Resources
The Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Western Michigan University is deeply invested in our students' success. Success isn't purely defined by how well a student performs in class. In order to maximize the college experience, it is also essential that students take agency over their education by becoming familiar with the resources and opportunities available to them. Furthermore, it is important that our students understand how to utilize these resources. To this end, we have tried to make this website as user-friendly as possible. While we hope that all of the information on this site is useful to our students at some point during their course study, we realize there are some resources, listed below, that all students should be familiar with from the very start.
Resources
- Graduate Handbook: 2023-24
- Student rights and responsibilities
- Advising
- Career guidance, job/fellowship opportunities
- Graduate College forms
- Scholarship opportunities
- WMU course catalog
- WMU course offerings
People
Advisors
Have a question about your program of study, which courses to take and when, how to enroll or how to prepare for your chosen career path?
- Jackie Bizzell is the advisor for undergraduate majors.
- Dr. Peter Voice is the faculty advisor for all graduate students, for the Integrated Science major, and for the Education track of the Earth Science major.
Staff
Have a question about anything else? The department staff is happy to help you find the answers you need. Consult the list below to find the best person to ask.
- Tom Howe, Specialist, Sr.: Tom is who you should contact if you are not sure which major is right for you, would like to know more about geoscience careers, to inquire about labs and equipment, or to discuss the Hydrogeology Field Course. He is also a great resource for advice on applied research, student involvement, careers and networking.
- Cristine Thomas, Program Manager: Cristine is who you should contact if you need to get key card access and/or sign out a key. She is also a good source for questions about travel reimbursement or if you need to be enrolled in a course that requires department permission. Cristine is the person you turn your timesheet in to and ask to schedule a room for your defense/proposal.