My Interests

Home  •  My Classes  •  My Interests  •  Geology Club

Welcome to my Web site!

Hi, My name is Melissa Connely. 

I live here in Casper Wyoming, the best place for a geologist.  I am originally from Yakima Washington and have lived in Colorado, Michigan and Arkansas.  I have been in Wyoming for almost 30 years and hope to spend the rest of my life here. 

I am married and have 3 kids and 2 dogs.  My husband Brian is a biologist and works with the county. 

I started my education here at Casper College receiving my associates in Elementary Education.  I received my Bachelor's of Science degree in Geology from the University of Wyoming and my Master's degree in Geology from Utah State University.  As a geologist, my interests are in stratigraphy and sedimentation, paleontology and paleoecology.  My Master's Thesis is titled "The Stratigraphy and Paleoecology of the Morrison Formation at Como Bluff, Wyoming."

I am very interested in paleontology and have worked for 11 years at various dinosaur quarries and in a prep lab.  I have worked with many Jurassic animals including Apatosaurus, Allosaurus, Drinker, and other vertebrates.  This summer I plan to spend more time in the Cretaceous. 

In the summer, I work as a consultant for the petroleum industry.  I do paleontological surveys for BLM lands and I also work with other academic institutions. 

Research is very important to me and I am often involved in many research projects.  I encourage my students to participate and be a part of these projects.   If you are interested, please give me a call. 

 
Some of My Favorite Sites
  • Dinosaurs - I love dinosaurs and other fossils from the Jurassic.  My main interests is how they lived and what their life was like.  Here are some great dino links
  • Ethnic culture - Thanks to my husband Brian, I have developed a fondness to ethnic food and culture.  When I was younger, I participated in Native American events as a traditional dancer.  I used to spend a lot of time making quillwork and bellydancing.  Now I am too busy but would like to start again.  I love frybread, curry, baklava, and seafood gumbo.
  • Homebrew - My husband and I brew our own beer and wine.  Mead has become my special interests.
  • Hunting, fishing and other outdoor sports - I enjoy hunting elk and deer and wetting a line once in a while.  My husband enjoys backpacking and plans to hike the Continental Divide Trail.
  • Professional sites
    • Stardate.org
      • This is a great site about astronomy
    • USGS
      • United States Geological Survey
    • WYGIAC
      • Wyoming Geographic Information Advisory Counsel
    • WSGS
      • Wyoming State Geological Survey
    • WGA
      • Wyoming Geological Association
    • WYODINO.COM