Dr. John S. Knapp

Education:

Ph. D. in Geophysics from the University of Washington (1982)

Previous Teaching Experience and Research:

Geophysical Analyst for Phillips Petroleum (1982 -85), Assistant professor of Geophysics and Research Geophysicist for New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology (1985 -89), Assistant Professor of Geology for University of Wisconsin (1979-1981). Dr. Knapp's research interests have centered around earthquakes and tectonics in Northern California and New Mexico as well as geophysical prospecting and data analysis techniques for petroleum exploration and groundwater development.

Current Teaching Responsibilities:

Dr. Knapp began teaching at MSSC in 1989. He lectures in the areas of his expertise:  earth science and environmental issues courses and nonmajor physics courses. Dr. Knapp is nicknamed "Demo-Man," not because of all the demonstrations he likes to do in his classes, but because he tends to be hard on laboratory equipment (DEMOlition).
For specific information about his courses, you can link to his list of Classes I Am Currently Teaching .

Professional Societies

American Geophysical Union, Society for Exploration Geophysicists, National Association of Geology Teachers, American Petroleum Institute, Geophysical Society of Tulsa, Sigma Xi

Current Projects:

Dr. Knapp is very active with the Mineral Museum in Schifferdecker Park in Joplin, Missouri and serves on the Board of Directors. He is also working on a project with the Exploration Geophysics Museum in Tulsa, OK to create an online, web-based version of the museum. You can visit this site at the SEG Virtual Museum.

Specific Interests and Hobbies:

He loves earthquakes!. He enjoys the experience of geology in its natural setting, such as collecting rocks and photographing these regions. He said, "If I had it to do over again, I would become an architect. This stems from my appreciation of geology in that it is beautiful to to look at , but it's totally cool when I understand the physics of how it was created. Being an architect combines both the physics of design with artistry -- the human equivalent of geologic processes." Dr. Knapp enjoys the out-of-doors and is a long-time member of the Sierra Club and the Nature Conservancy