Professor of Geology & Geophysics

William Barnett joined the James Whitaker University in 2003 as an assistant professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, where he established the radiogenic isotope geology laboratory. His research interests include the origin and evolution of the continental crust, the classification and petrogenesis of granites and related rocks, and the application of environmental isotopes to problems related to energy and environment. Although his geological research spans the globe from Norway to New Zealand, many of the critical observations that catalyzed new ideas and interpretations have come from the spectacular exposures in San Diego of some of the world’s oldest and best-preserved ancient crust.