Kennard Baker Bork is a retired teacher of geology

Geology

Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...

 and geography

Geography

Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...

 from the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. He graduated with a BA from DePauw University

DePauw University

DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana, USA, is a private, national liberal arts college with an enrollment of approximately 2,400 students. The school has a Methodist heritage and was originally known as Indiana Asbury University. DePauw is a member of both the Great Lakes Colleges Association...

 in 1962 then went on to collect and MA (1964) and a PhD (1967) from Indiana University

Indiana University

Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...

. He ended a career stretching more than 35 years as Alumni Professor at Denison University

Denison University

Denison University is private, coeducational, and residential college of liberal arts and sciences founded in 1831. It is located in Granville, Ohio, United States, approximately 30 miles east of Columbus, the state capital...

 in Granville, Ohio

Granville, Ohio

As of the census of 2000, there were 3,167 people, 1,309 households, and 888 families residing in the village. The population density was 790.4 people per square mile . There were 1,384 housing units at an average density of 345.4 per square mile...

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Awards

Bork has been honored not only for his solid record as an undergraduate geoscience teacher but also for his contributions to the study of the history and development of geology. In 1997 the Geological Society of America

Geological Society of America

The Geological Society of America is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of the geosciences. The society was founded in New York in 1888 by Alexander Winchell, John J. Stevenson, Charles H. Hitchcock, John R. Proctor and Edward Orton and has been headquartered at 3300 Penrose...

 awarded him the History of Geology Award, normally granted to scholars affiliated with much larger universities. And in 2000 Bork was awarded the Neil Miner Award for "contributions to the stimulation of interest in Earth Science" by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers

National Association of Geoscience Teachers

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers purpose is to foster improvement in the teaching of the earth sciences at all levels of formal and informal instruction, to emphasize the cultural significance of the earth sciences, and to disseminate knowledge in this field to the general...

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Publications

Bork's several dozen professional publications includes articles relating to sedimentology

Sedimentology

Sedimentology encompasses the study of modern sediments such as sand, mud , and clay, and the processes that result in their deposition. Sedimentologists apply their understanding of modern processes to interpret geologic history through observations of sedimentary rocks and sedimentary...

, stratigraphy

Stratigraphy

Stratigraphy, a branch of geology, studies rock layers and layering . It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks....

, paleontology

Paleontology

Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...

, historical geology

Historical geology

Historical geology is the use of the principles of geology to reconstruct and understand the history of the Earth. It focuses on geologic processes that change the Earth's surface and subsurface; and the use of stratigraphy, structural geology and paleontology to tell the sequence of these events...

 and paleoecology

Paleoecology

Paleoecology uses data from fossils and subfossils to reconstruct the ecosystems of the past. It involves the study of fossil organisms and their associated remains, including their life cycle, living interactions, natural environment, and manner of death and burial to reconstruct the...

. One of Bork's most notable academic accomplishments was the publication of the book Cracking Rocks and Defending Democracy (published by the American Association for the Advancement of Science

American Association for the Advancement of Science

The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...

 in 1994) on geologist and social activist Kirtley F. Mather

Kirtley F. Mather

Kirtley Fletcher Mather was an American geologist at Harvard University, and at one time, head of the geology department. He prepared a deposition for the Scopes "Monkey Trial", and helped Clarence Darrow rehearse his questioning of William Jennings Bryan.He was an activist and author, and wrote...

(1888-1978).