Joseph Hartman

TEACHING (GENERAL)

Joseph teaches courses in 1) paleontology, including Introduction to Paleontology, Critical Boundaries, Mass Extinctions, Special Preservation, Invertebrate Paleontology (Sections 1, 2, 3), Vertebrate Paleontology (Sections 1, 2, 3), Paleoecology, Paleontology in the Geological Sciences, Museum Studies, Taxonomy; 2) stratigraphic paleontology and geologic history, including Geology of North Dakota, Western Continental Stratigraphy, Advanced Stratigraphy; 3) Earth history and history of geology. including Earth Through Time, History of Geology (Steno, his life and times); and 4) critical thinking and communication, including Critical Thinking in the Geosciences, Humor in Geoscience, Geoscience Lectures, Seminar I, II, and Surviving on Planet Earth. Specialized courses have included the Geology of India, the Vanuatu Archipelago, and mollusk-related projects.

Joseph Hartman is a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor in the Harold Hamm School of Geology and Geological Engineering and member of the Graduate Faculty at the University of North Dakota (UND). He received his Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Minnesota in 1984, his M.S. in Geology from the same institution in 1976, and his B.S. (with honors) in Geology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1972.

Paleo Background

The undergraduate and graduate paleontology program at the University of North Dakota (UND) has a long history of excellence (see Paleo Theses and Dissertations available under F.D. Holland Jr Geology Library). Since January 2001, the program has been under the direction of Joseph Hartman. Joseph was not new to the program at that time, as an adjunct member of the faculty in that he had been involved in the funding and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students since 1988 through his research at the Energy & Environmental Research Center (EERC) at UND. As a Chester Fritz Distinguished Professor, Joseph has charge of the Harold Hamm School of Geology and Geological Engineering Paleontology program and collection in cooperation with the North Dakota Geological Survey and other interested paleo groups in North Dakota. Joseph looks forward to expanding the program to include student over a broad range of paleontological interests.

Mission Statement

No matter the words used to describe the study of fossils (paleontology, paleobiology, biostratigraphy, paleoecology, paleobiogeography, etc.), the range and intensity of interest in the subject have never been greater. Regardless of the ups and downs of potential employment by industry, museums, or academia, the study of fossils and their associated information and potential for interpretation draws people in regardless of age. Paleontology, as the umbrella term for fossil studies, may be unique in the science disciplines because of its broad appeal and ability to be enjoyed at so many levels. The mission of the paleontology program at the UND is to provide a basis for extending this level of interest and excitement to a higher level of scholarship and curiosity. UND's program is both traditional (in the best sense of the word) and forward-looking. The program encourages a field approach to observation, but promotes laboratory analysis based on hypothesis construction and testing. Collaborative studies with other geological disciplines are also encouraged. Joseph Hartman's research interests began with, and continue developing projects with other paleontologists, geologists, and neontologists to provide a more comprehensive approach to interpreting Earth history. Students with collaborative interests will be actively supported through undergraduate and graduate degree programs.