The awards listed below are presented annually according to the funds that support them and the Department Bylaws. Past recipients of these awards are listed on this website and on plaques mounted in the hallway of the Heroy Geology Laboratory.

UNDERGRADUATE AWARDS

Chauncey Holmes Geology Prize: Established in 1961 by Professor Holmes, this award recognizes outstanding students in introductory geology courses.

Estwing Award: A rock hammer, donated by the Estwing Corporation, is awarded annually to recognize the Department’s most outstanding undergraduate students.

Thomas Cramer Hopkins Award: This award includes an annual scholarship to outstanding junior or senior earth sciences major from the Thomas Cramer Hopkins Memorial Fund.

Daniel F. Merriam Award: The Daniel F. and Annie L. Merriam Scholarship fund provides this annual award to full-time matriculated undergraduate geology majors on the basis of academic achievement, extra-curricular contributions, and professional promise.

Vincent McKelvey Scholarship: This annual scholarship to graduate or undergraduate geology students is made available from the Vincent McKelvey Memorial Fund.

GRADUATE AWARDS

Newton E. Chute Award: This is an annual $350 prize awarded annually to the Department’s most outstanding graduate student on the basis of scholarship, service to the department and professional promise.

Marjorie Hooker Geology Award: This award includes a $350 annual prize for the year’s outstanding thesis proposal or dissertation proposal.

Vincent McKelvey Scholarship: This annual scholarship to graduate or undergraduate geology students is made available from the Vincent McKelvey Memorial Fund.

K. Douglas Nelson Award: This award, first presented in 2007, recognizes the outstanding graduate research in field-oriented tectonics and geophysics. The recipient has the privilege and responsibility of caring for Doug Nelson’s treasured coffee mug for the year. It includes an award of $350 from the K. Douglas Nelson Memorial Fund.

Chair’s Award: Established in 2005, this award is made to a graduate student in recognition of outstanding service to the Department.

Best Publication Award: Approximately $1000 annually is awarded to one or more students for the most outstanding publications on which the student appears as the first author.

Future Professoriate Award: Qualified graduate students are eligible to join an award-winning program ranked among the premier models for Teaching Assistant training in the United States.

RESEARCH AWARDS

John J. Prucha Award: This award shall be used each year to provide financial support for field research for undergraduate and/or graduate students in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Alec Waggoner Memorial Fund for Graduate Student Research.

ALUMNI AWARDS

Distinguished Alumni Award: This award is presented to outstanding alumni of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in recognition of their contributions and service to the field.