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Name: Dr. Keith Putirka
Title: Professor
Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Academic Degrees: Ph.D. geology, Columbia University; M.S. geology, Cal State LA; B.S. geology, Cal State Northridge

How long have you worked at Fresno State? Since fall 2002 — 19 years.

What are you most passionate about in your field and why? I like teaching and learning new things. Teaching allows me to share what I've learned, and to learn more in the process when our students ask great questions and teach me new things — which happens often. My students have had a huge impact on my areas of research. Research also allows me to learn new things and to involve students in what I hope are meaningful experiences.

What is a memorable moment you had at your job? There's more than one, and they involve watching my former students succeed after they graduate. One former graduate student runs his own lab in Texas, while another is completing her Ph.D. at UC Santa Barbara. Some former students tell me about how their training in my classes (especially the Excel-based assignments) helped them earn a job offer or a promotion. These are all favorite moments for me.

What is a memorable moment you had in class, and what does that reveal about your teaching style? I can't think of anything off hand. All classes are fun.

What do you like to do for fun in your spare time? Spending time with my family, reading (books, newspapers), watching baseball, betting on horse races, camping, fishing, hiking, using iNaturalist to identify plants in the Sierra Nevada and elsewhere.