Fred Lutgens received his B.S. and M.S. from Illinois State University. Ed Tarbuck received
his B.S. from the University of Minnesota Duluth, and his M.A. from Indiana University. Both
are professors emeriti from Illinois Central College. They have been good friends and
colleagues since 1970.
Between them, they have more than 60 years of experience teaching geoscience to
undergraduates, and both have been recognized with awards as excellent and inspiring
professors.
Lutgens and Tarbuck published their first college text, Earth Science , in 1976. That book,
winner of the McGuffy Award
from the Text and Academic Authors Association, is now in its
14th edition. In 1983, as the first edition of Earth was being prepared, renowned
geoscience illustrator Dennis Tasa joined the author team. Since then the three have
collaborated on more than 30 projects as the dominant author team franchise in the
physical geosciences.