)
(NASA) Astrobiology Institutes Review Panel, 2003
(NSF) Math and Science Partnerships Review Panel, 2003, 2004
(NSF) Math and Science Partnerships Site Visit Team, 2004 (Chair), 2005 (Chair)
(NASA) Lunar and Planetary Geosciences Review Panel, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2005
(NASA) Discovery Missions Review Panel, 1994, 2006
Chair - Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, 1996 - 1999
COURSES TAUGHT (2005-present)
CHM 120 General Chemistry I (3 credits)
ENV 105 Introduction to Environmental Science (3 credits)
ENV 175H Dinosaurs in Jurassic Environments (4 credits; Honors College)
ENV 250 Energy and Resources (3 credits)
ENV 350Y Environmental Geochemistry (4 credits)
ENV 490H Topics in Environmental Science (3 credits; Honors College)
UFSP 100 Freshman Seminar Program (1 credit)
UNI 101H Foundations of Great Ideas (4 credits; Honors College)
PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES
Geochemical Society
Geological Society of America
American Chemical Society
Sigma Xi
Omicron Delta Kappa Honor Society (Distinguished Member)
INTERESTS
An Apollo 17 impact glass measuring ~250 microns in diameter has an 40Ar/39Ar age of 130 ? 25 Ma. The planar surface in the center of the image is a polished surface that allowed the sample to be chemically analyzed by electron microprobe prior to its being removed from the adhesive and isotopically dated.
As discussed in Delano (2001), the composition of gases released by high-temperature, terrestrial volcanism during the last ~3900 Ma has remained nearly constant.
3.2 kilowatts of solar photovoltaic panels at my family's home generate ~40% of our electrical energy annually. We have recently installed a solar thermal system (40 evacuated tubes) for producing a large fraction of domestic hot water needs using the Sun, rather than electricity.
My research deals with environments on the early Earth (bombardment history; composition of atmosphere during the Hadean era), and how those environments influenced the emergence of sustainable life on this planet. This work dealing with the bombardment history involves chemical isotopic analyses of impact-produced glasses collected during the Apollo missions to the Moon. Information about the composition of the volcanic gasses that entered the Archean/Hadean atmosphere relies on the chemical behavior of transition elements (e.g., Cr, V) as recorded by the whole-rock compositions of basaltic-to-komatiitic rocks erupted on the Earth through time. In addition, an emerging area of research deals with Jurassic environments as recorded in the geochemical compositions of sedimentary rocks in the Hartford Basin (Connecticut).
My family lives in rural setting not far from the UAlbany campus where we are trying to use our professional knowledge of the environment to live 'greener' life-styles (i.e., practice what we preach). To that end, we have (a) installed 3.2 kilowatts [kW] of solar panels for generating ~40% of our home's annual electrical energy, (b) installed a solar thermal system for generating most of our domestic hot water that should displace ~2000 kWh of electrical energy annually, (c) purchase the remainder of our electrical energy from renewable sources, specifically wind, that is option available to all electric rate-payers in New York State, and (d) participate in an ambitious recyling campaign that has cut the volume of our domestic waste by nearly 75%. We host visits to our home by undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Science and by students belonging to the University's Honors College to illustrate our initiatives at trying to live in a more environmentally responsible manner. Although we have a long way to go before the goal of living sustainably is met, my family has begun the journey and continues to make progress.
I have delivered ~180 invited talks since January 2000 to public and professional groups.
UNIVERSITY SERVICE (2007)
Member, Tenure and Promotion Committee, College of Arts and Sciences
Member, Selection Committee for University Distinguished Professors
Member, President's Task Force for Environmental Sustainability
Co-Chair, Committee on Energy Use (President's Environmental Sustainability Task Force)
Member, President's Advisory Council on the Prevention of Alcohol Abuse
Member, Honors College Governing Board
Member, Search Committee for Director of University Energy Programs
Member, Selection Committee for President's Award for Leadership
Chair-Elect, University Senate
Chair, Governance Council of University Senate
Member, Search Committee for Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences
Member, University Council
Member, University Retention Committee
Member, Senate Executive Committee
Member, SUNY Chancellor's Advisory Committee for UAlbany Interim President |
