Chels Howard

Felix Mutschler began teaching geology at Eastern Washington State College in 1969, and continued sharing his knowledge with colleagues and students throughout retirement years. After Professor Mutchler’s death in 2000, EWU’s Department of Geology faculty and staff established the Felix E. Mutschler Memorial Scholarship Fund. Chels Howard, who dreams of becoming a college geology professor, received that scholarship for their 2020-21 academic year. “The scholarship helped me relax a little bit while I worked for the U.S. Geologic Survey and at my classes,” Howard says. “Being awarded the scholarship was the positive feedback that kept me motivated.” Howard graduated in 2021 and now is in a geoscience master’s program.

Felix and Bunny Mutchler’s son, Charles Mutschler, died in 2019. He was an Eastern alumnus, university archivist and interim dean of EWU Libraries. The Felix E. Mutschler Memorial Scholarship Fund has been renamed the Felix E. and Charles V. Mutschler Scholarship Fund to honor the memory of both men who influenced the lives of countless Eastern students and alumni.