Nick Zentner
{{short description|American geologist (born 1962)}}
{{Infobox academic
| name = Nick Zentner
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| birth_date = July 20, 1962
| birth_place = Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin, US
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| occupation = Professor
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| spouse = Liz Zentner
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| children = 3
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| relatives = Clyde Zoia (grandfather)
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| website = {{URL|nickzentner.com}}
| education = University of Wisconsin–Madison (BS)
Idaho State University (MS)
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| discipline = Geology
| sub_discipline = Geology of the Pacific Northwest
| workplaces = Miami University
Central Washington University
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Nick Zentner is an American academic who works as a geology professor at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington. Outside of his work with the university, he is known for his online videos covering the geology of the Northwestern United States and his series Nick on the Rocks.
Early life and education
Zentner was born on July 20, 1962, in the state of Wisconsin.{{cite web|title='Nick From Home' Livestream #11 - Olympic Peninsula|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFw3h8OROLU|work=Nick From Home|date=April 1, 2020|accessdate=May 1, 2020}} Inspired during a 1983 trip to the Pacific Northwest on break from college, Zentner decided to study geology.{{cite news|title=Memories and lessons from Mount St. Helens from CWU's Nick Zentner|url=https://www.yakimaherald.com/special_projects/mtsainthelens/memories-and-lessons-from-mount-st-helens-from-cwus-nick-zentner/article_579bee72-a0c6-5c6a-a8cd-ca6d76bb338c.html|newspaper=Yakima Herald-Republic|date=May 17, 2020|accessdate=May 20, 2020}} Zentner earned his Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 1986 and a Master of Science from Idaho State University in 1989.
Career
From 1989 to 1992 Zentner taught geology at the Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. After that, he took on his current position teaching geology at Central Washington University in Ellensburg, Washington.
He is known for his work in making online videos and public lectures covering the geology of the Northwestern United States.{{cite news|author=Jacob Wagner|title="Nick on the Rocks" scientist coming to town|url=https://www.grandcoulee.com/story/2019/02/20/news/nick-on-the-rocks-scientist-coming-to-town/11458.html|newspaper=The Star|date=February 20, 2019|accessdate=June 26, 2020}} Starting in the mid-2000s, he gave lectures to the public about local geology topics, such as one on the Columbia River Basalt Group. These led to the production of a series of shorts he made called Two Minute Geology. He then produced the series Nick on the Rocks that is aired on KCTS-TV to the Seattle metropolitan area.{{cite news|author=Sandi Doughton|title=The Pacific Northwest is a Disneyland for geology lovers, and this CWU prof wants to be your guide|url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/science/pacific-northwest-disneyland-for-geology-lovers-cwu-prof-guide/|date=April 10, 2017|accessdate=May 1, 2020|location=Ellensburg|newspaper=The Seattle Times}}
During the COVID-19 pandemic Zentner created live streaming lectures on various geology topics in a series called Nick From Home. In the Nick From Home series he focused on trying to provide an educational environment for children who might be out of school and to viewers from around the world.{{cite news|author=Kathryn Altena|title=CWU professor teaches a global audience during pandemic|url=https://mynorthwest.com/1817197/cwu-geology-professor-global-audience/|work=MyNorthwest.com|date=April 15, 2020|accessdate=May 10, 2020}}
Personal life
Zentner is a practicing Catholic and is married to a science teacher at Ellensburg High School. They have three sons.{{cite web|title=CWU Geological Sciences - Nick Zentner|url=http://www.geology.cwu.edu/facstaff/nick/zentner.html|work=Central Washington University|accessdate=May 1, 2020}}{{cite web|title='Nick From Home' Livestream #29 - Geologic Time|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HviaU4vbZJo|work=Nick From Home|date=April 26, 2020|accessdate=May 1, 2020}}
Honors and awards
In 2024, Zentner was recognized by the Geological Association of Canada with their E. R. Ward Neale Medal for sustained outstanding efforts in sharing Earth science with Canadians. {{cite web|title=E.R. Ward Neale Medal|url=https://gac.ca/about/grants-awards/e-r-ward-neale-medal/|accessdate=May 20, 2024}}
In 2015, Zentner won the James Shea Award presented by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers for his work in presenting the geology of the Pacific Northwest to a broad audience.{{cite web|title=2015 Awardee - Dr. Nick Zentner, Central Washington University|url=https://nagt.org/nagt/awards/shea/2015.html|work=National Association of Geoscience Teachers|accessdate=May 1, 2020}} Two episodes of Nick on the Rocks, "Teanaway Tropics" and "Saddle Mountains Buried in Ash", were granted Northwest Emmy Awards by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences on June 5, 2021.{{cite news|title='Nick on the Rocks' score 2 Northwest Emmys|url=https://www.dailyrecordnews.com/all_access/nick-on-the-rocks-score-2-northwest-emmys/article_7d2c5866-8afa-518e-a75a-e6c0ae766fc1.html|newspaper=Daily Record|date=June 9, 2021|accessdate=June 10, 2021}}
In 2023, he was also presented with the GSA Public Service Award by The Geological Society of America.{{cite web | url=https://www.geosociety.org/GSA/GSA/Awards/2023/gsa-awards.aspx | title=2023 GSA Award & Medal Recipients }}
Publications
- Extension and Subsidence of the Eastern Snake River Plain, Idaho (2002).
References
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External links
- [https://www.kcts9.org/show/nick-rocks/episodesNick on the Rocks at KTCS9]
- [https://www.ted.com/talks/nick_zentner_sharing_geology Nick Zentner Tedx Talk "Sharing Geology"]
- [https://www.nickzentner.com/ Nick Zentner]
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Category:20th-century American geologists
Category:21st-century American geologists
Category:Central Washington University faculty
Category:University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni
Category:Idaho State University alumni
Category:Educational and science YouTubers
Category:American Roman Catholics