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Richard Smosna

EMERITUS PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY

Sedimentology and Sedimentary Petrology, Stratigraphy and Basin Analysis, Petroleum Geology

EDUCATION

  • Bachelor of Science in geology, 1967, Michigan State University, graduated with honors.
  • Master of Science in geology, 1970, University of Illinois.
  • Doctor of Philosophy in geology with minor in mathematics, 1973, University of Illinois.

 AREAS OF INTEREST

  • Sedimentology and Sedimentary Petrology
  • Stratigraphy and Basin Analysis
  • Petroleum Geology

 PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

1978‑present: Professor of Geology, Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University.  Taught graduate‑level courses in sedimentology, stratigraphy, and diagenesis; field courses to Florida, Ireland, Spain; undergraduate-level stratigraphy and sedimentology; petroleum and advanced petroleum geology; oceanography, physical geology, and historical geology.  Supervised 38 MS and PhD students' theses.

  • 2012-present: Adjunct Professor, Department of Geology, University College Cork, Ireland.
  • 2009-2011, Research Geologist, URS Corporation, Morgantown, WV.
  • Fall 2007, Visiting Professor, Department of Geology, University College Cork, Ireland.
  • Fall 2000: Visiting Professor, Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.
  • Fall 1993: Visiting Professor, Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.
  • Fall 1986: Visiting Professor, Department of Geology, University of Bristol, England.
  • 1972‑1978: Petroleum Geologist, West Virginia Geological Survey, Morgantown, WV.

 RECENT PUBLICATIONS

1.      R. Smosna and K.R. Bruner, 2007, Toward the improvement of reasoning and writing skills in sedimentary geology: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 55, p. 17-21.

2.      R. Smosna and K.R. Bruner, 2012, Resource assessment of the Marcellus Shale, in J. Breyer (ed.), Shale Reservoirs—Giant resources for the 21st Century: AAPG Memoir 97, p. 201-204.

3.      P.C. McGuire, A. Bonnici, K.R. Bruner, C. Gross, J. Ormö, R.A. Smosna, S. Walter, and L. Wendt, 2014, The cyborg astrobiologist: matching of prior textures by image compression for geological mapping and novelty detection: International Journal of Astrobiology, v. 13, p. 191-202.

4.      K.R. Bruner, M. Walker-Milani, and R. Smosna, 2015, Lithofacies of the Devonian Marcellus Shale in the eastern Appalachian Basin, U.S.A.: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v. 85, p. 937-954.

5.      R. Smosna and K.R. Bruner, 2016, A tide-dominated beach from the Cambro-Ordovician Cabos Formation of northwestern Spain, Journal of Sedimentary Research,, v. 86, p. 1378-1398.