Fred Lutgens and Ed Tarbuck have been good friends and colleagues since 1970. Between them, they have more than 57 years of experience teaching geology to undergraduates, and both have been recognized with awards as excellent and inspiring professors. They share a special interest in introducing geology to beginning students and a belief in the value of field experiences for students of all levels.
Lutgens and Tarbuck published their first college text, Earth Science, in 1976. That book, winner of the McGuffy Award from the Text and Academic Authors Association, is now going into its 15th edition. In 1983, as the 1st edition of Earth was being prepared, gifted geology illustrator Dennis Tasa joined the author team. Since then the three have collaborated on more than 20 projects. Not only do Tarbuck, Lutgens, and Tasa work well together creatively, they also enjoy spending time in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains near Tasa's New Mexico studio.
Tarbuck enjoys downhill skiing in Colorado, fly fishing near his childhood home in Northern Minnesota, and spending time in the Cascades. Lutgens is an avid runner, and when he can make the time, truly enjoys hiking the canyons of the Colorado Plateau. Although Lutgens and Tarbuck think alike on many issues, they don't agree on everything. Lutgens is devoted to jazz and classical music, whereas Tarbuck prefers pop artists or a good country station.
Dr. Scott Linneman is a Professor of Geology and Science Education at Western Washington University in Bellingham WA. Having earned a B.A. from Carleton College in Minnesota, and a Ph.D. from the University of Wyoming, Scott's research spans the fields of geomorphology as well as igneous petrology and volcanology. In 2011, he was named the Higher Education Science Teacher of the Year for Washington by the Washington Science Teachers Association, and in 2013 he was chosen the Carnegie Professor of the Year for Washington State. He currently serves as the Director of the Western Washington University Honors Program.
Michael Imort received his Ph.D. from Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. Ever the geographer, he took the long way to get there, studying at Brock, York, Waterloo, and Freiburg, Germany, with stints in the Arctic, Hawaii, Mali, and Zaire (now DRC), and taking a teaching appointment in an English castle–not to mention the days when he worked as a lumberjack or ran a bookstore. When the time came to get serious, he joined the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Wilfrid Laurier University, where he currently is the Associate Dean of Arts. Originally trained as a forest scientist with an interest in fire ecology, he soon became interested in the human side of environmental problems. Today his research interests include environmental thought and the many ways in which representations of landscape are used and abused for political purposes.Â
