Middlebury Geology Professors Using Monterey Coast as a Teaching Tool at MIIS

January 14, 2011

When they’re not otherwise occupied teaching their Winter term course Ocean Perspective: Energy and Mineral Resources to Coastal Dynamics and Management at the Monterey Institute, you’re likely to find Pat and Tom Manley somewhere along the memorable Monterey area shoreline scouting for good geological examples to show students. Their hope is that their research will not only benefit their current students but also future Monterey Institute and Middlebury students interested in the geology and management of our oceans.

The Manleys are geology professors at Middlebury College, taking time away from their current sabbatical to help build bridges between the Vermont and California campuses. Their specializations are particularly well-suited for this area and for students learning about environmental policy.

Pat literally loves to get her hands dirty as she studies sediments at the bottom of oceans, lakes and rivers for information about the Earth’s past. Her research has taken her, and sometimes her students, to places as diverse as Antarctica, the Amazon and the North Atlantic. Tom Manley has set his eyes closer to the surface specializing in the study of physical oceanography or the dynamics and movement of oceans and water. Together, they form a formidable team and are known for their collaborations in the research on Vermont’s Lake Champlain, where they are currently involved in designing a custom-built research vessel to continue their explorations.

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