Local student presents at national geologic conference

Breanna Skeets, daughter of Wilhelmena Skeets, of Sandy, and a senior at Lawrence University made a research presentation Oct. 9 at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Minneapolis, Minn. The GSA is a global professional society with more than 24,000 members in 97 countries.

Students can submit abstracts of their research for review and if accepted, attend the national conference to present their findings. An estimated 6,000 scientists from around the world attended the conference. Skeets, a geology major, was one of three Lawrence students accepted for presentations.

"It's very unusual to have such a large contingent of undergraduate students, especially from a small school like Lawrence, presenting the results of their research shoulder-to-shoulder with veteran scientists at a major professional meeting," said Lawrence geologist Marcia Bjornerud, who was honored at the meeting with the 2011 Outstanding Educator Award by the Association of Women Geoscientists. "The standards for presenters at this conference are very high."

A 2008 graduate of Highland High School, Skeets presented findings on research she conducted this summer near Boulder, Colo., on the influence of vegetation on the hydrological cycle and the possible effect of roots in geomorphological processes in a soil-free environment.