Associated Faculty Professor Edward A. Keller began a weekly column in the Santa Barbara News Press in June 2008 and proceeded to contribute over 50 articles on the subject of the “Natural History of Santa Barbara.” 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.”
In November 2009, Keller resumed his weekly column, focusing on issues of environmental geology and sustainability as applied to Santa Barbara, and he kicked the series off with “History Naturally: Sustainable Santa Barbara.” As Professor Keller puts it, “This column is a contribution to the UCSB mission of public outreach to our community,” and he went on to say that: “Over the next few weeks, I’ll be exploring sustainability linked to the natural and urban environment of Santa Barbara. Topics will include the emergence of the environmental movement and sustainable resource management, including water, land, and ecosystems.”
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. His research efforts are divided into two areas of surface processes: 1) 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.
On a more personal note, Ed was also a close friend of Reg Golledge, our UCSB Geography giant who passed away earlier this year. Ed is the guy who teamed up with and enabled Reg to win a local darts tournament after Reg became legally blind, and Ed is probably the only person who could out-fish Reg. Needless to say, both activities fell under such descriptives as “wayfinding” and “aquatic research”—or so Reg’s staff were sworn on pain of death to say…
Editor’s Notes: Ed’s weekly columns are on page 2 of the Monday edition of the Santa Barbara News Press. Affiliated faculty in the Department of Geography participate in instructional activities, including serving on MA and PhD committees, but they are salaried by other departments or institutions. Geography currently has 10 affiliated faculty.
