Graduate Awards

Each year we present awards to our many students. The following is a list of past winners as well as descriptions for each of those awards. 

The Alumni Graduate Award for Research Excellence

The Alumni Graduate Award for Research Excellence is funded by the generosity of departmental faculty, alumni and friends. The award is given to a student or students who have demonstrated special creativity and productivity in their research.

The Archuleta Family Fellowship in Earth Science

The Archuleta Family Fund supports a graduate student conducting research in the field of geophysics with a preference for one doing research in seismology.

The Preston Cloud Award

The Preston Cloud Award helps offset the attendance costs for students making their first presentation at a national or major meeting of a professional organization such as the Geological Society of America, American Geophysical Union, Association of American Petroleum Geologists, etc.

The Coast Geological Society Award

The Coast Geological Society recognizes academic excellence in the geological sciences every year with its Scholarship Awards Program.

The Lloyd and Mary Edwards Field Studies Fellowship, and The Carolyn Edwards Murphy and Christine Edwards Field Studies Fellowship

The Lloyd and Mary Edwards Field Studies Fellowship, and the  Carolyn Edwards Murphy and Christine Edwards Field Studies Fellowship support the field studies research of promising graduate students in the Department based on considerations of financial need and academic potential, perhaps not yet realized.

The Fugro West Award

Fugro West, Inc. has offered a scholarship at UCSB.

The G. K. Gilbert Award

The G. K. Gilbert Award, established by Preston Cloud, is given to the graduate student who has presented the best paper based on original research at a department Colloquium during the past year. Among the criteria for the award, the selection committee is encouraged to consider: information content; clear distinction between evidence and conclusions; quality, clarity and relevance of illustrations; that conclusions be reached and be clearly linked to evidence presented; originality; grammar; response to discussion.

The Geophysics Award

The Geophysics Award, funded by departmental faculty, alumni and friends, is given to an outstanding student in any field of geophysics.

The Harry Glicken Award

The Harry Glicken Award is given in memory of UCSB PhD graduate Dr. Harry Glicken, a volcanologist who was killed in the 1991 eruption of Mt. Unzen (on the southern island of Kyushu) in Japan. Its purpose is to further the academic development of an outstanding Ph. D. candidate who is pursuing research relating to the understanding of volcanic processes. 

The Global Field Travel Award

Professor Tanya Atwater created the Global Field Travel Fund to support travel by Earth Science students to field sites outside of the Southwest US—ones not previously visited by the recipient. The fund provides 50-75% of the cost of assisting on a field project, a scouting trip for a field project, participation in a multi-day, international field trip, or travel by a class to a foreign field site.

The Excellence in Teaching Award

The Graduate Student Association's Excellence in Teaching Award (ETA) recognizes graduate students who have shown excellence and gone above and beyond as teachers at UC Santa Barbara.

The Clifford Hopson and William Wise Graduate Research Fund

The Clifford Hopson and William Wise Graduate Field Research award goes to graduate student(s) conducting field studies in Earth Science, particularly students who are pursuing "grass roots," integrative, strongly field-based geologic investigations for which they have limited or no other sources of funding.

The Alex Johnson Memorial Scholarship

Awarded to a graduate student in the Department of Earth Science who has demonstrated excellence in undergraduate teaching and/or mentoring. Honors former graduate student Alex Johnson and memorializes his achievements in research and mentorship. Alex has a tremendous impact, both in his research area as well as through his inspiring teaching and mentoring of undergraduates.

The York Mandra Scholarship

The purpose of this fund is to support graduate and undergraduate students in the department of Earth Sciences. 

The Eleanor and Richard Migues Award for Grad Field Studies

TheEleanor and Richard Migues Award for Grad Field Studies supports graduate student field work and research within the Department of Earth Science.

The Graduate Student Opportunity Award

The Graduate Student Opportunity Award was created by Professors Ken Macdonald and Rachel Haymon to support and strengthen the graduate program in Earth Science. It provides new opportunities for our brightest students to learn from internationally renowned experts in the field, enhance the prestige of the University, and maintain the meaningful and positive connection between the family of Ken Macdonald and Rachel Haymon and the UCSB campus.

The Richard V. Fisher Scholarship in Volcanology

In memory of Professor of Geological Sciences Richard V. Fisher (1928–2002), this scholarship supports talented and deserving graduate students who have advanced to candidacy and are engaged in research in volcanology.

The TA of the Year Award

The Mucker's Coterie (our undergraduate student club) recognizes annually one of our TAs for their excellence.

The George Tunell Endowed Fellowship

The George Tunell Endowed Fellowship is given in memory of George Tunell, Professor of Geological Sciences (1967–1985) to a graduate student in Earth Science with a special interest in Economic Geology, Mineralogy, Crystallography, Geochemistry or Petrology.

The Wendell Phillips Woodring Award

The Wendell Phillips Woodring Memorial Graduate Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student who is working on a thesis proposal of highest merit and who is judged “capable of seeing it to a distinguished and early conclusion.”

The W. P. Woodring Memorial Fund at UCSB is established in accord with Dr. Woodring's long and deep interest in the quality of graduate education in geology and paleontology and in recognition of the importance of his own contributions in these areas. In keeping with Dr. Woodring's own broad and special interests, the Woodring Memorial Fellowship may be granted to graduate students from any field of the earth sciences, except that in cases of equal great merit where one candidate is in biogeology, the award shall go to that candidate.

The Peggie Dearth Wormington Field Studies Award

This award recognize and celebrates the achievements of students who show distinction in their field research in Earth Science, with a preference towards individuals who may be underrepresented in the field such as women and/or first-generation students. The Fund supports field endeavors involving the creation and dissemination of knowledge by students in conducting research both at the undergraduate and graduate levels.