Williamstown – Markes E. Johnson, the Charles L. MacMillan Professor of Natural Sciences at Williams College, has been awarded a Petroleum Research Fund grant for $50,000 by the American Chemical Society.
The grant is the eighth award Johnson has received through the American Chemical Society since 1979. The Petroleum Research Fund, which promotes research participation in geology and chemistry on both the undergraduate and graduate levels, has enabled more than 50 Williams students to accompany Johnson on his frequent excursions to the Baja California Peninsula of Mexico since 1990.
The current grant will support research on his project, "Paleography and Correlation of Pliocene Basins in the Gulf of California." The project is aimed at understanding the development of one of the planet's youngest seas, also known as the Sea of Cortez. Expansion of the Gulf over the last five million years is being traced by Johnson and his students along former shorelines uplifted by as much as 650 ft. above sea level.
Johnson has been at Williams since 1977, and has taught courses in historical geology, paleobiology, and stratigraphy.
He is the author of "Discovering the Geology of Baja California – Six Hikes on the Southern Gulf Coast" (University of Arizona Press, 2002) and co-editor of "Pliocene Carbonates and Related Facies Flanking the Gulf of California" (Geological Society of America Special Paper, 1997), among works most closely related to ongoing field studies in Mexico.
Previous awards include a Class of 1945 World Fellowship for his project, "Island Ecology Through Geologic Time" and grant support from the National Geographic Society for research on former shorelines in Western Australia, Siberia, and China's Inner Mongolia.
Johnson is a fellow of the Geological Society of America and a member of the Paleontological Society, among other professional groups. He received his B.A. from the University of Iowa in 1971 and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago in 1977.
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Dalton Day Returns This Saturday
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The town's popular Dalton Day festival is returning this weekend after a year's hiatus.
The event will kick off this Saturday at 11 a.m. and runs until 4 p.m. in the field in front of the Senior Center.
The community celebration was established in 2023 by the Cultural Council in an effort to increase resident participation at town meetings while also showcasing the area's welcoming, diverse, artistic and sporty atmosphere. In 2024, the event brought together 300 residents.
"The primary mission of Dalton Day is to foster a strong sense of community, build civic pride, and bring residents together through a shared celebration of local culture, music, and food," said Jeannie Ingram, Select Board member and cultural council chair, and Lori Venezia, executive assistant to the town manager.
The event provides an accessible and free platform for "civic education, community bonding, and supporting local businesses, artisans, makers, and culture more broadly," they said.
The festival strengthens the fabric of the town both civically and economically by connecting grassroots organizations with residents, fostering a shared sense of belonging, and providing free, family-friendly entertainment.
It also serves as an opportunity for community members to meet with local officials and a couple of state officials. State Sen. Paul Mark and state Rep. Leigh Davis will be coming from Beacon Hill to speak at the event.
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Jason Codey struck out 13, walked two and allowed just an infield single as the Generals earned a 7-1 win over Wahconah to claim their third straight regional title. click for more
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