Richard Smosna

Education

• Bachelor of Science in geology, 1967, Michigan State University, graduated with honors.
• Master of Science in geology, 1970, University of Illinois.
• Doctor of Philosophy in geology with minor in mathematics, 1973, University of Illinois.

Areas of Interest

• Sedimentology and Sedimentary Petrology
• Stratigraphy and Basin Analysis
• Petroleum Geology

Professional Experience

1978‑present: Professor of Geology, Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University.  Taught graduate‑level courses in sedimentology, stratigraphy, and diagenesis; field courses to Florida, Ireland, Spain; undergraduate-level stratigraphy and sedimentology; petroleum and advanced petroleum geology; oceanography, physical geology, and historical geology.  Supervised 38 MS and PhD students' theses.

• 2012-present: Adjunct Professor, Department of Geology, University College Cork, Ireland.
• 2009-2011, Research Geologist, URS Corporation, Morgantown, WV.
• Fall 2007, Visiting Professor, Department of Geology, University College Cork, Ireland.
• Fall 2000: Visiting Professor, Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.
• Fall 1993: Visiting Professor, Departamento de Geologia, Universidad de Oviedo, Spain.
• Fall 1986: Visiting Professor, Department of Geology, University of Bristol, England.
• 1972‑1978: Petroleum Geologist, West Virginia Geological Survey, Morgantown, WV.

Recent Publications

R. Smosna and K.R. Bruner, 2007, Toward the improvement of reasoning and writing skills in sedimentary geology: Journal of Geoscience Education, v. 55, p. 17-21.

R. Smosna and K.R. Bruner, 2012, Resource assessment of the Marcellus Shale,  in J. Breyer (ed.), Shale Reservoirs—Giant resources for the 21st Century: AAPG Memoir 97, p. 201-204.

P.C. McGuire, A. Bonnici, K.R. Bruner, C. Gross, J. Ormö, R.A. Smosna, S. Walter, and L. Wendt, 2014, The cyborg astrobiologist: matching of prior textures by image compression for geological mapping and novelty detection: International Journal of Astrobiology, v. 13, p. 191-202.

K.R. Bruner, M. Walker-Milani, and R. Smosna, 2015, Lithofacies of the Devonian Marcellus Shale in the eastern Appalachian Basin, U.S.A.: Journal of Sedimentary Research, v . 85, p. 937-954.

R. Smosna and K.R. Bruner, 2016, A tide-dominated beach from the Cambro-Ordovician Cabos Formation of northwestern Spain, Journal of Sedimentary Research ,, v . 86, p. 1378-1398.