The department received the sad news recently that Charles (Ike) Smith, a former chair of our department, passed away on June 19. Ike earned his PhD from U-M in 1966 before joining the faculty and ultimately serving as chair from 1971-1977. Ike was an expert in Cretaceous stratigraphy of North America and taught sedimentology on campus and at Camp Davis. Ike had an affinity for West Texas. According to Rob van der Voo, nobody on the faculty at the time could say "lick'n 'n look'n" on the outcrop like Ike. Ike left U-M in 1977 to become chair at University of Texas at Arlington, from which he eventually retired. We extend our condolences to Ike's family. He will always be a part of our department.