Student Geologist Wins Excellence Award

Kevin Taylor, a senior majoring in geosciences, recently received the Tobacco Root Geological Society Gibson Geology Field Course Award of Excellence for his achievements at the 2024 EWU Geology Field Camp capstone.

Being nominated and selected to receive this award was an honor, says Taylor, a 31-year-old returning student from Richland, Washington. “I am thankful to Richard Gibson for funding this award and continuing to share his love for field camp with the next generation of future geologists.”

The Tobacco Root Geological Society is a private, nonprofit organization that is dedicated to the study of the geology of the Northern Rocky Mountains, according to its website. The society funds student and professional research projects throughout the nation, and offers scholarship awards of up to $1,200.

Taylor says hands-on learning at the EWU geosciences field camp (GEOS 490G) aligns with what he is most passionate about. “I am a non-traditional student who decided to go back to school and pursue a degree in geology due to my love of rocks, hiking and people, and my fascination with the natural world.”

During the EWU field camp, which Taylor describes as “uniquely challenging and fulfilling,” the class of seven mapped folds and faults outside of Dillon, Montana, while exploring a variety of geologic interests ranging from copper deposits to structural-dome resurgence in Yellowstone National Park. The students also did regional mapping near Red Lodge, Montana.

Chad Pritchard, professor of geosciences, says the field camps provide vital hands-on experiences that help students build skills and confidence, while also developing connections with industry experts that contribute to immediate employment in their fields of study.

The job placement rate for student participants in last summer’s camp was at nearly 100%, Pritchard says. Two years ago, when the field camp was held in the greater Spokane County area, 13 participating students were immediately hired upon – and even prior to – graduation.

While participating in the field camp, Taylor was credited for his keen sense of observation and attention to detail, which was ultimately reflected in the maps and landscape cross sections that he prepared. Those qualities led to the award.

The experience, Taylor says, translated the knowledge he has gained in the classroom into skills mapping “some of the most spectacular outcrops, features, and formations in Southwestern Montana.”

Taylor, who is on track to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Geosciences (Professional Geology track) degree in winter 2025, plans to continue as a licensed geologist at Budinger and Associates, where he hopes to be involved with the company’s work in geotechnical and explorations across the Northwest.

“I am confident that the personal and professional skills I gained and developed will not be taken for granted but will continue to help me become a better critical thinker, problem solver, and leader as I transition from the classroom into the working environment of professional geologists,” Taylor says.