Teaching

Mackenzie Day teaches a range of undergraduate and graduate courses that explore how sedimentary rocks and processes interact with the broader Earth system. Her hands-on approach incorporates field trips and laboratory exercises that allow students to apply classroom concepts to real-world problems. She has experience teaching advanced technical material for graduate and upper-level undergraduate students as well as introductory courses designed for general education audiences. Across all levels, her teaching emphasizes critical thinking and scientific curiosity, using applied examples and hands-on demonstrations to connect theory with practice.

Orocopia Mountains – EPSS 111
Ibex Dunes – EPSS 103b
Freshmen Seminar – EPSS 19
Normal fault
Measuring section
Hand lens!

Frequently taught courses:

EPSS 103b – Sedimentary Petrology

Identification, interpretation, and analysis of sedimentary rocks, structures, and minerals. This course is required for Geology majors; it includes petrographic analysis and a field trip to see sedimentary rocks and structures in Death Valley.

EPSS 111 – Stratigraphic and Field Geology

Field techniques and applied stratigraphy, culminating in construction of a geologic map. This course is required for Geology majors and is a prerequisite to the summer capstone field camp.

EPSS 143/243 – Advanced Physical Sedimentology 

Multi-system sedimentary rock characterization and analysis as applied to Earth and other planetary bodies. This graduate-level course can be taken by undergraduate seniors as an elective. The course includes exercises in scientific writing and multiple weekend field trips.

EPSS 19 – Hollywood Geology: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Science in Film

Discussion based Freshmen seminar on portrayals of science in the film industry. This 1-unit, pass/fail course offers a lighthearted opportunity to practice critical thinking and discuss Hollywood’s influence on scientific literacy in the public.

EPSS 9 – Solar System and Planets 

Overview of planetary science for general education audience. This course is offered multiple times each year by various EPSS faculty and fulfills a UCLA General Education requirement.

Badwater Basin, Death Valley National Park – Sedimentary Petrology 2019