Dr. Jeff Clark
Associate Professor, Lawrence University

Dr. Clark joined the faculty at Lawrence University twelve years ago. Prior to that, he worked at an ecological firm as a stream and wetland restoration specialist. He earned his PhD at Johns Hopkins University from the department of Geography and Environmental Engineering. His training is in fluvial geomorphology and his research interests focus on anthropogenic influences on river systems. He has studied the effects of Glen Canyon Dam on sand bars in the Grand Canyon and the interplay between land use changes and river channel response in Northeastern Puerto Rico. One of the many things that intrigues him about Italy and the area around OGC is the effects of plowing the steep hills of the Marche on downstream river valleys.

Dr. Alessandro Montanari
Director, Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco

Alessandro (Sandro) Montanari grew up in Ancona, Italy and obtained his M.S. in geology from the University of Urbino. For his Ph.D. at the University of California - Berkeley, he made seminal contributions to the understanding of the cause of the Cretaceous-Tertiary (KT) mass extinction. After postdoctoral work in the United States, Montanari returned to Italy in 1992 to create the Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco, an important institute of geological research and teaching that now attracts researchers and students from all over the world. Montanari has published extensively on almost all aspects of Italian geology, is the recipient of the Jean Baptiste Lamarck Medal from the European Geosciences Union and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America. He is also an accomplished musician and cook.

Paula Metallo
Resident Artist, Osservatorio Geologico di Coldigioco

Paula Metallo was raised in upstate New York and received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting from SUNY-New Paltz in 1975. She has completed studies toward her M.F.A. at the Accademia delle Belle Arti in Urbino, Italy and has studied at the Kala Institute in Berkeley, California. From 1983-2010, her work has been shown in 39 exhibitions throughout the world including Italy, Germany, and the United States. She writes art reviews for a number of publications including Art Week, Flash Art magazine, and Liberazione, and her artwork appears in numerous private collections.