Professor Morgan Haldeman now lectures students in geology classes after traveling the world studying volcanoes. Photo by Anna Meassick.
Morgan Haldeman, a geology professor at the University of Rhode Island,
Haldeman has traveled to many different places. Among these are Costa Rica, Hawaii, New Zealand, Iceland, Spain, Scotland, the West Indies and the Caribbean. Haldeman does not travel purely for the experience though; she travels for the volcanoes. Ever since childhood, Haldeman recalls a fascination with volcanoes and geology.
Of all these destinations, Haldeman says her favorite location has been Iceland. She lived there from 2015 to 2018 and says it is one of the most rugged and surreal experiences to see the volcano in one of the lava fields.
Haldeman marks her traveling and volcano viewing on her arm with a tattoo of every volcano that she has been to thus far. This tattoo depicts the names of an astonishing 37 volcanoes.
It is extremely difficult to know when a volcano is going to erupt and even when it is predicted, as the window before the eruption is small. Because of this, it is hard to witness this first hand. Haldeman has been lucky enough to see a few volcanoes erupt during her time traveling. She said when they do erupt it happens slower than one would think.
Haldeman said, “It feels like a furnace is blasting in your face.” Although the experience is frightening, she describes it to be unlike anything else.
Before becoming a professor, Haldeman had various jobs while she traveled.
“I have done a lot of work as a tour guide,” Haldeman said. “I have worked in Iceland as a tour guide. I was a tour guide in Hawaii for a little while. I have done a lot of different types of teaching, but this is my first time in a structured academic setting.”
In addition to being a tour guide, Haldeman was a volunteer ranger at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park where she helped map a volcano. Volcanoes are usually mapped by helicopter, but Haldeman was lucky enough to get to experience ground mapping first hand.
“We woke up at about 3 a.m. and there was a river of lava making its way down the cliff,” Haldeman said.
After 8 hours of hiking and staying in a tent, seeing this from such a short distance was life-altering for the geology lover.
When asked what brought Haldeman to come to the University of Rhode Island for a full-time teaching position after extensive traveling, Haldeman said it was the people.
“It helped that my family is here,” Haldeman said. “That definitely is a big piece of it, but if I didn’t appreciate the department and the devotion of the people, then I wouldn’t want to work with them.”
Having gone to school here, Haldeman knew she enjoyed the environment of the school.
David Fastovsky, a URI Geology Professor, spoke very highly of Haldeman as a professor, as well as her help in the recent Geology trip.
“Ms. Haldeman is currently helping me run my GEO 450 class field trip to the Colorado Plateau,” Fastovsky said. “Temperatures in the very low 20s; snow; camping out; hiking up and down mountains; feeding 12 people three meals per day; up earlier than everybody else; to bed after everybody else. Very rugged duty. [She’s] always upbeat and cheerful. She’s been invaluable.”
Haldeman attributes her teaching style to both her experience prior to coming to URI as well as her own education.
“The reason I can explain certain things is definitely due to experience,” said Haldeman. “A lot of it is due to teachers that I have had.”
Haldeman said that there is much to learn about teaching, but she is enjoying the journey.