Dr. Suzanne Birner was hired in 2018 to help restart Berea’s geology program. She teaches courses in introductory geology, mineralogy, petrology, and geographic information systems. She also teaches travel courses, most recently traveling to California with students to experience the geology of California’s national parks.

Prior to starting at Berea, Dr. Birner received her PhD in Geological and Environmental Sciences from Stanford University and a BS in Geology from the California Institute of Technology. Her research focuses on the Earth’s upper mantle and the production of magma within the planet’s interior. She applies both geochemical techniques and thermodynamic modeling to understand peridotites—rare slivers of mantle rock most commonly exposed at tectonic plate boundaries.

In her free time, Dr. Birner enjoys cooking, reading, traveling, and hiking with her dog.

*** If you have found an interesting rock, mineral, or fossil that you would like me to look at or identify, please email me. Please include your name and at least one photograph of the sample. Reaching out to me by email is preferable to phone calls when it comes to identifying specimens. Thank you! ***