Dr. David Saja
Curator and Head of Mineralogy

Contact

by phone: (216) 231-4600, ext. 3429
by e-mail: dsaja@cmnh.org

Education

B.S., geology, West Chester University
M.S., geology, Michigan Technological University
Ph.D., geology, University of Pennsylvania

Professional Organizations

Sigma Xi Research Society; Society of Economic Paleontologists and Mineralogists; Geological Society of America; National Association of Geology Teachers; Sigma Gamma Epsilon (National Honorary Society for the Earth Sciences); Friends of Mineralogy, Pennsylvania Chapter

Ongoing Professional Offices and Activities

Adjunct Faculty at CWRU, Friends of Mineralogy Pennsylvania Chapter – Grants Committee Chairman, Web manager, Newsletter Editor, Board of Directors; Doan Brook Watershed Partnership – Interim Chair of the Mapping, Monitoring, and Technical Studies Committee. Museum Liaison to the CMNH’s affiliated Gemological Society and Micromineral Society

Areas of Interest

Structural Geology/Field Mapping – 3Dgeometric structural analysis of folds and faults, rock-joint orientation studies, and micro-fabric analysis.

Mineralogy/Petrology – mineralogy of beach sands, study of the origin of agates, history of Foote specimens, specimen preservation.

Sedimentology – deposition, compaction, and lithification of sandstones, and origin of sedimentary structures.

Current Research

Mapping sedimentary structures (flame structures, graded bedding, and ripple marks) and analyzing the sedimentary petrology (composition, grain-shape and cementation) of the Euclid Bluestone, Berea sandstone, and Sharon Sandstone in Northeastern Ohio to better locate their provenience and to interpret transportation history, regional depositional processes, and environments of deposition; as well as, to investigate their durability as building stones and application as aquifers.  Collaborative research with Dr. Joe Hannibal, Curator of Invert Palaeontology at CMNH.

Studying the mineral and rock composition of the sand grains that Caddisflies use to build their mobile cases, for the purpose of better understanding case-building habits and choice of habitats.  Collaborative research with Dr. Joe Keiper, Curator of Invert. Zoology at CMNH.

Studying the geometric pattern of layers within the Museum’s vast agate collection to unravel their elusive origins. 

Mapping and analyzing strain values and meso-scale folds and faults in the Michigamme slate of Northern Michigan.  Collaborative research with Dr. Bill Gregg of Michigan Technological University.

Mapping and analyzing meso-scale structures and strains in the Franciscan meta-greywackes of central California.  Collaborative research with Dr. Steven Phipps and Dr. Hermann Pfefferkorn at the University of Pennsylvania.

Mapping the geometric elements of meso-scale faults and folds in the rock outcrops exposed in the stream beds of Northeastern Ohio.

Determining the mineralogy of beach sands along the southern shore of Lake Erie to elucidate its provenience and its physical and chemical weathering history.

Publications:

Hannibal, Joseph T., Scherzer, Benjamin A., and Saja, David B., in Review, The Euclid Bluestone of Northeastern Ohio: Quarrying History, Petrology, and Sedimentology, 40th Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals.

Saja, David B., Hannibal, Joseph T., Stilgenbauer, Sarah E., and Dicken, Eric L., 2006, Glacial erratica: combining art and geology at a natural history museum: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 38, No. 4, p. 17.

Hannibal, Joseph T., and Saja, David B., 2006, The Sharon Formation: An important, but almost forgotten, historic dimension stone in northeastern Ohio: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 38, No. 4, p. 18.

Saja, David B., 2004, Geologic materials used in caddisfly (TRICHOPTERA) cases: Preliminary results on caddisfly selectivity in Northeastern Ohio, Ohio Journal of Science, Vol. 104, No. 1, p. A-18. 

Hannibal, Joseph T., Scherzer, Benjamin A., and Saja, David B., 2004, The Euclid Bluestone of Northeastern Ohio: Quarrying History, Petrology, and Sedimentology, 40th Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals, Program with Abstracts, p.35.

Saja, David B. (2003) Bathysiphon (Foraminiferida) at Pacheco Pass, California; a geopetal, paleobathemetric and paleocurrent indicator in the Franciscan Formation Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 35, No. 2,  p. 59

Gregg, W. J., and Saja, D. B., 1998, Field evidence for orogenic collapse, examples from the Penokean Orogeny of Upper Michigan: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 30, No. 7, p. A-95.

Saja, D. B., and Phipps, S. P., 1997, Sequential folding during subduction of the Franciscan metasediments in Pacheco Pass, California: Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs, Vol. 29, No. 6, p. A-222.

Saja, D. B., and Gregg, W. J., 1990. Structural studies in the Huron Bay Parautochthon, Upper Michigan: 36th Annual Institute on Lake Superior Geology Abstracts with Proceedings, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Vol. 36, No. 1, p. 97-99.

Saja, D. B., 1988, Mineral collecting in Chester County, Pennsylvania: National Association of Geology Teachers, Eastern Section Annual Meeting Guide to Field Trips, p. 64-81.

Theses:

Saja, David Bryan, 1999 , Structural and strain analysis of the metasediments in Pacheco Pass, California Thesis (Ph. D.) – University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. Univ. Microfilms, Ann Arbor, MI, United States, p. 308.

Saja, David B., 1991 , Structure and strain in the Proterozoic metapelites of the north-central Huron River Parautochthon, northern Michigan Thesis (Master's) – Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI. p. 109.