Scott Burns

Dr. Scott Burns

Scott Burns is a 6th generation Oregonian who loves geology.  He went to Beaverton High School where he was student body president, and then got  BS and MS degrees from Stanford University and a PhD in geology from the University of Colorado.  He has been teaching geology at the college level for 53 years, with past positions in Switzerland, New Zealand, Washington, Louisiana and Colorado before coming to Portland State 33 years ago.  In geology he has specialties in engineering geology (landslides), environmental geology (radon and heavy metals in soils), soils (terroir of wine), Quaternary geology and geomorphology (Missoula Floods).  He has been active in AEG (national president), Oregon Soil Science Society (president), IAEG (international president) and Geological Society of America (head of engineering geology division and treasurer of the Quaternary Geology Division).  He has been married for 48 years to Glenda and has three kids and 2 grandchildren.  He lives in Tualatin and is a hay farmer.  He leads trips around the world each summer for the Smithsonian (Washington, DC) and the Stanford Alumni Association.  He has been failing retirement for the past 8 years because he teaches classes in the spring at PSU - Geology of the National Parks and Geodisasters.  He has been a member of GSOC since the early 1990's and has lectured over 10 times to the group and has led field trips for GSOC.  He is the only professor of geology at PSU who has a rock collection - come to his office.