Zeshan Ismat

I’m a geology professor at Franklin & Marshall College (Lancaster, PA). More specifically, I’m a structural geologist, so basically I study how mountains form. I essentially get paid to hike around the world! Anyway, during my field-work, I’ve come across severe poverty. I soon learned that most of the world’s poorest live in mountainous regions. I can no longer, with a clean conscience, study the formation of mountains without giving back to the people who live there. Biogas generators are becoming more prevalent in mountainous regions and may be one of the easiest ways to help a community. I’d like to set up a biogas generator on campus, as a pilot study, and then set up some generators in distressed communities in Appalachia. Some of the poorest communities in Appalachia are less than 90 miles from Franklin & Marshall College. My ultimate goal is to help set up generators in refugee camps and other distressed areas around the world.

February 2016