15 Puckette and collaborator Natascha Riedinger, published our first paper in Chemical Geology utilizing nitrogen isotopes as reliable proxies to characterize redox differences between the Woodford Shale and Caney Shale units. This research was taken a step further by my recently graduated Master’s student Keith Rivera, who determined that bulk nitrogen isotope values from hydrocarbon producing shales are primarily set by the deep-water oxygen concentration during initial deposition, and are relatively unaffected by the degree of thermal maturity, supporting the use of nitrogen isotopes as a proxy for depositional redox state. Keith defended his thesis in August, and we are working on a paper describing his results. My second new graduate student, Brice Otto, is hoping to take the nitrogen isotope proxy in unconventional systems one step further by investigating different nitrogen fractions within the shale samples, as these fractions may provide information about other depositional and post-depositional processes. Featured in this photograph is Dr. Tracy Quan (front row third from left) and the NICOPP Working Group. Their paper published in Nature Geoscience suggest that Palaeo nitrogen-cycle shifts may shed light on current oceanic changes. The growth in the number of Geology majors meant that I had over 45 students in Practical Mineralogy this Fall for the second year in a row. This makes the class a challenge to teach and organize, but I have tried to incorporate as many hands-on and interactive learning opportunities as possible, including a field trip and group presentation activity. The Physical Geology course in the Spring was made all the more exciting by the addition of Arts and Sciences Dean Bret Danilowicz to one of our Saturday field trips. By all accounts, he had a great deal of fun running around the Arbuckles with the students and learning about geology, even with the bus breakdown during the return to OSU. This year, I also revived the graduate-level Organic Geochemistry class, and had a good group of students interested in how organic geochemical principles could be used to characterize, evaluate, and even advance our knowledge in both petroleum-based and environmental systems. In addition to teaching formal courses, I have also participated in several outreach opportunities, including National Lab Day, the Oklahoma EPSCoR Women in Science Conference, and the first annual Halliburton OSHA-GAP Geoscience Ambassador Program. This year, OSU was awarded a new chapter of the Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, of which I am proud to be a charter member. I am on the planning committee for next year’s GSA South-Central Section Meeting to be held at OSU, so mark your calendars for March 2015. The evidence strongly suggests that 2013 was a great success for the Boone Pickens School of Geology and associated faculty, post-docs, and graduate and undergraduate students. It is my hope that 2014 will be even more successful! NEWS FROM STAFF Ms. Sandy Earls It is hard to believe that I have been with the department for 17 years. Time sure flies by when you are busy and having fun. This past summer was a busy and difficult one for me. I traveled each week between Stillwater and Moline, KS to be with my Dad. He was in the hospital several times before being transferred to the nursing home. He passed away on August 16th and Pete and I are trying to help my Mom now that she is alone. We took a vacation in November for our 30th anniversary and travelled to Tennessee where we spent our honeymoon in 1983. We took Mom to Chattanooga where she stayed with her sister for the two weeks we were gone. This coming summer will be the bi-annual family reunion and I once again hope that someone else will be elected as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Foust clan. We are working on several things to improve our acreage. We planted two fruit trees and have three more to go. The funniest part of rural living is our neighbor’s goats. It seems that immediately after arriving the goats decided to go through the fence into our pasture. The good thing is we don’t have to mow it anymore. On the other hand, we have to go around the pasture and repair the fence and strengthen weak spots. Pete had wanted to do this anyway, but the goats made it a necessity. Once the goats make it through our fence, the next pasture has no fence and the goats are set free. The most entertaining part of having goats is watching Pete trying to herd them back to our pasture. I am still working on needlework and getting to sew. I have also taken on the task of scanning pictures in my parents collection so that we have backup copies. Once I finish scanning their pictures, I will start on ours. In the spring of 2013 one of the student workers, Erika Brown, nominated me to receive the Outstanding Staff Award in the College of Arts & Sciences Student Council. I received the award at their spring banquet. The faculty in the Boone Pickens School of Geology have nominated me for the Distinguished Service Award this fall. This award is given by the University Staff Advisory Council. I am currently a finalist for this award, which will be announced at the end of February. I look forward to another year of working with the alumni, students, staff, faculty and friends of the Boone Pickens School of Geology. Every day there is a new challenge that keeps the staff on our toes. The current staff also includes Tabitha Schneider, our student workers, Macaley Guilfoyle (who has been with us one year) and Margaret Flowers (who is our newest hire this semester). We work very well together and actually have a good time doing it. We hope you will stop in the office and see us when you are in town. Ms. Tabitha Schneider As of this past September, I have been with the Boone Pickens School of Geology for a year. It has been a wonderful and hectic year learning from Sandy all the different jobs
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