Now Open
Registration for SEES Fall 2025 Courses
– Look through the list of courses.
– Make an appointment with your academic advisor.
– Request courses that require department permission.
– Self-enroll in remaining courses on CUNYfirst.
Contact Us
Department Office
Office Hours:
Monday – Thursday
9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Summer Office Hours
(June 14th – August 9th)
Monday – Thursday
10 am – 4 pm
Department Contact
Email: sees@qc.cuny.edu
Phone: (718) 997-3300
Questions? Concerns? Contact us!
Administrative Staff
Chair of Department
College Office Assistant
Maria Silvestri
Anne Marie Devlin
College Laboratory Technicians
Mustafa Kamal
Ilias Georgalis
NEW YORK STATE GEOLOGY LICENSE
Geology Bachelor of Science designated as Licensure-Qualifying Program for New York State Geology License at Queens College.
The School of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Queens College is proud to announce that the Geology Bachelor of Science degree has been added as a licensure-qualifying designation and is now listed as a registered program for obtaining the New York State Geology License.
Queens College is currently the only institution in New York City to offer this to students.
This will permit students who graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Geology at Queens College to be eligible to take the exam for the New York State Geology License. Many consulting and governmental jobs in both geology and environmental science now ask prospective employees to have the New York State Professional Geologist title. Contact the geology undergraduate advisors, for more information about this exciting opportunity for Queens College students : Dr. Pekar (Stephen.pekar@qc.cuny.edu) and Dr. Laczniak (dara.laczniak@qc.cuny.edu)
Meet Your Academic Advisors!
Environmental Science & Studies
Jeffrey Bird
Environmental Science & Studies
Christine Ramadhin
Geology
Dara Laczniak
Graduate Studies
Greg O’Mullan
Now Open
Registration for SEES Fall 2025 Courses
– Look through the list of courses.
– Make an appointment with your academic advisor.
– Request courses that require department permission.
– Self-enroll in remaining courses on CUNYfirst.
News & Events
WHY STUDY ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ?
WHY STUDY GEOLOGY ?
FEATURED UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT
Laiba Mahmood
Undergraduate student in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
Laiba Mahmood, an undergraduate student in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, has been named a recipient of the prestigious Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship for 2025. The scholarship, awarded to students pursuing careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, supports outstanding undergraduates with strong potential to become future leaders in research. Laiba is one of 441 scholars nationally recognized for the 2025-2026 academic year and the ninth Goldwater Scholar in Queens College history.
Laiba is currently studying environmental biology and geology, with a keen interest in planetary science and astrobiology, particularly the study of planetary habitability and the evolution of life. Throughout her undergraduate journey, Laiba has gained research experience in microbial biogeochemistry at the University of Michigan and modeled landscape and species evolution in the LEGACi Lab. This summer, she will be conducting planetary habitability research through a NASA internship to better understand the geochemistry of potential organics in Europa’s oceans. Looking ahead, Laiba plans to pursue a Ph.D. in planetary science to better understand the evolution of life and its potential beyond Earth.
2025 Scholars | Barry Goldwater
April 2025
more news …
Special Events
Colloquium
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
12:15 pm to 1:30 pm, Science Building C207
Zoom ID: 843 0287 5858 Password: 672323
Franco Cortese
PhD Candidate, CUNY Graduate Center Queens College
Volcanic Crystals in Four Dimensions from the 2021 Eruption of Cumbre Vieja, Canary Islands
Understanding crystal cargoes in basaltic magmas offers insights into magma evolution and eruption dynamics and enhances our ability to mitigate volcanic risk. Crystals grow, settle, and accumulate in mushes, which can be remobilized when “fresh” magma invades the system. Combining foundational 2D (BSE-EPMA) and advanced 3D (μCT) techniques, we explore the 2021 eruption of Cumbre Vieja (Canary Islands) by analyzing carefully oriented clinopyroxene and olivine crystals from four eruptive phases. We reveal that crystals record a complex history of interaction with primitive mantle sourced magma, which intrudes crystal mushes 2 weeks to 2 months prior to eruption. The contribution of these mushes reaches up to 66% of the crystal cargo’s volume and contaminates bulk rock analyses. Furthermore, we can resolve temporal changes in the magmatic plumbing system, and find that later crystals react with a rejuvenated, primitive magma batch. This research showcases how modern analytical methods can deepen our understanding of volcanic processes.
Contact Us
Department Office
Office Hours:
Monday – Thursday
9:30 am – 4:30 pm
Summer Office Hours
(June 14th – August 9th)
Monday – Thursday
10 am – 4 pm
Department Contact
Email: sees@qc.cuny.edu
Phone: (718) 997-3300
Questions? Concerns? Contact us!
Administrative Staff
Chair of Department
College Office Assistant
Maria Silvestri
Anne Marie Devlin
College Laboratory Technicians
Mustafa Kamal
Ilias Georgalis