Dr. Antun Husinec
St. Lawrence University News
Submitted by ahusinec on Mon, 08/18/2008 - 10:54.
Associate Professor of Geology
Courses I teach regularly:
Sedimentology (GEOL 216)
Carbonate Sedimentology (GEOL 347B)
Geology of the BAhamas (GEOL 347C)
Paleoclimatology (GEOL 247)
Oceanography (GEOL 115)
Dynamic Earth (GEOL 103)
My research interests:
A central emphasis in my research plan is directed at the use of microfossils and the sedimentary record coupled with the integration of stratigraphic analysis, modeling, isotopic approaches and spectral analysis to track the evolution of climates and oceans.
The present “icehouse” world cannot tell us how the Earth would function under “greenhouse” conditions. Also, recent work suggests that a significant part of earth history previously considered ice-free was neither true greenhouse nor icehouse, but in-between (transitional), with some polar ice but not large ice sheets. The stacking patterns of sediments on Phanerozoic carbonate platforms record a 540 m.y. history of climate-induced sea-level changes, capable of resolving the distinctive signatures of greenhouse, transitional and icehouse conditions. They also provide a window into how modern tropical platforms might respond to global warming and cooling.
Sample student projects I have supervised:
Cathodoluminescence analysis of the Upper Ordovician Richmondian dolomites, Williston Basin, North Dakota
Cyclicity of Barremian tidal flat deposits of southern Adriatic platform, Croatia
Comparison of two modern carbonate subtidal environments, San Salvador Island, Bahamas
Examples of presentations, exhibitions, performances and published work:
Husinec, A., & Read, J.F., Microbial laminite- versus rooted/burrowed caps on peritidal cycles: salinity-control on parasequence development, Early Cretaceous isolated carbonate platform, Croatia. Geological Society of America Bulletin, in press.
Husinec, A., Velic, I. & Sokac, B., 2009, Diversity patterns in mid-Cretaceous benthic foraminifers and dasyclad algae of the southern part of Mesozoic Adriatic Platform, Croatia, in Demchuk, J. & Gary, A., eds., Geologic Problem Solving with Microfossils, SEPM Special Publication 93, p. 153-170.
Husinec, A., Basch, D., Rose, B. & Read, J.F., 2008, FISCHERPLOTS: an Excel spreadsheet for computing Fischer plots of accommodation change in cyclic carbonate successions in both the time and depth domain. Computers & Geosciences, 34, p. 269-277. DOI:10.1016/j.cageo.2007.02.004
Aspects of my teaching that students find most effective and interesting:
Field projects, Jeopardy review quizzes, Use of ANGEL, PowerPoints, Knowledge of the material
Some ways I connect with students outside the classroom:
Students interested in participating in research projects have numerous opportunities available. Students who have become involved in research (Croatia, North Dakota, Bahamas, New York) have had traveled to scientific meetings across the country to present their research abstracts at regional, national, and international meetings, and won prestigious national research awards, as well as fellowships and scholarships. At the annual Festival Science, students have the opportunity to display poster presentations of their research projects.
My teaching philosophy:
Involving undergraduate students in one's own research is one of the most valuable ways of teaching geology. This works well only when students actively participate in the research process. Of course, they lack experience and will typically require guidance but that should not make them "second-order" members of the team that dust and do the simplest, most tedious laboratory work. They should participate in interpreting data, in presenting the results, and in writing the final research reports. Undergraduate students who are actively and successfully involved in a research, give professional presentations and publish papers, will have a better-than-average chance to continue their successful education in a graduate school.
Ways I offer service to my discipline and/or the University:
Geological Society of America - Research Grant Committee (Member-At-Large, 2009-2012)
Geologos Journal (Editorial Board Member, 2009-present)
Fulbright Alumni Association (Executive Board Member in Croatia, 2006-present)
St. Lawrence University - Scholarships, Fellowships and Grants Committee (Member, 2008-present)
Examples of my work as a visiting scholar or guest at another institution:
University of South Carolina, Department of Geological Sciences. April 10, 2008. Invited lecture.
University of Kansas, Department of Geology. May 3, 2005. Invited lecture.
Rice University, Department of Earth Science. March 14, 2005. Invited lecture.
My hobbies and/or personal interests:
Soccer, alpine skiing, diving!
My current projects:
U.S. National Science Foundation (Geology/Paleontology Program), Research Grant EAR 0639523 – Joint U.S.-Croatian Cooperative Research Project: Greenhouse and Transitional Climates in 50 m.y. Carbonate Record of the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Dinaric Platform, Croatia; U.S. P.I.: J.F. Read, Croatian P.I.: A. Husinec
•American Chemical Society (Petroleum Research Fund), Research Grant PRF# 49435-UNI8 – High Resolution Sequence Stratigraphy of Ordovician Red River Formation, Williston Basin, North Dakota; P.I.: A. Husinec
Ministry of Science, Republic of Croatia (Geosciences Program), Research Grant 181-1953068-0241 - Sedimentary Record of Jurassic-Cretaceous Climatic Changes in Karst Dinarides; P.I.: A. Husinec
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