Innovation & Tradition

The University of Texas at Austin has a tradition of generating major advances in the geosciences, such as pioneering the concept of depositional systems, demonstrating how technology can extend oil and gas resources, and teaching the first university classes in environmental geology. As the geosciences transform in years to come, the Jackson School has the opportunity for even greater accomplishments.

The past decade has seen an explosion in quantitative geoscience. The school will become a leader in this area through computational work at the Institute for Geophysics, new hires, and collaborations with related units on campus.

Jackson School researchers collaborate with many other science units on campus, such as the Center for Space Research, the Environmental Science Institute, and the Marine Science Institute. The school is also revitalizing the Energy & Mineral Resources program, which unites petroleum engineers and geologists with students interested in energy policy, law, business, and economics.

Several programs at the school are pursuing long-term societal goals for the geosciences, such as carbon sequestration, improved coastal management, and the scientifically based allocation of groundwater resources.

Over the next decade, these and other opportunities will benefit from the school’s ability to offer matching funds for research at a time of shrinking federal funding for the sciences.

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