About us
Dr. Ron Counts
Spartan Geophysics is lead by Dr. Ron Counts and staffed with his graduate and undergraduate students who gain real-world experience solving relevant societal problems. Dr, Counts is an accomplished geoscientist with more than 25 years of experience spanning academia and state and federal geologic agencies. He holds a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Cincinnati, an M.S. from Utah State University, and a B.S. from the University of Southern Indiana. He is currently at the University of Mississippi (UM) serving in a dual role as an Associate Professor of Geology and Geological Engineering and the Associate Director of the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute (MMRI). Prior to joining UM in 2018, he worked as a Research Geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Eastern Earth Surface Processes Team (2014–2017), as a Geologist at the Kentucky Geological Survey (2002–2013), and as a Hydrologic Technician at the Kentucky Geological Survey (1998–2001).
Dr. Counts’ expertise lies in Quaternary geology and geomorphology, neotectonics and paleoseismology, and near-surface geophysical methods, and his research areas are diverse but are thematically focused on fundamental geologic mapping, understanding landscape evolution due to environmental changes, and geologic framework characterizations of the subsurface. His specific research topics are also diverse and range from intraplate paleoseismology and mapping blind faults to landscape responses to paleoclimate change to ground water issues that include hydrostratigraphic mapping and water quality. He has authored or co-authored 19 refereed public, 34 geologic maps, and 76 conference abstracts. He has secured more than $2 million in external research funding from agencies such as the National Science Foundation, U.S. Geological Survey, Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and U.S. Department of Defense. His extensive involvement with the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program includes completing an EDMAP project as a graduate student, ten years of mapping for KGS STATEMAP projects, mapping on a USGS FEDMAP project, and writing EDMAP projects for his graduate students. At MMRI, he established the Surficial Processes and Environmental Research Group, expanded the institute’s geophysical capabilities, and built strong collaborations with state and federal agencies as well as multiple universities. Dr. Counts is recognized as a highly motivated and driven researcher, completing his M.S. after starting a full-time career at the Kentucky Geological Survey, and then beginning and completing his Ph.D. in five years while also maintaining full-time employment.
As an educator, Dr. Counts teaches undergraduate courses in physical geology, geophysics, and geomorphology, and teaches graduate courses in applied geophysics, scientific approaches for geological research, and multiple seminar courses on a variety of topics. Since joining UM in 2018, five of his advisees have completed M.S. degrees and he currently advises three M.S. students and three Ph.D. students. His service includes peer reviews for scientific journals, co-chairing sessions at professional conferences, and participating in community and K–12 educational outreach. His invited presentations include a keynote talk on intraplate earthquakes at an international meeting, reflecting his national and international standing in that field.
