Daniel T. Chupik

Visiting Lecturer in Earth and Climate Sciences

Earth and Climate Sciences

About

Hello everyone! I recently earned my Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Arizona State University and am excited to be teaching at Bates. This semester I am teaching Mapping and GIS with Lab and Earth Structure and Dynamics with Lab, and in May 2026 I’ll lead a short-term field course, Geology and Archaeology of Arizona. I’m looking forward to meeting you all!

My research focuses on reconstructing paleoenvironments associated with early hominins in the Afar Depression of Ethiopia and understanding how volcanism, tectonics, and sedimentary processes interact in active rift settings. I use a combination of field mapping, drone-based remote sensing, stratigraphy, geochemistry, and geochronology to study landscape evolution, rift basin development, and volcanic histories.

Current Courses

Short Term 2026

Arizona Geology & Archaeology

EACSS 21

This field-based short course offers an immersive study of Arizona’s diverse geological and cultural landscapes. Through field observation and interpretation, students explore major tectonic episodes including the Mazatzal and Laramide orogenies, Paleozoic passive margin development, and Basin and…

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News & Updates

May 5, 2026

Celebration of culture and belonging that is ‘here to stay’…

More than 60 performers participated in this year's cultural showcase which highlights and celebrates — through performance — diverse cultures of the Caribbean and Latin American students at Bates. This year’s showcase on April 17 was entitled “Here to Stay: Rhythms that Raised Us,” which points to both the past and future cultural influence of Latine and Caribbean cultures in the United States and at Bates.

May 5, 2026

Beyond the chair: building belonging one hair cut at a time

Every other week, an open space in the Student Center for Community and Belonging (SCBC) used by students for studying, gaming, and just spending time together transforms. Furniture is repositioned. Speakers are connected and music plays. Ring lights are placed. On the windowsills, light filters through containers filled with Barbasol and combs. Barber chairs are wheeled into their spots. For a few hours, the SCBC becomes a barbershop.

May 1, 2026

A Short Term long on learning: Explore 2026 courses in Maine&…

Short Term, a Bates “minimester” of three-and-a-half weeks during which students take only one course, is here. Course offerings run the gamut and give students the opportunity to deeply engage with a single topic.