MSA MEETING PROGRAM - VIA ZOOM
"Rock Candy"
Presented by Mr. Stan Celestian
MSA April meeting is virtual via ZOOM.
MSA’s April 8th program “Rock Candy,” will be presented by MSA member and Field Trip Coordinator extraordinaire Stan Celestian. Stan’s presentation will delve into many interesting types of Igneous, Sedimentary and Metamorphic Rocks. The title “Rock Candy” is meant as a takeoff of Jeff Scovil’s recent talk “Eye Candy.” Stan plans on introducing many attractive rocks that he has been able to photograph over the years. An emphasis is placed on Arizona rocks but is not too restrictive in geographic extent. An important aspect of the presentation is that beauty is enhanced with knowledge. An observer can really only appreciate beauty if an understanding of what is being observed has meaning. It is like fine art. Just ignorantly looking at an image of a portrait or still life painting can be satisfying, and the observer may nod in approval, smile and then move on. However, knowing the artist, the subject, the technique used to create the masterpiece, the time era and the socio-economic environment of when the art was made, can deeply enhance one’s experience of viewing the art. Stan’s presentation will not only address “pretty rocks,” but will also touch on their Geological significance and formation, thus providing the enhanced “view” of the specimen.
Mark your calendars for April 8th as Mineralogical Society of Arizona is delighted and honored to host Stan Celestian for a very special program!
Stan was born and raised in the small town of Oswego in upstate New York, right on Lake Ontario. He recalls that as a child he noted the many rocks that his father would remove from the garden every year, and how he would break many open to get a fresh look at their colors and textures. As it turns out, his house was on the crest of a drumlin that was created by the last advance of the glacial ice tens of thousands of years ago. Many of the rocks originated in the Canadian Shield area which provided the wide assortment to be found in the drumlin deposit. Encouraged by his parents he majored in Geology at the local university, and after his BA in Geology he ventured west to Northern Arizona University, where he obtained a combined Master of Science degree in Geology and Education.
Stan then went on to teach Geology, Physics, Astronomy, Earth Science, and even Golf (!) at Glendale Community College. He also taught Geology for Wayland Baptist University, and Geology and Astronomy for Embrey Riddle University. While at Glendale, he was instrumental in creating their Science and Technology Expo and served as the state directory for the national Science Olympiad. Currently, he still teaches Geology part-time for Arizona State University at the West Campus. The texts used in his classes are those that he authored, and that emphasize the Geology of the southwestern United States.
Stan was NASA’s first Ambassador to Jupiter (during the Galileo Mission) in Arizona, and later became NASA’s Arizona Ambassador to the Solar System, with duties that revolved around providing presentations of NASA’s Solar System exploration missions to adult groups and schools.
Most importantly, Stan, along with his wife Susan, is an avid Rockhound and loves getting out to see “Geology.” They are dedicated collectors and have their own museum room in their house. They also have been contributing displays at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show®. Along with Geology as a hobby, they both are enthusiastic photographers and have many photos on Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/usageology/albums
Thank you, Stan, for your outstanding contributions to Earth Science, educating the next generation of scientists and Rockhounds and for serving as MSA’s Field Trip Coordinator ensuring MSA continues to offer exciting and educational field opportunities for our membership!
This will be a virtual event via Zoom. Link to the meeting will be sent in email when you register for the event.
