Montana Hodges
 Phone: 0000000000 Office: CHCB108 Email: montana.hodges@umontana.edu Website Curriculum Vitae |
Current Office Hours
Tuesday, Wednesday 5-6p.m.
Background
As both a writer and geologist, science communication is my passion. After publishing a series of outdoor books I headed back to college to study science at an advanced level. My ultimate goal with a PhD in geology is to teach at a college-level and use my emphasis on communication to inspire and inform the next generation of graduates.
Education
Doctoral Student Geosciences, August 2012- Current
University of Montana: Missoula, MT
*Currently in pursuit of a PhD in geology with emphasis on paleontology.
M.A. Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism, May 2012
University of Montana: Missoula, MT
B.S. Degree, Geology, & B.A. Degree Journalism, Jan 2006 & May 2011
Advisor: Dr. George Stanley: http://www.cas.umt.edu/geosciences//faculty/stanley/stanley.htm
Courses Taught
Geology 102 Section 5
Geologgy 102 Section 13
Field of Study
I’m interested in paleontology, the study of life over geologic time. My doctoral research deals specifically with paleontology and the tectonic history of North America. A mosaic of exotic terranes blanket the western slopes of North America, yet many have unknown origins. Recognized throughout most of the American Cordillera, exotic terranes are defined as discrete, fault-bound blocks of regional mappable extent whose rocks and fossils differ from those of adjacent blocks (Coney et al., 1980). The Triassic Wallowa terrane, located in northeastern Oregon, is one of the most southern and inland of the exotic terranes, a splice of an orphaned island arc, with no proven relatives or origination. Where Wallowa originated is pertinent to understanding the tectonic history of North America and although it has been proposed that Wallowa is related to the similar facies of the Wrangellia, Stikinia and Alexander terranes in Alaska and Canada, it has never been proven—or disproven. My goal is to determine the paleogeography of the Wallowa terrane by studying shallow-water, shelly fossils of Triassic age, along with the rock types, paleoecology, and stratigraphy, from other Cordilleran terranes and to use the resulting data to assess connections.
Affiliations
Geological Society of America
International Association of Sedimentology
Professional Experience
Summer 2012, Intern, Two Medicine Dinosaur Center
Winter 2012, University of Montana, Archaeological Field Camp
Summer 2011, Intern, Judith River Dinosaur Institute
Winter 2011, University of Montana, Climate Change Studies in Vietnam
Summer 2010, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Geological Field Camp
International Experience
Winter 2012-2013 International Association of Sedimentology Field Trip in Austria
Winter 2011-2012, University of Montana, Archaeological Field Camp in Chile
Winter 2010-2011, University of Montana, Climate Change Studies in Vietnam
