(gentle music) (birds chirping) - I grew up in a farm in Rural, Wisconsin.

So everyday after the chores were over or even before, I would run out in the woods and look at leaves, look at plants, dig holes in the ground.

When the spring snow melt would come, we would build dams and divert water.

There was always something to learn and to see.

And when you realize at some point later in your life that you can actually make a living, studying and learning more about that stuff, it's enlightening and, wow, I can do this.

(gentle music) It's like playing in the dirt.

And I'm a soil specialist, so it literally is playing in the dirt.

Every soil looks different.

As a physical geographer specializing in soils, we're interested in soil resources, geologic resources, and where are they?

Everything we have and utilize in our lives is either grown or mined.

If it's grown, we need to know more about soils.

If it's mined, then we need to know where the geologic resources are.

So as a geographer, I'm primarily interested in mapping things.

And because I'm a physical geographer, I'm interested in mapping the physical components of the landscape.

(intriguing music) I really enjoy teaching in the field.

And seeing students really light up when they see something that they've learned about in a book or in class and actually see it in the field and feel it and smell it is rewarding.

That's the typical color of the parent material in this area.

- Okay.

- We go from site to site and we have hand augers.

We can auger down to six or seven feet.

We'll look at the sediments to try to understand how they got there, what they are, how we might utilize them, and how we can recognize them again when we see them somewhere else.

(gentle music) I think the most rewarding thing for me with regard to working with students is when they come back to me weeks, months, years later and thank me for what they learned and tell me how what they've learned has enriched their life.

They understand what they're seeing better.

That's really fulfilling for me because it's something that you can carry with you your entire life.

To receive this honor, to receive the title of university distinguished professor is a dream come true for me.

I love this place.

So to receive an award from my peers at the place that I love is pretty special.

(gentle music)