Dr. Brian Kelley

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Brian Kelley is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at Penn State University. His research interests encompass modern marine science, with a focus on the co-evolution of the Earth and the environment throughout geologic time scales. He particularly studies shallow-water tropical carbonate systems and the deep-time archives of Earth system processes that are genetically linked to tectonic, climatic, biological, and chemical conditions. Kelley's work often explores patterns of ocean environmental change and their influence on the spatial and temporal distribution of marine biodiversity, including the impacts of environmental change on the magnitude and rate of marine biodiversity depletion throughout Earth's history. Reefs and tropical benthic communities serve as essential ecosystems and indicators of global marine ecosystem health over geological time. His current projects investigate the oceanic controls affecting stratigraphic variability in carbonate platform morphology during the Paleozoic to Mesozoic transition and the recovery patterns of reef ecosystems following mass extinctions, such as the end-Permian extinction.

Research Interests

Courses

GEOSC 097: Gold Rush: Geology History Oregon California Trails GEOSC 210: Geoscience Data Analytics GEOSC 397: Earth Science Problem Solving GEOSC 440: Marine Geology GEOSC 470W: Introduction Field Geology

Requirements for Pennsylvania State University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Writing
Required:24
Speaking
Required:23
Total
Required:100
IELTS
Writing
Required:7
Speaking
Required:7
Overall
Required:7
GRE General
Prerequisites
Master's degree in related field for PhD Baccalaureate degree from accredited institution
Application Checklist
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Statement of Purpose
  • Writing Sample
  • Official Transcripts
  • Resume/CV
Specialization Notes

GRE scores are highly recommended but not strictly required for Applied Linguistics.