Geoscience Education and Inclusion
CORES TO CODE
About
Program Overview
Cores to Code (C2C) is a 3-week summer undergraduate research experience that will delve into the interdisciplinary study of the earthquake and tsunami history of the Cascadia subduction zone. The program will be based out of Cal Poly Humboldt, a minority-serving institution. Students will conduct geologic fieldwork in Humboldt Bay coastal marshes, collect marsh sediment cores, conduct laboratory analysis on the cores, and explore how these geologic data are integrated into the geophysical models that help characterize past earthquakes along the Cascadia subduction zone. At the end of the program, students will synthesize and present their findings to their peers, mentors, and local community.
C2C seeks a broad applicant pool with the goal of engaging a new, diverse generation of coastal geologists and modelers with interests in science and/or hazards in the Cascadia subduction zone. Students from minority-serving institutions or who identify as BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of color), Latinx, LGBTQ+, or first-generation college students will have priority during the selection process.
Important Dates
- Student Applications Open!
- Student Applications Close
February 15, 2025
- Acceptance Letters Sent
March 15, 2025
- Cores to Code
June 7-28, 2025
Program Highlights
💸 Get Paid to Learn: Dive into a paid summer program with a stipend of $2000, funded travel to and from Cal Poly Humboldt, supported travel while in the field, and funds for field equipment– because your passion should pay off!
🏡 Home Sweet Housing: Enjoy free meals and shared housing during the program. Students will be staying in shared dorms at Cal Poly Humboldt in Arcata, California
Course Credit: Students who want course credit for C2C are encouraged to apply through their home institution and the C2C instructors will supply a pass/fail for the home institution.
Program goals and learning outcomes
C2C instructors (top left photo L-R: Andrea Hawkes, Tina Dura, Harvey Kelsey) scouted sites in Humboldt Bay, CA for the June 2025 Cores2Code field program. Buried soils identified in core samples are evidence for subsidence caused by past earthquakes, e.g. the 1700 Cascadia event.
C2C offers a unique opportunity to gain practical experience, develop technical skills, and engage deeply with earthquake and tsunami research. We will emphasize the interconnectedness of various subduction zone science disciplines. Expect to learn how different fields overlap and how this interdisciplinary approach can enrich your research. By preparing adequately, participating fully, and remaining adaptable, you can make the most of this educational experience and lay a strong foundation for your future scientific endeavors. The program goals and learning outcomes of C2C are as follows:
Hands-On Experience and Technical Skills
- Field experience: Students will visit a coastal site to conduct a stratigraphic study that will identify and map past land-level changes and tsunami inundation. Students will take and describe sediment cores, map tsunami deposits, conduct elevation surveys, and sample the modern environments of the site.
- Laboratory experience: Students will process samples (photograph and archive cores), map site stratigraphy, and be introduced to quantitative laboratory techniques in subduction zone science. Instruction will include microscope work on microfossils that record paleoenvironments.
- Computational experience: Students will be introduced to modeling techniques in subduction zone science. Instruction will include computer time for modeling approaches.
Research Projects
- Conduct coastal geological studies in data- poor areas, and/or sites that could benefit from re-analysis using updated techniques.
- Gain experience of the full range of research endeavors, including data acquisition, analysis, and dissemination; synthesize and present findings to peers, mentors, and local community at the end of the program.
Mentoring and Networking
- Forge connections with peers and professionals who’ve been in your shoes, offering mentorship and support during the summer and beyond.
- Graduate students and early career researchers from diverse scientific backgrounds (e.g., coastal geologists, geophysicists) will serve as mentors in the program.
- Participants will have the opportunity to interact with local stakeholders and emergency managers.
Professional Development
- Boost your skills beyond academics – from working on science communication to time management to teamwork.
Program Outline
June 7: Students arrive in Eugene, OR and will stay in UO dorms overnight.
June 8: Students and instructors depart Eugene, OR and make their way south to Arcata, CA. The group will make stops along the way to introduce students to the local geology and tectonics. The group will stay in Coos Bay at the Oregon Institute of Marine Biology.
June 9: The group will continue south making additional stops along the way before arriving in Arcata, CA. Students will get settled in their CPH dorm accommodations.
June 10: Orientation: Students will be trained in map reading, strategies for site selection, note taking, sediment and core descriptions, surveying, and field work safety.
June 11: Orientation continues and a short day in the field to introduce students to field work.
June 12-14: Field Exercise.
June 15: DAY OFF.
June 16: Stratigraphy Overview/Presentation/Regroup. Students will prepare and present presentations on some aspect of their field experience for their peers and mentors.
June 17-20: Laboratory Exercise.
June 21: DAY OFF.
June 22-24: Computer Exercise.
June 25: Work on final presentations.
June 26: Final presentations of findings to peers, mentors, and local community.
June 27: Drive back to Eugene, OR.
June 28: Students fly back home.
Information for
Students
Student application open.
For questions contact GEI Program Manager Shannon Fasola (sfasola@uoregon.edu).
Instructors
Tina Dura: Virginia Tech, CRESCENT Cascadia Paleoseismology Working Group Lead
Andrea Hawkes: University of North Carolina Wilmington, CRESCENT Cascadia Paleoseismology Working Group Member
Harvey Kelsey: Cal Poly Humboldt, CRESCENT Cascadia Paleoseismology Working Group Member, CRESCENT Geoscience Education & Inclusion Committee Member
Diego Melgar: University of Oregon, CRESCENT Director
Graduate Teaching Assistant – TBA
Graduate Teaching Assistant – TBA