Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences https://eeps.case.edu CWRU Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:21:58 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.8.1 Meet Charles Kaplan, senior major in Environmental Geology https://eeps.case.edu/meet-charles-kaplan-senior-major-in-environmental-geology/ Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:21:58 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=923 Tell us something about where you grew up and your experiences.

I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s a very hot place to live with an economy that depends on tourism, but there’s a lot to do around the city and the variety and quality of food is amazing. It’s also a much sunnier place than Cleveland and has a lot of great spots for hiking.

What do you like about the EEPS Dept?

I like the comradery that exists between the students and how easy it is to feel connected to faculty and other students in the department because of how small we are.

Continue reading... Meet Charles Kaplan, senior major in Environmental Geology]]> Tell us something about where you grew up and your experiences.

I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. It’s a very hot place to live with an economy that depends on tourism, but there’s a lot to do around the city and the variety and quality of food is amazing. It’s also a much sunnier place than Cleveland and has a lot of great spots for hiking.

What do you like about the EEPS Dept?

I like the comradery that exists between the students and how easy it is to feel connected to faculty and other students in the department because of how small we are. I feel like everyone cares about each other and wants every person in the department to succeed.

Tell us about your senior research thesis.

I am working with foraminifera, a type of single-celled organism that lives in the ocean. Our primary question driving my research project is about the response of foraminifera to changing acidity in the ocean, especially in terms of their respiration. My PI and I visited BIOS in Bermuda last summer to be able to collect data on this topic, and I will be presenting initial findings at Intersections this semester.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time, I sing in the Case Glee Club, help plan the semesterly Humans vs Zombies game, go to hardcore concerts, and play tabletop roleplaying games.

What are you enthused about for your future?

I am excited to start in a graduate program after graduation and learn more about oceanographic research, which is the area I would like to pursue.

]]> EEPS Professor Jim Van Orman: lunar research https://eeps.case.edu/eeps-professor-jim-van-orman-lunar-research/ Fri, 18 Jul 2025 13:47:28 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=909 Professor Van Orman talks to Case Daily about lunar research. Read about it here.

Continue reading... EEPS Professor Jim Van Orman: lunar research]]> Professor Van Orman talks to Case Daily about lunar research. Read about it here.

]]> EEPS students featured in Case Daily https://eeps.case.edu/eeps-students-featured-in-case-daily/ Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:10:36 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=905 Exploring Earth’s History: Read about two of our EEPS students in the Case Daily.

Continue reading... EEPS students featured in Case Daily]]> Exploring Earth’s History: Read about two of our EEPS students in the Case Daily.

]]> Meet Tyler Larkin, Senior Major in Geology https://eeps.case.edu/meet-tyler-larkin-senior-major-in-geology/ Fri, 28 Mar 2025 17:18:03 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=896 Tell us something about where you grew up and your experiences.

I grew up in Mayfield, Ohio, just south of Cleveland. I’ve always been very interested in the Earth’s history, but it originally started with paleontology and has grown into what it is today. I loved growing up in the vicinity of an excellent museum, and one of my favorite specimens at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is their skeleton of the temnospondyl amphibian Eryops megacephalus.

What do you like about the EEPS Dept?

One of the things that has stood out to me since I’ve become an EEPS major is the passion that each professor here has for their work,

Continue reading... Meet Tyler Larkin, Senior Major in Geology]]>

Tell us something about where you grew up and your experiences.

I grew up in Mayfield, Ohio, just south of Cleveland. I’ve always been very interested in the Earth’s history, but it originally started with paleontology and has grown into what it is today. I loved growing up in the vicinity of an excellent museum, and one of my favorite specimens at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History is their skeleton of the temnospondyl amphibian Eryops megacephalus.

What do you like about the EEPS Dept?

One of the things that has stood out to me since I’ve become an EEPS major is the passion that each professor here has for their work, and the diversity of research being investigated in such a small department.

Tell us about your senior research thesis.

My senior thesis is centered on investigating the kinetics of the reduction of the iron oxide hematite during the process of metamorphism. I am specifically attempting to measure the rate at which hematite transforms into the more reduced oxide magnetite. Having a better understanding of the rate of this reaction can help us to predict how fast an un-metamorphosed iron formation might transform under a range of metamorphic conditions.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

In my spare time I enjoy maintaining my various collections, such as vinyl records and CDs, figurines from the Alien films, and of course fossils, rocks, and bones.

What are you enthused about for your future?

It is my goal to eventually become a professor and researcher in the future. I have enjoyed having opportunities to tutor friends and give presentations over the years and am very enthusiastic to continue having the opportunity to educate others.

 
]]> Meet Patricia Carrig, Senior Major in Environmental Geology https://eeps.case.edu/meet-patricia-carrig-senior-major-in-environmental-geology/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 14:17:29 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=892 Tell us something about where you grew up and your experiences.

I was born in Virginia. We moved a number of times – but for most of my childhood we lived in Mexico City, and then we moved back to Virginia when I was in highschool. From around ages 5 to 12 I was insistent that I wanted to be an astronomer and was also an avid rock collector; somewhere in there is where the interest in earth sciences started for me.

What do you like about the EEPS Dept?

The people.

Continue reading... Meet Patricia Carrig, Senior Major in Environmental Geology]]> Tell us something about where you grew up and your experiences.
I was born in Virginia. We moved a number of times – but for most of my childhood we lived in Mexico City, and then we moved back to Virginia when I was in highschool. From around ages 5 to 12 I was insistent that I wanted to be an astronomer and was also an avid rock collector; somewhere in there is where the interest in earth sciences started for me.
What do you like about the EEPS Dept?
The people. The EEPS department has always been so welcoming, and I really like the small classes because you get to know everyone. Also, all of the field work that we are able to do is very cool, and I’m glad that I’ve had that opportunity while in college.
What’s something you don’t know about or how to do, but would like to learn?
I’ve always wanted to learn how to play the drums and how to do glass blowing. I don’t have the facilities for either of those things, but the dream lives on. I would also love to learn more about lichens.
Tell us about your senior research thesis.
My senior thesis is looking at the diffusion of chromium in troilite. Diffusion in troilite (and other ferrous sulfides) is by and large due to point vacancy diffusion, which varies as what elements are present can affect the cation vacancy concentration. Troilite is abundant in iron meteorites, and chromium is a common trace element in them. Diffusion rates within iron meteorites can be used to study the size, cooling rates, and impact histories of their parent bodies.
What do you like to do in your spare time?
I’m heavily involved in student filmmaking and try to do as much filmmaking related stuff as I can off-campus as well. I’m a big fan of the Cleveland music scene and I host a show on WRUW FM 91.1, Case’s college radio station. I also really enjoy knitting, especially making my own patterns (when I have the time).
What are you enthused about for your future?
I’m not sure what I’ll be doing after graduation yet, which is both scary and exciting. I’m hoping to go into seasonal work in the park service for at least a few seasons, and I’m looking forward to being on the move for a bit while I figure out what’s right for me.
]]> Professor Peter Whiting: Hurricanes and Climate Change https://eeps.case.edu/professor-peter-whiting-hurricanes-and-climate-change/ Thu, 10 Oct 2024 18:55:07 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=880 EEPS Professor Peter Whiting talks to The Daily about the relationship between hurricanes and climate change. Click here to read the article.

Continue reading... Professor Peter Whiting: Hurricanes and Climate Change]]> EEPS Professor Peter Whiting talks to The Daily about the relationship between hurricanes and climate change. Click here to read the article.

]]> EEPS Assistant Professor AW Omta conducts research on changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels https://eeps.case.edu/eeps-assistant-professor-aw-omta-conducts-research-on-changes-in-atmospheric-carbon-dioxide-levels/ Fri, 04 Oct 2024 19:19:29 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=876 Omta led a study looking at how much carbon is stored in the ocean, especially the carbon trapped by living things like plankton.  To read the full story, click here.

Continue reading... EEPS Assistant Professor AW Omta conducts research on changes in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels]]> Omta led a study looking at how much carbon is stored in the ocean, especially the carbon trapped by living things like plankton.  To read the full story, click here.

]]> What Can Ancient Sediments Tell Us About Lake Erie? https://eeps.case.edu/what-can-ancient-sediments-tell-us-about-lake-erie/ Fri, 06 Sep 2024 18:10:37 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=855 EEPS Professor Beverly Saylor awarded funding from Ohio Sea Grant to study sedimentation in Lake Erie. Find out about her research here.

Continue reading... What Can Ancient Sediments Tell Us About Lake Erie?]]> EEPS Professor Beverly Saylor awarded funding from Ohio Sea Grant to study sedimentation in Lake Erie. Find out about her research here.

]]> Mark Green talks to Case Daily about the importance of wetlands https://eeps.case.edu/mark-green-talks-to-case-daily-about-the-importance-of-wetlands/ Fri, 02 Feb 2024 15:27:50 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=837 Mark Green, adjunct associate professor in the EEPS department, discusses wetlands and their environmental importance today in Case Daily. Click this link for the full article.

Continue reading... Mark Green talks to Case Daily about the importance of wetlands]]> Mark Green, adjunct associate professor in the EEPS department, discusses wetlands and their environmental importance today in Case Daily. Click this link for the full article.

]]> Meet Ryan Murata, Senior Major in Geology https://eeps.case.edu/meet-ryan-murata-senior-major-in-geology/ Tue, 30 Jan 2024 21:24:34 +0000 https://eeps.case.edu/?p=834 Tell us something about where you grew up and your experiences.

I grew up in Warrington, PA, a town about an hour outside of Philadelphia.  I was absolutely obsessed with geology when I was little and loved watching just about every documentary on volcanoes, earthquakes, and meteorites that I could get my hands on.

What do you like about the EEPS Dept?

I really like the small class sizes and sense of community that the EEPS department fosters.  It allows professors to teach in a more hands-on style compared to classes with hundreds of students in them,

Continue reading... Meet Ryan Murata, Senior Major in Geology]]> Tell us something about where you grew up and your experiences.

I grew up in Warrington, PA, a town about an hour outside of Philadelphia.  I was absolutely obsessed with geology when I was little and loved watching just about every documentary on volcanoes, earthquakes, and meteorites that I could get my hands on.

What do you like about the EEPS Dept?

I really like the small class sizes and sense of community that the EEPS department fosters.  It allows professors to teach in a more hands-on style compared to classes with hundreds of students in them, and fosters closer connections to my peers.

What’s something you don’t know about or how to do, but would like to learn?

I’d really like to get better at coding, specifically in Python and Matlab.  Even though I’m pursuing a minor in computer science, my coursework never allowed me many opportunities to practice using those incredibly useful languages.

Tell us about your senior research thesis.

My senior thesis is about studying granites shot by electron beams to learn more about potential interactions between dark matter and rocks over geologic timescales.  This data will be used by citizen science projects that are searching for remains of dark matter interactions in rocks, which will give us more information on the characteristics of dark matter.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I like to do downhill skating in my free time.  I’ve recently gotten more into the racing aspect of the sport and ended up finishing in the top 10 in the last race I competed in.  I also set a personal top speed record of 55mph last year at Soldiers of Downhill, an event I participated in but didn’t race at.

What are you enthused about for your future?

I’m incredibly excited for the summer and fall after I graduate!  I’m in the process of applying to field camps and plan on attending graduate school in the fall.

 

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