Ron Counts is the new associate director of the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute at the University of Mississippi. Submitted photo
Ron Counts has spent a lot of his career working outdoors and unraveling the history of the Earth by studying its terrains. As the new associate director of the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute at the University of Mississippi, the expert research geologist is enjoying a similar experience.
The Midwest native, who is also an assistant research professor, previously worked at the Kentucky Geological Survey at the University of Kentucky and then with the U.S. Geological Survey in the Washington, D.C., area.
“Before my arrival, I had not thought much of Ole Miss because I had never been here or worked with anyone from the South,” Counts said. “All my colleagues are from the Midwest and East Coast.”
Once Counts arrived at the Oxford campus to interview, he was pleasantly surprised by the culture and history of Oxford, the charm of its people and the quality of research coming out of the geology and geological engineering program at Ole Miss.
“After I visited Ole Miss, it rose to my first choice,” he said. “It has been great here. I am quite happy here and very pleased I chose to come to Ole Miss.”
Counts is a welcome addition to the MMRI staff, said Gregg Davidson, chair and professor of geology and geological engineering.
“Ron has broad interests and expertise that complement the department’s research efforts, including geologic mapping, applications of geophysics and investigating seismic hazards,” Davidson said. “His work on fault mapping in the region, providing a better understanding of local seismic risks, is a great example.”
An active researcher, Counts spent two years as a U.S. Geological Survey Mendenhall postdoctoral fellow. He said it is probably one of the most gratifying experiences of his career.
“Those fellowships are extremely competitive, few in number and very difficult to obtain,” Counts said. “I was able to meet, learn from and work (alongside) many amazing and talented USGS scientists, and it was a tremendous and invaluable experience that made me a much better researcher. I also made many good friends and new colleagues.”
Counts had a number of collaborative projects in progress or ending when he came to Ole Miss. One of his short-term goals is to complete those as soon as possible, though a couple of them may continue into new phases. Another short-term goal is to begin some smaller field research projects that engage students. Counts already has a couple of those ready to go for this field season.
“My research uses process geomorphology to understand the dynamics between climate, paleoenvironmental change and landscape evolution,” Counts said. “I am particularly interested in identifying landscape responses to tectonic, climatic and anthropogenic perturbations so that rates, causative mechanisms and the timing of landscape changes can be quantified and compared to modern environments to predict possible future changes.”
Counts said a long-term goal is to obtain external funding to build an Earth Surface Processes research lab, which would include sediment and core analysis and geochronology capabilities.
“We have already made a step towards this goal, having recently obtained funding to buy a new drill rig,” he said.
A native of Evansville, Indiana, Counts earned his bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, his master’s degree from Utah State University in Logan and his Ph.D. from the University of Cincinnati.
“I was offered a new full-time position as a mapper at the Kentucky Geological Survey before my M.S. was finished, so I took the job and finished my degree while working full time,” Counts said. “My mapping along the lower Ohio River revealed many interesting geologic problems, and I turned my mapping into a Ph.D. project while working full time as well. My commute to UC was 230 miles one way, so it wasn’t easy.”
Counts and his wife, Melissa, have been married for almost 20 years. The couple, their son and two daughters enjoy traveling and seeing new places, going to national parks, camping and canoeing on the rivers in southeastern Missouri.