Outreach and Service

Professor Thorson lives and works in the town of Mansfield, Connecticut, which has many old stony pastures, such as this one along Mount Hope Road.

COMMUNITY

At the community level, Professor Thorson serves or has served on the Conservation Commission, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Committee, and Day Care Board. Dr. Thorson is a frequent guest speaker to local historical societies, museums, land trusts, museums, and schools.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS

In schools, he visits to help teachers and schoolchildren understand what it's like to be a scientist and writer. This ranges from impromptu hands-on demonstrations to school-wide assemblies. Having had four children through the system has given him plenty of opportunity for involvement.

TECHNICAL CONSULTING

As a technical consultant, he has worked on projects involving engineering geology, wildlife, landscape conservation, archaeology, and as an expert witness on forensic soil science. He serves on the staff of the Public Archaeology Survey Team, a non-profit cultural resource management group. At the state level, he advised various groups, principally land trusts, the Connecticut Nature Conservancy, the Connecticut State Museum of Natural History, and Low-Level Radioactive Waste Advisory Committee.

NATIONAL / INTERNATIONAL

At the national level, he serves as an ad-hoc speaker/panelist /reviewer for federal agencies (NASA, USGS, NSF, EPA, NASTA) and was formerly Chairman of the Geological Society of America's Archaeological Geology Division. He is an occasional contributor to national newspapers. For many years he worked with the Mashantucket Pequots Nation, especially during the development of their Museum & Research Center. He was a faculty Fulbright Scholar to Chile for 1998-99.

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