Michigan Tech

Antenna: 2012 Field Camp, v. 2 build 001

PERSONNEL

 Instructors

 J. Wood - MTU

 John Compton - UCT

 Assistants

 A. Guth

 A. Miller

 C. Polk

 Adjuncts

 Amy Spaziani -  BP

 Staff

 Billy Wanzala - KE

 Dennis Gitonga - KE

 James Wood - USA 

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Who are the Instructors?

Dr. James R. Wood (Ph.D, Johns Hopkins University) is a professor in the  MTU Geology Department and is camp director. He has a and has taught at Michigan Tech since 1990. He previously worked in industry for 10 years and has been active in the Rift Valley for the past 7 years, directing research and mapping.

Dr. John Compton (PhD, Harvard University) is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Cape Town where he has taught geology since 1996. He is author of the book " The Rocks & Mountains of Cape Town ".

Ms. Alex Guth (MS, Michigan Technological University) is an instructor in the Geology Department at MTU. She recently earned her MS in Geology mapping the Rift Valley in Southern Kenya and has been active in the Rift Valley for the past 5 years.  She has served as an expert commentator for a National Geographic program on the Rift Valley.

TA's are usually students who have previously attended one of the field camps.

Who can attend?

All interested students may apply to attend the field camp. Usually the attendees are geology/earth science majors with junior or senior standing, but sophomores have attended as well as graduate students. Teachers and others who need CEU's for their licensing requirments may also find this camp attractive.

Is this a "Geology Field Course"?

The course ' Field Geology of East Africa' is a geology field course designed to satisfy the Field Course requirements of most geology departments. Check with your college or university to be sure. The course aims to provide the student with a suite of modern mapping tools, including GIS, LandSat imagery and digital mapping software. The experience is comparable to that normally found in modern stateside field geology courses. Check the course description.

How many students typically attend?

Enrollement is usually 12-16 students per camp.

What are the accomodations like?

We generally do not camp as this is inefficient and not possible in some places. We usually stay in apartments, hostel-type camps and tourist lodges. Beds, bedding, kitchen utensils etc. are provided.

What about transportation? Do we travel a lot?

Yes, we do travel a lot, over 3000 km, not counting travel to and from Kenya. We usually travel in safari vans driven by professional drivers or graduate students.

Is Africa safe?

Students and their parents often ask this question. In the past 5-6 years we have had no serious problems with violence in either Kenya or South Africa and tourists are not usually targeted. I would say that neither of these countries is more violent than some parts of the US. Nairobi and Cape Town are generally safe and quiet but as with any big city there are places you don't go, especially at night. Both countries make special efforts to safeguard tourists. Violence can ocassionally flare up (e.g. election time) but when it does we can move the camps from one place to the other.