Join the Geology Department in welcoming John Wakabayashi, a professor of geology at California State University, Fresno. He will be speaking from 3:30 to 4:45 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 12 in 101 Geology Building on the 2025 State of the Franciscan address. He will also be speaking from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 13 in 208 Hubbard Hall on “The Geologic Fieldwork as Cutting-Edge Science: Recognition of new Patterns Leads to Major Advances.”
During his applied geologic career, Wakabayashi worked on a variety of different projects in engineering and environmental geology, but also conducted and published research in varied aspects of tectonics and tectonic geomorphology. He also conducts research on long-time and length-scale geomorphology and linkages between surface processes and the clastic sedimentary record, including research on the topographic evolution of the Sierra Nevada. A common theme of all of his research is the application of mobile reference frames to better understand the essentially four-dimensional processes of tectonics and/or geomorphology. Intensive field work, including detailed geologic mapping and petrography are also foundational components of much of his work.
