Geology's Warren Huff Celebrates 50 Years at UC

When Warren Huff completed his Ph.D. in geology at the University of Cincinnati in the 1960s, he was not planning to pursue a career in education. In fact, Huff did not consider it until the head of geology approached him with an offer to work at UC as an assistant professor in the geology department after he completed his Ph.D.

Now 50 years later, Huff has become a staple in McMicken’s Department of Geology. On Nov. 7, the geology department celebrated Huff’s amazing 50-year career at UC with a celebration in the Geology Physics Building. Huff’s only request for the evening was for a bluegrass band at the party.

Since 1963, Huff has been teaching geology courses at UC, and over the years he has enjoyed teaching first-year courses such as Introduction to Geology. Huff has adapted his teaching style to new technology as it became available. The popularity of online courses has had a large impact on Huff’s teaching as he has worked to incorporate new digital platforms for sharing his lectures with students. Huff also enjoys teaching some graduate level courses that focus on his research interest—the study of clay.

Huff has shared his expertise multiple times, including an article in

the Columbus Dispatch

about the purity of clay found on someone’s land. Additionally, around 1995, Huff was invited to a workshop to be a respondent for the team who was creating the Mars rover. Huff’s understanding of clays allowed him to advise the team about whether the miniaturized equipment would be capable of analyzing the clay on Mars. And in 2007, Huff’s knowledge led to

NASA inviting him

to advise them about the Mars landing site.

Over the years, Huff also completed a remarkable amount of fieldwork and research trips. Although he has completed a number of fieldwork projects in North America, Huff has also participated in fieldwork across the globe. Some of the areas he has travelled to include Scandinavia, China, Northern Ireland, central Europe, and Argentina.

The professor attributes his longevity at the university to his good health and the support he receives from his wife, Atia. Plus, he continues to work at UC simply because he enjoys what he is doing and considers teaching a source of pleasure.

“I thoroughly enjoy working in the department,” Huff said. “The group of faculty, staff and students in the geology department create an incredible work environment.”