Joe Lebold

Joe Lebold is a Teaching Associate Professor of Geology at West Virginia University, specializing in paleoecology, paleontology, and regional geology. As Associate Chair, he contributes to leadership within the department, while his teaching spans from large introductory lectures to advanced field courses such as the geology field camp in South Dakota and Wyoming.

• BS in Geology, West Virginia University, 1994
• MS in Geology/Paleontology, The Ohio State University, 1998
• Ph.D. in Geology, West Virginia University, 2005

Lebold's research and teaching emphasize understanding Earth's geological patterns and promoting sustainable interactions between society and geological processes. His work includes geochemical analysis of brachiopod shells to reconstruct ancient oceanographic and climatic conditions, particularly in Carboniferous and Late Pennsylvanian seas.

His publications highlight collaborations on paleoclimatic modeling, salinity gradients, and stratification dynamics, alongside educational contributions like the Manual for Planet Earth Laboratory. Lebold's teaching philosophy focuses on making geology accessible through diverse courses such as SUST 101: Sustainable Earth and GEOL 404: Geology Field Camp.