Dr. Birnbaum received his Ph.D. degree from the University of Cambridge, England, in 1977. He has numerous refereed publications and abstracts as well as presentations. His research is in the area of sedimentology and low temperature geochemistry with an emphasis on geomicrobiology. In addition, he conducts research in geoscience education including computer assisted instruction for geology students. During his tenure, Dr. Birnbaum has been awarded $2,437,141 in grant support. The latest is from the National Science Foundation for $79,854 in support of Field Science.

Dr. Birnbaum is actively involved with undergraduate honors student research and serves as a faculty advisor and committee member for undergraduate honors thesis students. On the graduate level, he recently developed and taught a course in Geomicrobiology. This course focuses upon practical application in assessing the relationships between geological and microbial processes. Graduate students representing engineering, biology, environmental science and geology were enrolled in the course. Dr. Birnbaum’s most recent publication will appear in Astrobiology and deals with the survival and preservation of microbes under hostile hypersaline conditions similar to conditions hypothesized for Mars.