Awards List

December 13, 2025

Common Abbreviations

STUDENTS

AUGUST AALTO
Graduate Student Research Grant, Outstanding Mention, GSA
Graduate Seed Grant, National Center for Airborne Laser Mapping

CHARLES AMAZON
Estwing Hammer Award, EPS

JONATHAN AMENDOLA
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

AUSTIN BARTHEL
Groundwater Field Methods Award: Undergraduate, EPS

SOPHIA BAUTISTA
Outstanding Teaching Assistant, National Association of Geoscience Teachers

LUCIA BELLINO
Petrography Contest, Second Place, Graduate Students, EPS

JASON BOTT
Undergraduate Research Fellowship, UT
Research Travel Award, UT

SARAH BROOKER
Frank Perham Memorial Scholarship, Maine Mineral and Gem Museum

TORI BURNETTE
Petrography Contest, First Place, Undergraduate Students, EPS

CAMERON CUMMINS
Masters Friday Best Speaker, Second Place, EPS

NICOLE CZWAKIEL
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Spring, EPS

SOHINI DASGUPTA
Leon and Pat Thomsen Scholarship, SEG
Outstanding Graduate Student Award, UTIG

MAX EHRENFELS
Petrography Contest, Third Place, Graduate Students

JACQUELINE EPPERSON
Outstanding Teaching Assistant, National Association of Geoscience Teachers

KYLE FOUKE
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Spring, EPS

SHUANG GAO
Chevron Energy Graduate Fellow Award, UT
Endowed Presidential Fellowship, JSG

FIONA GALLICE
Petrography Contest, Third Place, Undergraduate Students, EPS

RILEY GARRETT
Masters Friday Best Speaker, First Place, EPS

FERNANDO PAGÁN GONZÁLEZ
Groundwater Field Methods Award: Graduate, EPS

GERSON GONZALEZ-MARIN
Bianchi Boone Fellowship, JSG

JULIE HAMMONS
Petrography Contest, Second Place, Undergraduate Students, EPS

ABBY HARPER
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Fall, EPS

ERIC HIATT
Ewing-Worzel Fellowship, JSG

JOSH JENNINGS
Scholarship, South Texas Geological Society

QUINN JOHNSON
Petrography Contest, First Place, Graduate Students, EPS

TANNER JOHNSON
Best Poster Award, Contemporary Advancements in Statistics and Extremes, University of Missouri

IRA KADAM
Estwing Hammer Award, EPS

SAMANTHA KASPAR
Ray Jones Scholarship, APWA Southeast Texas
Don R. Boyd Endowed Presidential Scholarship, JSG
Texas Groundwater Association’s Scholarship Foundation Scholarship, TGWA
Kent Field Course Scholarship in Hydrology, JSG

SHOKOUFEH KHOJEH
Research Participation Appointment, U.S. DOD

ISABELLE LAMBERT
Student Service Award, GSEC

TALIA MALDONADO
Sustainability Science Research Award, Furman University

JACOB MARGOSHES
Best Student Oral Presentation Award for the 2024 GeoGulf Convention, Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies and Gulf Coast Section SEPM

MORGAN MELLUM
Student Research Award, GSA Soils and Soil Processes Division

NICO MENDOZA
Estwing Hammer Award, EPS

CARSON MILLER
Gale White Fellowship

PETER MILLER
Ewing-Worzel Fellowship, JSG

JOHN A MORETTI
Honorary Award Winner, American Federation of Mineralogical Societies Scholarship Foundation

NEELARUN MUKHERJEE
Travel Grant, U.S. DOE
Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology Fellowship, NASA
Outstanding Student Presentation Award, AGU Fall Meeting, AGU
First Place, Geoscience Hackathon on computational reproducibility, UT

IZZY MULLER
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Fall, EPS

CLAUDIU NISTOR
Endowed Presidential Fellowship, JSG
Summer Excellence Fellowship, UT

EMA PARKER
Gale White Fellowship

MIKAYLA PASCUAL
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

MEDHA PRAKASH
Lewis and Clark Field Scholar in Astrobiology, American Philosophical Society
GRFP Honorable Mention, NSF

VERONIKA REDENSEK
Albert W. and Alice M. Weeks Graduate Fellowship in Climate and Surface Processes, JSG

ANGELICA REYES
Estwing Hammer Award, EPS

SABRINA ANNE REICHERT
Geophysical Society of Oklahoma City Scholarship, SEG

ABBY RODIONOV
Estwing Hammer Award, EPS

AKSHIKA ROHATGI
First Place, Geoscience Hackathon on computational reproducibility, UT

KAITLIN SCHAIBLE
Outstanding Graduate Student, UTIG

ASHLEE SIDDALL
Student Research Grant, SEPM
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Fall, EPS

ADAN SILVA
Student Research Grant, SEPM

PATTY STANDRING
Ewing-Worzel Fellowship, JSG

XINXIN SUI
Best Ph.D. Talk, 2024-2025, EPS

VICTORIA L. TODD
University Continuing Graduate Student Fellowship, UT

ABBY TREVINO
Scholarship, South Texas Geological Society

ABIGAIL LYNNE TUCKER
Michael S. Johnson Scholarship, RMAG Foundation

CASEY VIGILIA
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

ANNA VU
Scholarship, South Texas Geological Society

OLIVIA WACHOB
Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant: Spring, EPS

KAYLA WHITE
Endowed Presidential Scholarship, JSG

ASHLEY LAUREN WHORTON
James and Ruth Harrison Scholarship, SEG
Barbara McBride Memorial Scholarship, SEG

DANIELLE ZALESKI
Student Employee of the Year, UT 

FACULTY AND RESEARCHERS 

JAY BANNER
Annual Cesar Chavez “Si Se Puede!” Award, Recuerda a César Chávez Committee

JAMIE BARNES
Joseph C. Walter Jr. Excellence Award, JSG

THORSTEN BECKER
Knebel Teaching Award: Teaching Innovation, EPS

KENNY BEFUS
Community Partnership Award, JSG

EDNA RODRIGUEZ CALZADO
2024 William L. Fisher Prize for Excellence in Research, BEG

GINNY CATANIA
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

MARCY DAVIS
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

IAN W. DALZIEL
40 Years of Service, UT

TIM DOOLEY
Best poster award in geological technology at IMAGE 2024, AAPG/SEG

DAN DUNCAN
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

PETER FLEMINGS
Knebel Teaching Award: Teaching Innovation, EPS

JOHN GOFF
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

CYRIL GRIMA
Outstanding Researcher, UTIG

SEAN GULICK
Director’s Circle of Excellence, UTIG
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

KELLY HATTORI
Monroe G. Cheney Science Award, Southwest Section AAPG

DOUG HEMINGWAY
Outstanding Early Career Researcher, UTIG

BRIAN HORTON
Director’s Circle of Excellence, UTIG

SEYYED HOSSEINI
Joseph C. Walter Jr. Excellence Award, JSG

PERIANNE JOHNSON
Outstanding Postdoc, UTIG

BENJAMIN KEISLING
Outstanding Educator Award, JSG
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

CHARLES KERANS
Knebel Teaching Award: Field/Experiential Education, EPS

LUC LAVIER
Outstanding Educator Award, JSG

ROBERT G. LOUCKS
Doris Malkin Curtis Medal, Gulf Coast Section of SEPM

CHRIS LOWERY
Director’s Circle of Excellence, UTIG
Asahiko Taira International Scientific Ocean Drilling Research Prize, AGU

CRAIG MARTIN
Knebel Teaching Award: Undergraduate Upper Division Course, EPS

ROWAN MARTINDALE
Geobiology & Geomicrobiology Division Post Tenure Award, GSA

SUSANNE MORRISON
Eleanor Picard Excellence Award, UTIG

DEV NIYOGI
UNESCO Chair in AI, Water and Cities: Open Systems-Innovative Solutions, UNESCO
Fellow, Indian Meteorological Society

ABOUZAR MIRZAEI PAIAMAN
Outstanding Technical Reviewer Award, SPE
Nominee for Frontiers Planet Prize, Frontiers Research Foundation

CAMILLE PARMESAN
Frontiers of Knowledge Prize in Climate Change and Environmental Sciences, BBVA Foundation
Jury Prize, Mimesis Documentary Film Festival, Honorary Doctorate from the University of Stockholm

GEETA PERSAD
Faculty Early Career Development Program Award, NSF

CORNELIA RASMUSSEN
Director’s Circle of Excellence, UTIG

DANIELLA REMPE
Knebel Teaching Award: Introductory Course, EPS

BRIDGET SCANLON
Outstanding Research Award, JSG

MRINAL SEN
Overseas Chair Professorship Lecture, Indian National Science Academy tour
Knebel Teaching Award: Graduate Course, EPS

MARK SHUSTER
Outstanding Service Award, JSG

KATIE SMYE
Public Service Award, AAPG
Tinker Family Best Publication Award, BEG

KRISTA SODERLUND
Director’s Circle of Excellence, UTIG
Innovate, Inspiring and Important Mission Award (NASA Europa Clipper Team), Astro Awards

DANIELLE TOUMA
Women In Science Incentive Prize, The Story Exchange

ZONG-LIANG YANG
Fellow, AGU

MICHAEL YOUNG
Michel Halbouty Distinguished Lecturer, GSA

STAFF

JESSICA WOOLLARD ADAIR
Staff Excellence Award, JSG

MOHSEN AHMADIAN
15 Years of Service, UT

MELISSA ARMSTRONG
Community Partnership Award, JSG

MARK W. BLOUNT
25 Years of Service, UT

DILLON P. BUHL
10 Years of Service, UT

TIFFANY L. CAUDLE
25 Years of Service, UT

DAVID L. CARR
20 Years of Service, UT

PONIEN CHEN
10 Years of Service, UT

NANCY A. COTTINGTON
25 Years of Service, UT

JJ DUPONT
Outstanding Support Staff, UTIG

ANDR P. FAIGLE
30 Years of Service, UT

CLAUDIA GARZA
Outstanding Service Award (Jackson School Development Team), JSG

PHYLLIS GESC
Outstanding Support Staff, UTIG

ELIZABETH GIBSON
Outstanding Service Award (Jackson School Development Team), JSG

JENNIFER JORDAN
Staff Excellence Award, JSG

TALIA D. JURGENS
30 Years of Service, UT

KIM R. LAVALLEY
15 Years of Service

JESSICA MAISANO
20 Years of Service, UT

BRANDON MINTON
10 Years of Service, UT

GREGORY C. NG
15 Years of Service, UT

CONSTANTINO PANAGOPULOS
Outstanding Research Award (TERMINUS Team), JSG

KYLEEN A. PIEJKO
15 Years of Service, UT

GEORGIA SANDERS
15 Years of Service, UT
Outstanding Service Award (Jackson School Development Team), JSG

MARISSA STUBBE
Outstanding Service Award (Jackson School Development Team), JSG

JEFF STUENKEL
20 Years of Service, UT

KRISTEN TUCEK
Outstanding Service Award (Jackson School Development Team), JSG

VERONICA VASQUEZ
20 Years of Service, UT

JASON VISSER
10 Years of Service, UT

COURTNEY VLETAS
Outstanding Service Award (Jackson School Development Team), JSG

NICK WARRINGTON
Outstanding Service Award (Jackson School Development Team), JSG

ANDREW WEST
Outstanding Service Award (Jackson School Development Team), JSG

JESSICA YEAGER
Staff Excellence Award, EPS 

PROMOTIONS 

FRED BEACH
From Assistant Professor of Practice to Professor of Practice

YANGKANG CHEN
Research Assistant Professor to Research Associate Professor

CHRIS LOWERY
From Research Assistant Professor to Research Associate Professor

KEHUA YOU
From Research Assistant Professor to Research Associate Professor

CYRIL GRIMA
From Research Assistant Professor to Research Associate Professor

MARY POTEET
From Assistant Professor of Practice to Associate Professor of Practice