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NASA Lends Moon Rocks to UC Program

Written By Marissa Filletti '18, PR Intern

Contact - cleogrande@utica.edu

Utica, NY (10/29/2015) - Over the past ten days, Utica College’s geoscience program has been given an out-of-this-world opportunity, literally. UC is the latest recipient of the NASA lending program, which provides moon rocks to colleges and universities for weeks at a time to prepare geological examiners for the future.

In order to obtain these rocks, UC submitted an education plan to NASA for approval. Then, NASA’s Lunar and Meteorite Petrographic Thin Section program sent 12 polished samples from the lunar collection to Utica College.

Although these samples are meant for examination in advanced-level geoscience classes, Adam Schoonmaker, associate professor of geology, said that he has been giving presentations to various science classes to expose as many students to the moon rocks as possible. However, students in upper-level Mineralogy will be the ones to get up close and personal with the rocks under the microscope.

“Experience is arguably the most important facet in learning geology. We give students hands-on experience with rocks in the field as well as in the laboratory,” said Schoonmaker.

UC’s geoscience program has a very strong field component which provides students with many opportunities for hands-on experience. Students often take field trips during lab hours locally and take weekend trips to the Adirondacks and Vermont to study rocks in their natural setting.

To learn more about Utica College’s geosciences program, visit utica.edu/academics/programs/geoscience/. For more information on the moon rocks, contact Adam Schoonmaker at adschoon@utica.edu or at (315) 223-2577.

About Utica College – Utica College, founded in 1946, is a comprehensive private institution offering bachelors, masters and doctoral degrees. The College, located in upstate central New York, approximately 90 miles west of Albany and 50 miles east of Syracuse, currently enrolls over 4,500 students in 44 undergraduate majors, 30 minors, 21 graduate programs and a number of pre-professional and special programs.