Stories from the Earth with Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Natural Sciences Rachel Beane

Fiery volcanic eruptions, earth-shattering quakes, and continents on the move have forged the planet we call home. Take a journey from midcoast Maine to Russia and New Zealand with geoscientist Rachel Beane. She shares captivating photos from the field and from the microscope, as we explore the processes that have shaped our planet for millions of years. In so doing, we also will learn how the tiniest of minerals record some of Earth’s biggest stories.

Rachel Beane is the Anne T. and Robert M. Bass Professor of Natural Sciences in the Department of Earth and Oceanographic Science and associate dean for academic affairs. With support from the National Science Foundation and Bowdoin College, she has conducted research on volcanic rocks in New Zealand and the western US, subduction zone metamorphic rocks in Russia, Kazakhstan, and Greece, and igneous and metamorphic rocks in Maine.

Beane’s areas of focus in her role as associate dean are faculty development and mentoring and faculty diversity initiatives. She leads national professional development workshops for science educators through the National Association of Geoscience Teachers and On the Cutting Edge, an NSF-funded project focusing on geoscience faculty development. She is the recipient of the National Association of Geoscience Teachers Neil Miner Award for “exceptional contributions to the stimulation of interest in the Earth sciences,” and at Bowdoin, the Sydney B. Karofsky teaching prize for her “ability to impart knowledge, inspire enthusiasm, and stimulate intellectual curiosity.” She is also a fellow of the Geological Society of America.