Past Graduate Awardees
The awardees, the faculty, and the broader Earth and Environmental Science department community thank all donors to each of the award funds. These awards provide unique opportunities and lift financial burdens for awardees, and so these awards are highly valued and appreciated. All of these awards are supported by donations predominately from Earth and Environmental Science department alumni, which includes Geology department alumni from before the department name change.
Graduate Student Research Funding Awards
Aureal T. Cross Endowed Graduate Fellowship
This award is in honor of former MSU Prof. Aureal T. Cross, and the award supports individualized geological science graduate summer research projects. Preference will be given to students whose interests are in paleobiology, stratigraphy or related disciplines.
| Year | Awardee(s) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Andrew Bollinger Watts Dietrich Nudrat Fatima Paige Kohler |
| 2024 | Sarah Gonzales Henao Brennan Hill |
| 2023 | Jackson Barnes Hannah Hogan |
| 2022 | Sophia Huss Emily Pasek Andrea Saavedra |
| 2021 | Ryan McKeeby |
| 2020 | Patricia Jaimes Eleanor Rappolee |
| 2019 | Patricia Jaimes Caitlin Kirby Eleanor Rappolee |
| 2018 | Patricia Jaimes Alex Steiner Chris Svoboda |
James Neal Research Award for Graduate Students
This award was established in 1996 by James Neal to fund graduate and faculty research, travel or other programs, acquisitions and/or personnel to enhance the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department.
| Year | Awardee(s) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Jackson Barnes Cheyenne Kleiner Andrea Saavedra |
| 2024 | Amelia Gose |
| 2023 | Yurong Zhang |
| 2022 | Gabriel Nathan |
| 2021 | Jacob Beseaker |
| 2020 | Brent Heerspink |
| 2019 | Fan Wang |
| 2018 | Caitlin Kirby |
Graduate Student Recognition Awards
Pringle Academic Achievement Award for Graduate Students
Made possible by Gordon H. Pringle, a 1932 graduate of the department. It was established in 1988 in memory of his wife and is intended to encourage students who have demonstrated the capacity to achieve educational and professional goals, the motivation to achieve these goals and the initiative to seek opportunities to further their progress. After Mr. Pringle’s passing in 1998, their son, Lewis G. Pringle, renamed the fellowship in honor of both parents.
| Year | Awardee(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Samin Abolmaali Helio Guerra-Neto |
Sophie Huss Zhuoran Zhang |
| 2024 | Jackson Barnes Keyi Cheng |
Andrea Saavedra Yurong Zhang |
| 2023 | Amelia Grose Alexi Schnur |
Caroline Weidner Zechao Zhou |
| 2022 | Brent Heerspink Cheyenne Kleiner |
Allison Pease Fan Wang |
| 2021 | Emma Haines Behn Mirendedehl |
Sahira Cancel Vasquez Jacob Stid |
| 2020 | Quercus Hamlin Mingda Lyu |
Jeremy Rapp Luwen Wan |
| 2019 | Patricia Jaimes Caitlin Kirby |
Lindsay Putnam Chris Svoboda |
| 2018 | Caitlin Kirby Lin Liu |
Susan Beightol Mingda Lyu |
Graduate Student Excellence in MS Thesis Award
This departmental award honors exemplary masters thesis research.
| Year | Awardee(s) |
|---|---|
| 2023 | Sahira Cancel Vasquez Alexis Lanier |
| 2022 | Jack Stack Jacob Stid |
| 2021 | Quercus Hamlin Brent Heerspink |
| 2018 | Tyler Hampton |
Graduate Student Excellence in PhD Dissertation Award
This departmental award honors exemplary doctoral dissertation research.
| Year | Awardee(s) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Fan Wang |
| 2024 | Luwen Wan |
| 2023 | Chanse Ford |
| 2022 | Mingda Lyu Lindsay Putnam |
| 2021 | Patricia Jaimes Alexandria Kuhl Lin Liu |
| 2020 | Travis Dahl Caitlin Kirby |
Graduate Student Excellence in Teaching Award
This departmental award honors exemplary graduate student teaching.
| Year | Awardee(s) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Heidi Krauss |
| 2024 | Emily Pasek |
| 2023 | Keyi Cheng Jiaxin Zhang |
| 2022 | Andrew Bollinger Alexis Lanier |
| 2021 | Alex Steiner |
| 2020 | Chanse Ford |
| 2019 | Alexandria Kuhl Chris Svoboda |
| 2018 | Susan Beightol |
Graduate Student Travel Awards
Earth and Environmental Science Alumni Graduate Student Supplemental Travel Award
This departmental supplemental award enables to participate in academic meetings to share their graduate research to the larger academic community and learn from experts in their field.
| Year | Awardee(s) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring 2026 | Kaydra Barbe Ella Cardoza Watts Dietrich Sarah Gonzalez Henao |
Helio Guerra Neto Heidi Krauss Jeremy Rapp |
Katherine Sluder Jing-Hui Tong Zhuoran Zhang Zechao Zhuo |
| Fall 2025 | James Bingaman Ella Cardoza Luisa Chavarria Sara Gonzalez Henao Amelia Grose |
Helio Guerra Neto Paige Kohler Heidi Krauss Andrea Saavedra |
Madeline Sigler Katerina Vance Yurong Zhang Zhuoran Zhang Zechao Zhuo |
| Spring 2025 | Samin Abolmaali Jackson Barnes Abby Beilman James Bingaman Noah Bohl Andrew Bollinger |
Luisa Chavarria Watts Dietrich Sarah Gonzalez Henao Amelia Grose Helio Guerra Neto Sophie Huss Paige Kohler |
Heidi Krauss Gabriel Nathan Allison Pease Caroline Weidner Zhuoran Zhang Zechao Zhuo |
| Fall 2024 | Jackson Barnes Abby Beilman Sarah Gonzalez Henao Helio Guerra Neto Yaqi Jie |
Cheyenne Kleiner Heidi Krauss Gabriel Nathan Devika Padmakumar Emily Pasek Allison Pease |
Katherine Quinlan Katarina Vance Yurong Zhang Zhuoran Zhang Zechao Zhuo |
| Spring 2024 | Jackson Barnes Anthony Bennett Luisa Chavarria Amelia Grose Sarah Gonzalez Henao |
Helio Guerra Neto Heidi Krauss Gabriel Nathan Katie Quinlan |
Fan Wang Caroline Weidner Yurong Zhang Zhuoran Zhang Zechao Zhang |
| Fall 2023 | Samin Abolmaali Luisa Chavarria Kirsten Fentzke Amelia Grose Sarah Gonzalez Henao Helio Guerra Neto |
Yaqi Jie Cheyenne Kleiner Heidi Krauss Behnaz Mirzendehdel Gabriel Nathan Allison Pease |
Andrea Saavedra Alexi Schnur Jacob Stid Katarina Vance Zhuoran Zhang Zechao Zhuo |
| Spring 2018 | Susan Beightol Brandon Chiasera |
Alex Steiner | Chris Svoboda Jiaxin Zhang |