Supporting the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences

Alumni, parents, and friends can support the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences by directing their gifts to a number of funds, programs, and initiatives that directly benefit scholarship, teaching, and research in the earth sciences.

Your gift can contribute to the general support of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences with a contribution to the Geology Gift Account, or any of a number of existing scholarship or research funds.

Flexible Funds:

Geology Gift Account: Funds from this highly flexible account are used at the discretion of the Chair in support of a wide range of teaching and research objectives as well as general needs of the Department.

Geology Endowed Development Fund: Established in 1990 by Marion (Pat) Bickford, the income from this fund is available each year to the Chair of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences to support department-related educational needs.

Scholarship Funds:

Marjorie Hooker Geology Award: Established in 1976 by former Department Chair Dan Merriam with contributions from friends and colleagues at the United States Geological Service (USGS), the fund provides a $350 annual prize to the best research proposal.

Newton E. Chute Award: Established in 1977 by Professor Emeritus and Mrs. Chute, this fund provides an annual $350 prize to an outstanding graduate student.

Daniel F. Merriam Endowed Scholarship: Originally established as the Faye M. Merriam Award by Daniel F. and Annie L. Merriam, this prize provides an annual award to full-time matriculated undergraduate geology majors on the basis of academic achievement, extra-curricular contributions, and professional promise.  Daniel F. Merriam passed away April 26, 2017 prompting the change of the award name. Our thoughts are with the Merriam family.

Vincent McKelvey Scholarship Fund: Established by former Department Chair, Marion (Pat) Bickford to provide an annual scholarship to graduate or undergraduate geology students.

Thomas Cramer Hopkins Memorial Fund: Established in 1958 by Professor Emeritus William B. Heroy and Mrs. Jessie Page Heroy to honor Professor Hopkins, the fund provides an annual scholarship to undergraduate geology students.

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

Research Funds:

New: Ernest and Wanda Muller Student Development Fund: Established in 2014 by Donald I. Siegel, Chairman of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and friends in honor of Prof. Ernest Muller. Supports undergraduate and graduate student research, particularly travel to conferences, field camps, and to other laboratories to meet research and educational needs.

John J. Prucha Field Research Fund: This fund was established in 1992 by former Department Chair, Marion (Pat) Bickford and others in honor of Professor Emeritus John J. Prucha to support undergraduate and/or graduate student field research.

John J. Prucha Ph.D., Earth Sciences Endowed Fund:  Created in 2010 by Dr. Carlos Dengo (BS '76), this fund honors Professor Emeritus John J. Prucha.  It is intended to enhance the quality and academic breadth of the faculty of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.  It stands side-by-side with the Prucha Field Research Fund that supports student research.

Geology Student Research Endowed Fund: Established in 1981 with a gift from Samuel S. Goldrich, this fund supports student research activities of geology majors to pay for any research-related expense, including travel and publication expense.

Alec Waggoner Memorial Fund: Established in 2009 by Jeffrey A. Karson, Chairman of the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, family and friends, in memory of graduate student Alec Waggoner, the fund supports graduate student research.

Louis W. Ploger Memorial Fund: Established in 1965, this endowed fund supports the Department’s Paleontological Research Laboratory and Library.

K. Douglas Nelson Memorial Fund: Established in 2004 by Nanette Nelson and others, this fund supports an annual lecture series of visiting speakers and research in the field of tectonics.

Donald P. and Ruth Shirley Elston Earth Sciences Endowed Fund:  Endowed fund named for alumni Donald (BA '50, MS '51) and Shirley (BA '50 History) Elston.  Supports research and faculty development in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Earth Sciences Field Camp Fund:  This fund is used to assist students with respect to attending field camp.