Susan Mary Berta

Dr. Susan Mary Berta passed away Wednesday May 22, 2024, at her residence in Terre Haute, Indiana. She was a professor at Indiana State University’s (ISU) Department of Earth and Environmental Systems, where she retired in 2021. She started her career at ISU in 1986, later serving as the department chairperson from 2002-2009.  She was also the Interim Coordinator of the Science Education Program from 2005-2007. She published over 25 journal articles and reports, with specializations in physical geography, geomorphology, and remote sensing, in addition to supervising the research of and mentoring 13 graduate students.

Born July 29, 1957, in Flint, Michigan, she received a B.A. degree in Physical Geography from the University of Michigan-Flint and graduate degrees in Geography: M.S. from Oklahoma State University and Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. Her master’s degree research involved using remote sensing technology and GIS, as well as field verification, to identify prospective locations of “natural areas” throughout Oklahoma for “wilderness” status consideration. Ph.D. work involved using aerial and satellite data to map periglacial landscapes in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of Colorado. As a graduate student, she assisted in three-week wilderness “research adventures” and later offered field camp at ISU for undergraduate and graduate students for 10 summers. Her favorite part of her professional career was always the research, field trips, and friendships accumulated throughout the years.

Berta’s heart belonged to the Terre Haute Humane Society, where she volunteered for over 30 years and served as a member of their Board of Directors. She also served as a Director on the Board at the Ouabache Land Conservancy, partaking as a member since 2013.