We had a busy and successful open house of our new teaching lab on Friday, featuring an analog modeling table for structural geology, flume table, augmented reality sandbox, and, of course, our alumni-funded stone tables, in addition to the unveiling of a new boulder of pillow basalt in the Morrill courtyard, and tours of new lab facilities for our newest faculty.

Thank you to Johanna Andersen-Pratt of Ashfield Stone Co., Shelburne Falls for her gift of a 6-Ton boulder of the Hawley Formation pillow basalt from the western hilltowns. This basalt was erupted from an arc volcano during subduction and closure of the Iapetus Ocean, approximately 475 million years ago. Thanks also go to Dean Serio of CNS for help with the unveiling, and for Pam Monn of Building and Grounds and her staff who helped move the massive boulder to UMass!

We also had popular tours of brand new lab facilities for our new faculty, Dr.'s Justin Richardson and Matthew Winnick.

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