
Always positive, enthusiastic, and supportive.
Fair, constructive, and always motivating.
Professor Jack Green served as a professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), contributing to geoscience education and research for over four decades until his retirement. He earned a B.S. from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1950 and a Ph.D. in Geology from Columbia University in 1954. Before joining CSULB around 1970, Green worked 17 years in aerospace geology, including positions at the U.S. Geological Survey's Branch of Astrogeology in Menlo Park, California, where he engaged in early lunar studies. He conducted field work in 42 volcanic districts worldwide and traveled internationally to present research findings at conferences and visit geological sites. Green's research specializations encompassed volcanic mechanisms and protolife in Archean fumaroles, extending to lunar volcanism, the volcanic origins of lunar craters, lunar water resources, and astrobiology. He collaborated with notable scientists such as Harold Urey, Carolyn S. Shoemaker, and Gerard Kuiper during the Space Age.
Green's key publications include 'The Geology of the Lunar Base' (1963, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences), co-editor of Volcanic Landforms and Surface Features: A Photographic Atlas and Glossary (1971, Springer-Verlag), 'Precambrian Lunar Volcanic Protolife' (2009, International Journal of Molecular Sciences), and 'Academic aspects of lunar water resources and their relevance to lunar protolife' (2011, International Journal of Molecular Sciences). He taught diverse courses such as General Geology, Geology Laboratory, Crystallography, Mineralogy and Optical Methods, Engineering Geology, Advanced Mineralogy, Volcanology, Urban Geology, and Economic Mineral Deposits, mentoring students in geoscience fundamentals and specialized topics. His work advanced understanding of volcanic processes on Earth and the Moon, influencing planetary science and exploration discussions.
