Scott Hughes, born and raised in Virginia, became fascinated with volcanoes, space travel, and the Great American West at an early age.

Dr. Hughes has studied the chemistry of volcanic rocks from the Moon, the Oregon Cascades, the Snake River Plain, and from other parts of the world. He also conducts research on rocks from the deep crust of the Earth and on land surfaces that are similar to Mars.

He has edited two books, published over 40 refereed journal articles, and presented research findings at numerous technical meetings. Dr. Hughes is Affiliate Director of the NASA Idaho Space Grant Consortium, Director of the Idaho Virtual Campus at ISU, Fellow of the Geological Society of America, Professor of Geology, and Chair of the Department of Geosciences at ISU. He regularly teaches Planetary Geology for Teachers, Environmental Geology, Volcanology and Petrology.

Dr. Hughes has strong interests in educational outreach, and environmental awareness in the intermountain West. He recently returned from a year-long sabbatical leave to study environmental problems in China and volcanic processes in Hawaii.

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