Current Year Schedule
GSM seminars with slide show presentations are free and open to the public. They are presented by leading professionals in their fields and are aimed at learners from high school to adult. A question-and-answer session follows each seminar. The labs, also free and open to the public, allow a hands-on learning experience and demonstrate the ideas and principles of geology and earth science. Live lectures and labs require no registration; just show up a few minutes early on the evening of the lecture.
Click on date of any seminar for attendance information and other details. For a printable version of our schedule of seminars and labs, click here.
Except as noted, live lectures during fall 2024 are Mondays at 7:00 PM CT on the University of Minnesota campus, Keller Hall, Room 3-230. The address is 200 Union St. SE, Minneapolis MN. A lecture with (V) following its title is an online virtual lecture. For these, free registration is required by non-members; the instructions are supplied with the lecture description.
Our schedule is planned over 6 months in advance, so changes may occur. Always check this website shortly before each lecture for the latest seminar information.
Winter weather will come and snow might impact our lectures. The GSM will make any decision about cancelling or postponing a lecture due to inclement weather no later than 3:00 PM the day of the lecture. This information will be posted on the GSM home page (http://www.gsmn.org/). So check our home page shortly before each lecture in case there is a cancellation or a last-minute change. Also, we will e‐mail lecture postponement and cancellation information to our members.
Past seminars marked with * were recorded and the recording is available on the Geological Society of Minnesota YouTube channel. Subscribe to this channel for updates.
Seminar Details
Seminar Lab Date: February 10, 2025
Seminar Lab Subject: SOILS: THE MOST UNDERVALUED AND OVERLOOKED GEOLOGIC RESOURCE
Seminar Lab Presenter: HOLLY DOLLIVER, PH.D., DEPARTMENT CHAIR OF PLANT AND EARTH SCIENCE, U. OF WISCONSIN, RIVER FALLS.
Seminar Lab Location:
In-person only at U of Minnesota, Keller Hall, Room 3-230
Lecture start time 7:00 PM CT.
Seminar Lab Detail:
Abstract: This resource is a vital part of planet Earth. Every time you stand up, sit down, take a drink of water, or eat a meal, you leverage the power of this resource. This resource is constantly changing in response to its environment. Depletion and degradation of this resource is an existential threat to humanity. Attend this presentation to find out what this resource is and learn about the secrets to its life-giving power and importance.
Biography: Dr. Holly Dolliver is Professor and Department Chair of the Department of Plant and Earth Science at the University of Wisconsin- River Falls. Holly grew up on a small farm in central Minnesota, which cultivated her lifelong interest in the natural environment. As a first-generation college student, she earned her B.S. in Soil Science and Geology from North Dakota State University and her M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota. Her research focuses on the effects of land use change and land management practices on soil quality, carbon sequestration, contaminant transport, and soil resilience. Holly is a passionate educator who is deeply committed to the power of higher education and the mission of teaching-focused institutions. In addition to teaching and research, she leads multi-week geology field trips and coaches the 5-time national championship UWRF Soil Judging team. Holly’s happiest place is high alpine mountains where she immerses herself in long-distance hiking and bikepacking with her family.