In Fall'02, I completed my first international academic endeavor by directing Colgate's study group to the University of Manchester, England. It was a fabulous experience! Ten Colgate students representing six different concentrations, ranging from geology to art history to political science, were enthusiastic participants in my course on Darwin and the Victorian age and in the companion course on the Industrial Revolution (plus each student took two additional electives). We enjoyed life in Manchester (a GREAT city) and a field trip to Yorkshire's Heritage Coast, where we searched the Jurassic section for ammonite fossils. We also ventured to London to visit the Natural History Museum, Darwin's grave at Westminster Abbey, and Randal Keynes, Darwin's great-great-grandson. He showed us the family estate in Kent, including Darwin's "thinking path" and the study where Darwin penned his famous books. That day will certainly be one of the most memorable of my life.

      While in England, I was fortunate to have Boyce research funds to begin an investigation of the Old Red Sandstone, which may represent a once contiguous facies with the Karheen Formation exposed in my field area in southeastern Alaska - some of you may remember this beautiful but mysterious sequence of Devonian redbeds that overlies the Heceta Formation near Prince of Wales Island. Thanks to many of you - Leah Kittredge '93; Katrina Gobetz '94; Nikki Bazie '94; Jen Thibeau '95; Erika Zavala '95; Colleen Brogenski '97; Lena Krutikov '97; Brian Flynn '98; Allison Gleason '98; Stacey Joyce '00; Lisa Mayhew '00; Jann Vendetti '01; Luke Dwyer '02; Alicia Newton '02; and Christy Visaggi '02 - my research in Alaska, Russia, and Australia has moved forward on many interesting fronts. Last fall, I also spent time with my husband in Provence investigating Cretaceous dinosaur eggs, particularly those with so-called "hatching windows". These large, spheroidal eggs are quite different from Colgate's Oviraptor egg in size, shape and eggshell features. Based on previous research by David Goldsmith '93, Dave Sunderlin '99, Steve Close '99, and Christopher Maslanka '02, it's still not clear if the "hatching windows" represent exits for the juvenile dinosaurs or if they formed through non-organic processes - stay tuned for future updates!

      I continue to enjoy teaching a range of paleo courses to enthusiastic students, including a group from the Reefs Seminar who ventured to San Salvador Island, Bahamas, to study reefs up-close-and-personal over spring break in March '02. Sadly, the reefs there are not quite as healthy as they were just a few years ago, but we did see many beautiful examples of Acropora corals, turtles, and reef fish, including of course the BARRACUDA (barra-schwuba)! It's nice to know how many of you are now pursuing careers in paleo and related fields or are in grad school preparing for more great geo-discoveries. Before you become part of the fossil record, don't forget to stop by for a visit the next time you're back on campus!