Speaking Gypsum: Tying Together Research Experiences in Texas and Spain

摘要

Graduate student experiences vary from school to school, but should always serve to expand one's horizons and perspectives so that the student will be enriched by the journey which led to the degree. One experience that has broadened my horizons was arecent trip to Zaragoza, Spain where I had the opportunity to study gypsum-rich soils with a soil scientist of international acclaim. Juan Herrero was a visiting scientist to the Department of Plant and Soil Science at Texas Tech University (TTU) for one year while on sabbatical. While at TTU, Dr. Herrero continued his work on gypsum soils that he had been conducting for a number of years in Spain. My own graduate work at TTU is focused on gypsum soils of West Texas and New Mexico and had already benefited greatly from his experience.