As an avid teen-age kayaker on the Potomac River, Greg Pasternack ran through the waves and riffles of the white water with more than a sportsman's read. On the river, even back then, the UC Davis hydrologist was a scientist. "You would see the variations on the surface, and you'd always wonder what's on the stream bed that's creating the variation," said Pasternack, an assistant professor in the Land, Air Water Resources department. At Wesleyan Unversity he studied earth and environmental sciences, disciplines that jelled with his love and curiosity about the outdoors. Pasternack came to UC Davis in 1998 after receiving his doctorate in hydrology from Johns Hopkins University. Now, he's able to answer the questions of his youthful pastimes for a new generation of students. And California provides a perfect classroom for studying river hydrology, said Pasternack. As seasonal streams dry up in the summer, he and his students are able to see the rock formations that contributed to the water's winter and spring flow. He enjoys taking his classes to Putah Creek near Russell Ranch. There, students observe the creek's velocity, erosion and discharge and see its change from season to season. Teaching is a passion of Pasternack's, whose research interests lie in watershed hydrology and geomorphology. "It's the instant gratification part of the job," he said. "By the end of the quarter, you know you made a difference. Research takes time and patience. Teaching is like candy." Pasternack also enjoys offering practical applications of his watershed knowledge. He is currently working with the East Bay Municipal Utility District's Lower Camanche Dam to design a Mokelumne River channel allowing for the best salmon habitat. With the demands of professorship, Pasternack is not able to kayak as much as he did in his youth. He has, however, taken on new interests and challenges. Paternack's gotten involved in the Sacramento art community, is going to gallery openings, and is even giving painting a shot. He's also joined the Davis Masters' swim team, working out along side numerous campus faculty and staff. "It's very healthy," he said. "In the water, everything just melts away," Why hydrology? You just have to look at the energy crisis. Water is a big part of that, both for generation and for environmental impacts, so the natural resources problems are all tied together. That's the history of California. To sustain ourselves we have to keep working on hydrology and ecology. Do you have a favorite river? My favorite river to study is the Cache Creek west of here. The Coastal Range creates a very unique geology that forms cool features in the river, so drive up Highway 16, and check it out. My all-time favorite river though, is the Potomac. To have such a beautiful river right next to a major city (Washington, D.C.) is pretty rare. What's your favorite spot on campus? One of the buildings in Social Sciences has a stairway that goes all the way to the top. There's an outdoor lounge up there. I was up there once looking at the radio waves around campus. It was the dead of winter, and it was so quiet. I go there when I need to get away. Who do you most admire? It's hard to say one person who I most admire. There have been lot of faculty and staff who have made a difference to me. If I had to say a few people -- Wesley Wallender, Jeff Mount and Janice Heine. All three of these people helped me settle into Davis, make my way around and feel part of the community. What's your alternative career? I would love to be a musician. I play guitar and trombone. I feel music is very moving. Sometimes after work I sit quietly and play guitar. You can't really sit quietly and play trombone.