Dr. Brian Platt
Brian Platt is the newest faculty member in the University of Mississippi’s Department of Geology and Geological Engineering.
The assistant professor is teaching Engineering 691, a graduate-level technical writing class. He will also be teaching Sedimentology and Stratigraphy in spring 2014. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania and master’s and doctoral degrees in geology from the University of Kansas.
Before coming to Ole Miss, Platt worked for an environmental consulting firm in New Jersey, and as an instructor and lecturer for the geology department at the University of Kansas. Upon completion of his Ph.D., he spent a year working as a post-doctoral researcher at the Kansas Geological Survey.
“I applied for the assistant professorship here because the position and the department sounded like good fits for me,” Platt said. “Much of my research integrates sedimentary geology and paleontology, which I thought would complement existing departmental strengths. I also liked that the size of the department allowed for a close-knit community that fostered an effective educational environment for students.”
Colleagues expressed enthusiasm over his addition to the department.
“Dr. Platt brings a unique mix of expertise in sedimentology and paleontology that complements existing faculty strengths very well,” said Gregg Davidson, chair and professor of geology and geological engineering. “One of his long-term teaching assignments will be to integrate our geology majors into the existing geological engineering capstone experience.”
Platt’s short-term goals are to establish his research program, begin collaborations with his new colleagues, involve undergraduate and graduate students in his research and develop courses that engage students, including the first class on dinosaurs ever offered at Ole Miss.
Platt received a University of Kansas Self Graduate Fellowship, a highly competitive university-wide fellowship for doctoral students. The fellowship included four years of support and a development program that provided training in communication, management and leadership.
Platt’s hobbies include art, playing guitar, going to the theatre, playing board games, tasting and making new foods and keeping physically active. He and his wife, Sara, an Ole Miss doctoral student in special education, have a 5-year-old son, Henry.
“My long-term goals are to be able to sustain my research program through external funding, to make professional contributions that advance my field and support the Ole Miss community and to strive for excellence in teaching, mentoring and assisting students to meet their professional goals,” Platt said.