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Emeritus Spotlight: Bill Ausich

Bill Ausich as an undergraduate (~1973) studying Pennsylvanian cyclothems in east-central Illinois. (Photo recently obtained from a fellow Illini student colleague, Mark Reinbold.)

Young Bill Ausich

This Emeritus Spotlight was coordinated by SES alum Joe Studlick. 

Check-in with Prof. Ausich at ausich.1@osu.edu 

 

Years taught at OSU

            1984-2013

Classes taught

  • Undergraduate classes
    • Life of the Past (ES 110)
    • Historical Geology (GS 122)
    • Foundational course for Interdisciplinary Evolution Minor (ES 315)
    • Stratigraphy and Sedimentation (GS 502)
    • Freshman Seminar (A&S 137)
  • Field classes
    • Modern Carbonates at San Salvador Island, Bahamas (ES 602.02)
    • Fort Payne Formation, Sedimentology and Paleoecology in south-central

Kentucky (ES 801)

    • Geology of the Lake Erie Basin (GS 694)
    • Field Seminars to various locations in the Midwest (GS 801)
    • Field Camp (GS 501)
  • Graduate classes
    • Sedimentary Petrology of Carbonate Rocks and Shales (GS 601.02)
    • Modern Carbonate Environments I and II (ES 602.01)
    • Paleobiology (ES 614)
    • Paleoecology (ES 615)
    • Taxonomy and phylogeny (GS 713)
    • Biometry (GS 714)
    • Field Seminar (ES 801)
    • Seminar – many topics (ES 810)

Students advised & committees

            At Ohio State, advised nine undergraduate students, nine MSs, eleven PhDs, and three postdoctoral students.

 

Most memorable moment at OSU

            Stealing the ball from Archie Griffin while playing faculty-staff basketball.

 

Accomplishments I’m most proud of

Being a spectator watching students mature intellectually at Ohio State and going on to successful careers.

 

The biggest change noted in geology during my career

            Expansion of the intellectual breadth of the Earth Sciences.

 

Significant changes to the School that I have experienced

            The School has been able to expand its intellectual bread

 

Changes in my interests since becoming Emeritus

            None!

 

How I keep myself occupied and out of trouble

Retirement simply means more time for research. I am actively publishing journal articles and book chapters, mostly on various aspects of crinoid paleobiology. I have also assumed multiple editorial duties, including being co-editor of special volumes and Interim Editor-in-Chief of the Treatise of Invertebrate Paleontology. A little golf too.

Continue reading the February Alumni News Notes