On Oct. 7 and 8, the College hosted the annual meeting of the Geological Association of New Jersey (GANJ), a two-day event held in Brower Student Center.
GANJ is a nonprofit organization based in Trenton that encourages Earth science education and the distribution of geological information through its annual meeting and field guides.
This year's meeting covered the topic of the geology of the Central Newark Basin from a 21st century perspective.
The first day featured oral presentations from 12:30 p.m. to 3:45 p.m. given by renowned experts in the field. Some were professors from local universities such as Rutgers University and Ramapo College of New Jersey.
After the presentations, all members were invited to a banquet and business meeting also hosted in Brower Student Center.
The second day featured a field trip from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees had to register for a spot on the buses, which traveled to five different destinations. No private vehicles were permitted due to limitations at some field trip stops and consideration of property owners.
The field trip is coordinated to give members a firsthand look at the topics discussed at the meeting. The location of the annual meeting is determined by the proximity of the stops on the field trip. This year's concentration was Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey, making the College an appropriate place to host the event.
The stops were Haycock Mountain, Pa., Pebble Bluff in Milford, N.J., Mine Brook Park in Flemington, N.J., the north segment of the Hopewell Fault in Belle Mead, N.J. and the former Naval Air Warfare Center here in Ewing, N.J.
Jose Santiago, former New Jersey City University student, attended the meeting on Friday. Santiago is currently a high school geology teacher in Jersey City.
"I think that this meeting is great for students, but it is more for professionals in the field," Santiago said. "However, it gives students a real life feel of geology. They can see and touch what is going on in their world around them."
