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Helen Lang
Morgantown, West Virginia
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This summer, I
spent 2 and a half weeks traveling in Austria. The first week I
participated in a small, international geology conference, which
included talks and field trips, at a refurbished castle near Graz.
I learned a lot, met old and new friends and had a great time. For
the next 10 days, I enjoyed hiking in the mountains, touring old
castles, eating in outdoor cafes, and wandering through the “old
cities” of Innsbruck and Salzburg. I love to travel, and geology
makes traveling more interesting and helps to pay the expenses. I
also enjoy hiking, biking, cross-country skiing, reading, gardening
and backyard birding.
My Occupation:
I am a
Professor of Geology at West Virginia University, where I teach
primarily undergraduate students about Minerals and Rocks. After a
rather circuitous course, I finished a PhD in Geology in 1983, and
I’ve been on the faculty at WVU since 1984. I like what I do, and
it’s a good thing, because I’m not in a position to retire early
like those of you who started a career right out of high school or
college. A Geology friend of mine recently got me involved in
research on exotic high pressure rocks that only occur at a few
places on Earth, and as a result, I’ve been able to travel to
international conferences and field trips in Norway (2003) and
Austria (2005).
My Family:
I’m single,
but don’t lack for family and friends. I have a niece (in college at
Michigan) and a nephew (in law school in San Francisco), and several
surrogate nieces and nephews. My sister and her family and my
parents still live in the Denver area, and I visit there
frequently. I’ve made lots of good friends in West Virginia through
the Geology & Geography Department and the local environmental
community.
Favorite Memories:
Cheering with
the pep club at high school games, especially for the State
Basketball Champs in 1963 (but isn’t it wonderful that girls
actually PLAY high school sports, now!) Signing all those little
pieces of paper for the KIMN Best School Contest. Good friends,
many of whom I’ve managed to to keep in touch with.
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