Wayne State University geology professor Mark Baskaran receives Fulbright Scholar Award

Wayne State University Professor of Geology Mark Baskaran has received a prestigious Fulbright Scholar grant to teach and conduct research at Ege University in Izmir, Turkey one of the most geologically active regions in the world.

Baskaran will focus on environmental changes in the area and their impact not only on geological activity but on Turkish culture and the local population as well. Working with an interdisciplinary team of graduate researchers, Baskaran will use this grant to quantify organic pollutant contamination in the area and train a new generation of researchers to find innovative ways of utilizing chemical isotopes to solve environmental problems.

Baskaran's proposal was inspired by a 2013 trip to Turkey, when he visited what remained of the seven churches of Asia Minor which are referenced in the biblical book of Revelation. As several of the 2,000-year-old churches have been decimated by earthquake activity, the star Wayne State researcher was moved to learn more about the environment and seismic activity of the region.

"I am elated to have the opportunity to conduct research in Izmir," stated Baskaran. "Not only is it one of the world's most tectonically active areas, but it's also a region with deep sociological and historical significance."

Baskaran, who joined Wayne State's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences in 1999, leaves for Turkey in October 2015.

For more information on the Fulbright Program, visit eca.state.gov/fulbright.