Professor Giegengack on Writing in the Earth Sciences

About the Professor

After graduating with a B.A. from Yale, Dr. Giegengack received an M.S. from the University of Colorado and then a Ph.D in Geology from Yale. No longer actively teaching at Penn, Dr. Giegengack currently helps students with their senior theses. His past research includes studies of the geology of the Middle East as well as measuring and analyzing variations in natural cycles.


Personal Writing Process

  1. Collect data through field research or from other published sources and evaluate it
  2. Present data with as little bias as possible
  3. Distinguish data from interpretations
  4. Test each sentence after writing it. If it doesn't make sense, rework the sentence until it does.

Favorite Authors

Dr. Giegengack's favorite writers include Grove Karl Gilbert as well as "Illustrations of the Huttonian Theory of the Earth" author John Playfair for their crisp, clear, and precise writing style.



© 2013 The University of Pennsylvania