DoctorSarah Smithies

My teaching is closely linked to my research. I teach a Research Methods class for the Frontiers Abroad Program, where I guide students through a semester-long research project. I lead numerous undergraduate geology fieldtrips throughout the year, including introduction to field skills in Westport, structural mapping in Cass, and introduction to volcanology in the Taupō Volcanic Zone. I emphasise interactive learning, both in the classroom and in the field. Place-based learning is central to my approach; I focus on helping students feel connected to their environment for an immersive learning experience.

I am currently open to supervising MSc and BSc Honours projects. Projects may include case-studies of ignimbrites in the Taupō Volcanic Zone, petrology of the Lyttelton and Akaroa volcanic systems, textural studies of plutonic lithics, and using tephra to examine the temporal evolution of magma systems.