Department Chair - Dr. Saugata Datta

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences (EPS) at UTSA. We are an academic department that offers undergraduate programs (B.S. and B.A. in Geosciences), graduate programs (M.S. in Geoinformatics; M.S. in Geosciences), and undergraduate and graduate Geographic Information System (GIS) certificate programs. Our faculty also participate in the Environmental Science and Engineering (ESE) Ph.D. program administered by the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

The goal of our department is to promote a comprehensive learning and research environment at UTSA, one of the fastest growing higher educational institutes in the nation and South Texas. Our departments' outstanding faculty teach, carry out research, and mentor young scientists in a variety of fields including sedimentology and stratigraphy, structural geology, volcanology, geomorphology, hydrology and environment, oceanography, biogeochemistry, polar and climate science, geomicrobiology, as well as growing our new emphasis in planetary geology.

Our students actively engage in investigating geological, geomorphological, and biogeochemical processes in a variety of natural systems that stretch from the poles to the tropics, including understanding volcanic processes from the past and present on Earth or other planets, reconstructing paleo-environments and studying fossil records, studying natural disasters and monitoring environmental changes, and other exciting research opportunities.

In EPS, we promote outreach and networking among our peer colleges, schools, and institutions in and around San Antonio. At UTSA, we are committed to propagating science through a blend of interdisciplinary research, state of the art research, and instrumentation resources in a collaborative and inclusive learning environment.

We welcome you to our department and will strive to provide the best experience and a bright future in earth and planetary sciences. Thank you for visiting our website.

Dr. Saugata Datta
Professor and Department Chair
Saugata.Datta@utsa.edu

Prior to August 23, 2021, the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences was the Department of Geological Sciences.