A member of the Bates faculty since 1988, Dykstra Eusden ’80 is the new Whitehouse Professor of Geology.
Given by the late David C. Whitehouse ’36 and Constance T. Whitehouse in honor of their families, this endowed chair celebrates freedom of expression and inquiry; respect for human dignity; and exceptional teaching, scholarship, and service.
Professorships honor Bates faculty
This is the first in a series of profiles of Bates faculty member who were appointed to endowed professorships in 2017–18.
Dyk Eusden explains what the appointment means to him:
As a Bates student of the 1970s, I can’t remember ever thinking about who was or who wasn’t a named professor. However, I truly liked my professors, especially the geology faculty who would become my colleagues, the late Roy Farnsworth and John Creasy.
While at Bates, what mattered most was playing Ultimate, cross-country skiing, taking geology classes, doing thesis, and enjoying friends. As a faculty member, I’ve begun to notice that the list of named professors includes some of Bates’ finest and most dedicated faculty members: professors who have served their majors, colleagues, students, and the college very well.
The deep appreciation I have for being appointed to the Whitehouse Professorship is commingled with the somewhat weird sensation that the college selected me for this appointment.
By way of gratitude, I offer a promise: to keep taking Bates students out into the field — traveling by plane, van, kayak, or on foot — to study folds, faults, schists, granites, gabbros, and the many other excellent rocks exposed in the mountains and coastlines, from Yellowstone to Yarmouth Island.
About Dyk Eusden
Dyk Eusden ’80 is an intrepid field scientist who brings his students into the world so they can see, discover, learn from, and record geologic history, whether on Maine coastal islands or in the U.S. West.
He is an expert on regional geologic history and ancient tectonics of the Appalachians, as well as active tectonics in the South Island of New Zealand. A past recipient of the Kroepsch Award for Excellence in Teaching, he involves students as co-authors of papers, research posters, and mapping projects.
A leader in the sciences at Bates, he has served as department chair, division chair, and most recently, as co-chair of the STEM Facilities Review Committee that has developed options to meet the needs of current science programs as well as anticipated program growth. In 2017, Eusden and the Department of Geology hosted the New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference.
