“When I was finishing up my Ph.D. at Johns Hopkins, there were really no significant environmental problems anywhere yet,” said Wanless.
Clearly, this is no longer the case. As his research demonstrates, global warming has increased substantially over the past 45 years. South Florida is now at great risk from accelerating sea level rise.
A Cane in his own right, Wanless graduated from the University in 1968 with a master’s degree in marine geology and geophysics. After Wanless had received his doctorate, the then-chair of the marine geology department invited him back to teach and to continue his research on the recent geological history of South Florida and the Bahamas. Wanless accepted the offer, joining the faculty in 1971.
He capitalized on the opportunity to help enhance the University’s marine sciences course offerings by implementing field-based research experiences.
“Within a few years of joining the faculty, I was taking students out of the classroom and training them in the South Florida environments as well as on extended, month-long field trips in the U.S. and Canada,” Wanless recalled. Research sites included scenic locales like the Grand Canyon and Newfoundland, Canada.
A departmental shift in 1992 brought Wanless to the College of Arts and Sciences, where he served as the longtime chair of the undergraduate geological sciences program.
In his 18 years in that role, Wanless taught countless classes on a variety of subjects, transmitting his love of the physical sciences to generations of University students.
“I taught sedimentology and mineralogy, and anything else that was needed,” he said. “There was always something geological that needed to be taught; as chair, I would be the one to step in and fill that role.”
In 2017, another departmental shift saw the undergraduate and graduate geology programs merge under the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences. Wanless joined the Department of Geography and Sustainable Development, where he has taught students about landscape, climate change, and sea level rise ever since.
At the college, Wanless has enjoyed ample time to work on his own research on sea level rise and fossil reefs.
“The University has been very supportive of me following my curiosities, which has led to me being able to do some really meaningful research,” he said. “They’ve really been wonderful.”
Wanless has also used that academic freedom to promote field research for his students.
“I have found that it is best to get the kids out into the field as soon as possible, as soon as they have developed a basic scientific background,” he said. “This gives them the chance to go hiking, explore sites, and test concepts.”
With this academic training and field research experience, Wanless’ students are prepared to deal with climate change head on.
“There are so many things that students can make significant contributions to, in the sciences and in adjacent fields,” Wanless said. “The opportunities to do not just science, but really meaningful science to help solve the climate change problem are all there for them. I wish I was 20 again, because of all the cool and important things I could be pursuing.”
