Dear undergraduate students,

I'm writing to invite you to consider taking my Geography 530 course in Fall 2015.  My "Pollen and Other Microfossils in Quaternary Sediments" or SECRETS IN THE MUD course is a hands-on introduction to the study of pollen grains and other indicators of past environments preserved in sediments and soils.  You've probably seen TV shows where pollen grains help solve crimes.  Those same microfossils are also important pieces of evidence in the study of past environments, as explained on the attached flyer.

Every year, a few undergraduate geography majors take 500-level courses in our department.  You might be wondering, "Why should I consider a graduate course -- and Geography 530 in particular?"

Here are FIVE reasons.

1. You need a class at the 300 level or higher to complete your major.  This 500-level course will count! 

2. You haven't gained as much hands-on experience as you would like.  In Geography 530 we will focus on doing stuff.  Some examples: you will capture and study airborne pollen; examine pollen slides prepared from sediments that range in age from 50 to over 50,000 years; learn to identify pollen types and to photograph them using a microscope adapter that fits your camera; get your hands dirty examining sediment cores and soils to determine organic content by combustion, find and quantify charcoal and other small plant remains, and conduct XRF and XRD analyses; and gain field experience collecting samples on one or more optional field trips.  What you learn will have applications in other areas of geography, and could even help you get a job. 

3. You are thinking about graduate school and you want to meet some graduate students and take a graduate level class to see how such a class differs from undergraduate courses.

4. You realize that having a graduate course on your transcript as an undergraduate will set you apart from other undergraduates. 

5. You want to win a prize!  Yes, there is a prize opportunity!  My course is registered with "AASP - The Palynological Society" and that professional society will give a prize to the top student in my class each time I offer it.  The prize is a year's free membership in the professional organization, which means you get free copies of their journal and various newlsetters and the like.  The last student who won thought this was cool.  But even if you don't totally dig the prize, it's an award, and if you win you can list it on your resume!

Please contact me if you have any questions or wish to enroll.  There's a small bit of paperwork I need to do to enable you to enroll, so please shoot me an email ([log in to unmask]).   

Sincerely,

Sally Horn