Recent Student Achievements

  • Muthana Yaqoob Aldiney

    Recent graduate, Muthana Yaqoob Aldiney getting hooded at Miller Auditorium, spring 2018 graduation.

  • Sarah VanderMeer and her map that won GSA's Best Student Geologic Map

    Ph.D. student Sarah VanderMeer wins the Geological Society of America's Best Student Geologic Map Competition at the 2017 annual meeting held in Seattle, Washington!

  • Mohammed Al-Musawi accepts the MGBS annual scholarship

    M.S. student Mohammed Al-Musawi won the 2017 Michigan Basin Geological Society annual scholarship. He is pictured next to John Yellich, Director of the Michigan Geological Survey.

  • A graduate student with his research poster

    Ph.D. student, Matt Rine, also won an award at WMU's Research and Creative Activities Poster and Performance Day for his poster, "The importance of geologic study for the application of carbon capture and storage (CCS) in Otsego County, Michigan."

The undergraduate and graduate students in the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences at Western Michigan University comprise a highly-active scientific community. Not only do students perform innovative research, but they also regularly participate in professional organizations, give presentations, publish their research and successfully compete for awards at the department, University, national and international levels. Below are some of the most recent awards that our accomplished students have earned.

Student news

  • M.S. student, Neal Turluck, took home first place in the poster contest at the annual meeting for the Michigan Chapter of AIPG on Nov. 29, 2018. AIPG student members were invited to bring their posters to compete for awards up to $1,000 cash in both undergraduate and graduate levels.

2018-19 awards

WMU achievements

  • Karem Abdelmohsen (Ph.D.) — Departmental David Kuenzi Graduate Student Research Award, Advisory Council Endowment
  • Mohammed Al Hooti (B.S.) — Departmental Senior Honor Award in Geophysics
  • Mohammed Al Musawi (M.S.) — Department-level Graduate Research and Creative Scholar Award
  • Timothy Brau (B.S.) — Departmental Senior Honor Award in Education 
  • Stephanie Buglione (B.S.) — Departmental Lauren D. Hughes Environmental Scholarship
  • Conner Carpenter (B.S.) — Departmental Core of Four Endowment
  • Elizabeth Gaines (B.S.) — Departmental Senior Honor Award in Geology 
  • Beau Haag (M.S.) — Departmental Douglas Daniels Endowment, Departmental Lloyd and Marilyn Schmaltz Professional Activities Award
  • Erin Huggett (B.S.) — Departmental Senior Honor Award in Hydrogeology
  • Shelby Hurst (Ph.D.) — All University and Department-level Graduate Teaching Effectiveness Award
  • Sita Karki (Ph.D.) — Department-level Graduate Research and Creative Scholar Award
  • Cameron Manche (Ph.D.) — Graduate College Student Travel Grant, Departmental William and Linda Harrison Endowment
  • Evangelia Murgia (B.S.) — College of Arts and Sciences Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Award, Departmental Roger and LuAnne Steininger Geology Scholarship in honor of Dr. Lloyd Schmaltz
  • Kevin Nguyen (G.C.P.) — Departmental Laton-Lambright Field Camp Endowment
  • Tyler Norris (M.S.) — Department-level Graduate Teaching Effectiveness Award, Graduate College: nominated to present at the 13th Annual Research and Creative Poster and Performance Day
  • Kyle O'Brien (B.S.) — Departmental Senior Honor Award in Earth Science 
  • Hannah Pankratz (Ph.D.) — Departmental Distinguished Student Service Award
  • Chanho Park (M.S.) — Departmental Laton-Lambright Field Camp Endowment
  • Katharine Rose (M.S.) — Departmental Randall Kerhin Graduate Endowment
  • Hossein Sahour (Ph.D.) — Departmental Empowering Geosciences Endowment (AGU)
  • Guzhaliayi Sataer (Ph.D.) — Departmental Mohamed Sultan Endowment (AGU), Departmental Kalamazoo Geological and Mineral Society Scholarship 
  • Katie Sauer (B.S.) — Departmental Envirologic Technologies Endowment
  • Nicholas Shaw (B.S.) — Departmental Presidential Scholar, Departmental Roger and LuAnne Steininger Geology Scholarship in honor of Dr. Lloyd Schmaltz
  • Neal Turluck (M.S.) — Departmental Kalamazoo Geological and Mineral Society Scholarship 
  • Aaron Ward (B.S.) — Departmental John and Kelly Grace Endowment, Departmental Shirley J. Aiken Geosciences Scholarship
  • Madison Wayt (M.S.) — Departmental Alan E. Kehew Endowment, Departmental Lauren D. Hughes Environmental Scholarship, Departmental William and Linda Harrison Endowment

External achievements

  • Mohammed Al Musawi — Geological Society of America Graduate Student Research Grant (GSA 2018)
  • Stephanie Buglione (B.S.) — Acceptance into the L'SPACE spring 2019 Level 1 Academy
  • Cameron Manche (Ph.D.) — Society for Sedimentary Geology Travel Grant 
  • Brooks Ryan (Ph.D.) — Society for Sedimentary Geology Student Participation Grant (AAPG ACE 2018 and 2019), Shell Student Travel Stipend Grant - Top 15 Student Poster Abstract (AAPG 2018), American Association of Petroleum Geologists Best Student Oral Presentation Award (AAPG ACE 2018)
  • Neal Turluck (M.S.) — American Institute of Professional Geologists Michigan Section: Best Graduate Student Poster (1st place)

Award recipients from prior years