He received his A.B. from Dartmouth and his M.S. and PhD from the University of Washington. Prior to moving to UPS in 2001 he was on the faculty in the Environmental Geography program at Valdosta State University (Valdosta, GA) for seven years. Jeff is by training a petrologist / geochemist, but he has taught a broad range of courses including mineralogy, petrology, environmental geochemistry, environmental field methods, and "Geomythology" - a seminar that examines the geologic origins of myths and legends. His primary research interests are in the origin of granites and in the analysis of lake sediments as recorders of environmental history. Jeff is a strong proponent of cross-disciplinary research and of making science accessible to all. He is a member of F21 and was named a Regent's Distinguished Professor for Teaching and Learning at Valdosta State.