Q&A

With Danny Stockli on the Department's New Name

After more than 50 years as the Department of Geological Sciences, the geosciences department at The University of Texas at Austin has a new name: The Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. But what’s in a name? Anton Caputo, the editor of The Newsletter, sat down with Danny Stockli, the chair of the newly named department, to learn more about the reason for the name change and what it says about the department now and going forward.

Caputo: Thanks for chatting with me, and congratulations on the new department name. Why did you think it was time for a change?

Stockli: Over the past decade or more, the thematic footprint of the Jackson School of Geosciences and the department has dramatically changed. We are still doing cutting-edge geology, but people are doing a lot of other things too. We have expanded much more into climate and planetary research, and other cross-disciplinary work. To be frank, the old name didn’t represent us well.

We’re not alone in this situation either. Many other geosciences schools and departments across the country have changed their names in recent years to better reflect the scope of study that geosciences encompass. There are very few holdout “departments of geology.”

I think the new name, the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, really captures a more inclusive, more representative vision. It communicates who we’ve become, what we do, what we teach, and to some extent, who we want to be.

Caputo: How did the school decide on the new name? What was the process like?

Stockli: You know, it’s been talked about in sort of a rumor mill way for years. But when I became chair in 2020, about three-quarters of the faculty signed a letter to me saying that they would like me to consider a name change for the department. That was the formal starting gun, so to speak.

I put together a committee that actually was spearheaded by a geologist, Charlie Kerans. I also engaged the graduate students, undergraduates, the alumni, the development office, and the dean, of course.

We found that folks really felt that “Earth and planetary” was our most inclusive realm, without picking winners and losers, while also being representative of not just current faculty and students, but of alumni and future members of the school.

Caputo: What has been the reaction to the new name?

Stockli: I’ve presented it to the undergrads, the grad students and the alumni, and we’ve had uniformly positive responses. Geology is just one building block, but Earth sciences is a vision of an entire system — the planet, with the lithosphere, hydrosphere, the biosphere and the atmosphere. I think this vision is much more us.

Caputo: So, will geological sciences and geology be taking a back seat to other disciplines?

Stockli: Au contraire! We are still very strong in geology. We still train a lot of students in geology and do a lot of geological research. But it’s just one subject in a much larger sort of geoscientific repertoire. And it’s important for students to realize that.

Caputo: Can you talk more about that? What do you want prospective students to know?

Stockli: The geosciences are at the heart of global issues, whether that’s climate change, whether that’s the energy transition, whether it’s sea level change, whether it’s natural resources — you name it. It’s clear that the job market is evolving in response to all of these issues, and we need a lot more geoscientists to address them all.

We’re hoping the name change will help us attract students that we can train to tackle all these problems, and who at the same time are willing to reinvent themselves. The problems are changing so rapidly that we have to be willing to change too. We can’t be stagnant — that goes for curriculum, that goes for research, that goes for who we are as geoscientists.

Caputo: That’s a good segue for my next question. The name change has come at the same time as some big changes to the undergrad curriculum. Can you describe them?

Stockli: So, there are three main thrusts.

The first is that we have opened up the aperture at the beginning so that students have more opportunity to be exposed to the geosciences. Previously, all undergraduate students majoring in geosciences had to start by taking intro to geology. But now, we are allowing all introductory classes we teach to count as the entry class, so students can start with, for example, intro to climate or oceanography or natural hazards.

Second, we have created a core curriculum for all geosciences majors in the department. That means for the first two years all geosciences students will get the same exposure to experiential courses and data courses. These students are going to get exposed to the breadth and depth of all the geosciences. We’re doing that to make sure our students are fully formed, fully educated scientific experts that can have the knowledge and the skills to explain today’s issues.

Third, is that we are introducing a new undergraduate major in climate system sciences. It’s a technical major, so students will learn how climate models work, how risk is calculated, and how different climatic systems influence one another. The major will officially launch next year, but students can start taking classes toward the degree now.

Caputo: The department is one of the oldest on campus, dating back to 1888. How has it changed over the years? Where do you see it going in the future?

Stockli: For most of the department’s history, I think it’s safe to say that most students who entered the school had their sights on a career in oil and gas. It was one of the most reliable pathways for geoscientists to have successful, fulfilling careers and to provide a real societal need — energy. The connection between geology and the oil and gas industry — especially here in Texas — also informed faculty research interests, and funding, too.

The reality today is that there are more pathways than ever for geoscientists. A career in oil and gas has gone from being a primary pathway to one among many. The energy transition and climate change are bringing big changes to how industry operates as well, along with creating brand new opportunities for geoscientists.

In terms of research expertise, the department of today is already quite different from the department of 10 to 15 years ago, hence the new name. Undergraduate and graduate students come to the school with a wider array of interests. They want to find solutions for climate change, for water issues. We’re dealing with a much more diverse set of problems these days that we geoscientists have the skills to address. I don’t see that stopping anytime soon.

Key Curriculum Takeaways

The undergraduate geosciences curriculum was recently updated to better reflect the skills and expertise needed by geoscientists today. Here are three key takeaways.

•  Students don’t have to start with geology. Previously, undergraduates began a degree in geosciences by taking “Introduction to Geology.” Now, students can start with any introductory course — such as climate, oceanography or natural hazards — allowing many potential entry points to the field.
•  All geosciences majors share a core curriculum. Starting next year, all geosciences students — no matter their degree option — will share a core curriculum during the first two years of college. This will ensure that geosciences students specializing in different fields are exposed to a breadth of experiences and skills, including field and data science skills.
• A new major in climate system sciences is coming. This degree option will officially launch in 2024, but undergraduate students can start taking courses toward it now. The degree is technical and covers contemporary climate variability and climate change, how climate models work, and how risk is calculated.