- February 16, 2026
- By Abby Robinson
The University of Maryland’s Department of Geology announced Monday that it has changed its name to the Department of Geological, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences.
The new name more accurately reflects the interdisciplinary nature of the department’s faculty expertise and academic programming, which spans the geological, planetary and environmental sciences.
“The field of geology has evolved and expanded over time, and this new name reflects the department today and will enhance its visibility and recruitment efforts,” said Amitabh Varshney, dean of the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences.
The department, created in 1973, has 16 tenured and tenure-track faculty members, 17 professional-track faculty members, four staff members, 79 undergraduate and graduate students, average research funding of more than $4 million annually and the support of 10 philanthropic funds.
“The new name maintains our distinct geological perspective and will help us strengthen our connections with other environmental and planetary programs at UMD and aligns with the university's strategic commitment to take on humanity's grand challenges,” said department Chair James Farquhar.
Today, faculty members and students in the department conduct research in three main areas:
- Solid Earth, which is the study of the minerals, rocks and structures that constitute Earth, and the tectonic and other processes by which they are formed and altered;
- Surficial processes and environments, which involves the study of active and past fluxes and reservoirs of water, dissolved components and sediment on Earth’s surface and the interactions of these fluxes with the biosphere and atmosphere; and
- Our solar system and its planets.
The department offers B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in geology. At this time, the department’s degree program names are not changing. Undergraduates who major in geology can choose the professional, Earth and environmental sciences, or geophysics track. Students can also minor in Earth history, Earth materials properties, geochemistry, geophysics, hydrology, paleobiology (joint with the Department of Entomology), planetary sciences (joint with the Department of Astronomy) and surficial geology.
The transition will happen visually this year across the department’s website, print materials and physical spaces.