Associated Faculty Professor Edward A. Keller began a weekly column in the Santa Barbara News Press in June 2008 and proceeded to contribute over 100 articles on the subject of the “Natural History of Santa Barbara” and “History Naturally: Sustainable Santa Barbara.” As Professor Keller put it, “This column is a contribution to the UCSB mission of public outreach to our community.” To quote Keller’s introductory remark to the series: “The source of information I will draw on is 30 years of research with my graduate students; a book, Santa Barbara, Land of Dynamic Beauty, that I am preparing as my personal gift to my community; and research completed by my colleagues at UCSB in the Department of Earth Science. I look forward to a lively discussion with the people of our community as we examine the wonder of our natural environment and our interaction with it.”
Ed wrapped up his series for the New Press with a June 2010 article titled “The Santa Barbara Channel,” his final article describing his favorite places to visit in Santa Barbara. As a postscript, he added: “This is my final story. I will be on sabbatical starting in June in order to finish two books and several research papers. I wish to thank all the people with the SBNP, especially Don Katich, who provided me the opportunity to present the natural history of Santa Barbara to the community. Bill Norrington in the UCSB Geography Department edited the stories, and his contribution is greatly appreciated. I have enjoyed writing this column, and the book, Santa Barbara: Land of Dynamic Beauty, that I revised as I did the columns over the past year and one-half will hopefully be published soon. It is my intention to sell the book for about the cost of printing and preparation as a gift from my wife Valery and me to the community we love.” Yep, your editor, on behalf of the Department of Geography, did his bit for community outreach. And, no, he wasn’t paid for such efforts, although Ed did take him out for “studies in aquatic research” several times (read between the lines).
Dr. Keller is a Professor in the Department of Earth Science and the Department of Environmental Studies, as well as an Affiliated Faculty Member of the Department of Geography, and his research efforts are divided into two areas of surface processes: 1) the study of stream and river form and process and 2) studies of Quaternary stratigraphy and tectonics as they relate to earthquake hazard, landslides, active folding, and mountain building. Ed was chair of the Environmental Studies and Hydrologic Sciences Programs from 1993 to 1997, received the Easterbrook Distinguished Scientist award from the Geological Society of America in 2004, and is the author/coauthor of the textbooks Environmental Geology, Introduction to Environmental Geology, Active Tectonics, Natural Hazards: Earth’s Processes as Hazards, Disasters, and Catastrophes, and (with Daniel B. Botkin) the long-running edition of the award-winning Environmental Science: Earth as a Living Planet. The latter was elected the best textbook of 2004 by the Textbook and Academic Authors Association, and, for several years, the Environmental Literacy Council of Washington, D. C. listed it as the only acceptable environmental science textbook, based on a review of all such texts by a group of leading environmental scientists.
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