AWARD DESCRIPTIONS

EEPS Chair Dr. Cin-Ty Lee announces the award winners during the EEPS awards ceremony

The 2019 EEPS award ceremony was held on May 10, in 180 Dell Butcher Hall

EEPS 2019 Master of Science and Ph.D. graduates: Rahul Sudhakar, James Eguchi, Christopher Odezulu, Lindsay Prothro, Cemile Nur Schuba, Chengzu Wang and Tuo Zhang

Alison Henning Teaching Award

Awarded to the graduate students with the most outstanding initiative, and valuable contribution to undergraduate instruction for either semester of the current academic year.

Outstanding Undergraduate Student Award

Awarded to the undergraduate student with the most excellent academic record and overall outstanding performance.

Outstanding Graduate Student Award

Awarded to the graduate student with the most excellent academic record and overall outstanding performance

EEPS Service awards winners Sriparna Saha, Brandee Carlson, Alana Semple, Jennifer Kroeger, Lindsay Prothro and Trevor Cole.

Department of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Service Award

Many persons in the department contribute to the many accomplishments of the department. The graduate students in particular contribute much to the success and mission of the department. While first I want to acknowledge the contribution of many students today, with this award we focus on three whose contributions stand out.

Dr. Dale Sawyer congratulates new Ph.D. graduate Christopher Odezulu

The Eugen Merten Memorial Prize in Geology and Geophysics

Eugen Merten was a leading geophysicist and seismologist with Shell Oil Company here in Houston from 1926 until his retirement in 1960. He was always interested in young people and their education.  His daughter, Lore Merten Watt, who received her B.A. from Rice University in 1946, and an M.A. in 1947, established the endowment for this award in memory of her father in 1989.  Other members of the family and friends from Shell have also contributed to it.

The award is given to the most outstanding junior level geology and/or geophysics student. It is based on the most outstanding academic results during the previous fall semester and/or cumulative GPA.

Lodieska Stockbridge Vaughn Fellowship

This award provides a fellowship for a graduate student whose record at Rice shows evidence of outstanding achievement and promise.

EEPS grad student Damanveer Grewal is one of only 5 Rice graduate student recipients of this award.  Rajdeep Dasgupta is his advisor.

Ph.D. candidate Sriparana Saha, visiting scholar Dr. Francis Albarede, Proteek Chowdhury, Dr. Rajdeep Dasgupta all congratulate Ph.D. candidate and Lodieska Stockbridge Vaughn Fellowship winner Damanveer Grewal at the post-awards reception on the KWGL patio.

The Leroy Caleb Gibbon Award 

Leroy Caleb Gibbon was born in Missouri in the late 19th century and lived for some time in West Texas, but made his home in Oklahoma. His son Harry and grandson Donald both received Rice degrees, and both were involved in the Earth Sciences. In 1958 Harry decided to memorialize his father and at the same time further the education in the Earth Sciences at Rice University by establishing the endowed Leroy Gibbon Award in Geology.

The Gibbon Award is given to a graduating student for the best-conceived and best-written thesis. The technical content of the winning thesis is expected to be in keeping with the highest standards. Moreover, the award recognizes high quality writing and exposition in particular. This award is only available to students who have turned in their final completed thesis (Master’s or Doctoral) within 6 weeks after their oral defense.

The Torkild Rieber Award in Geology

Torkild Rieber was one of the early leaders who had a substantial influence on the growth and development of Houston. He came to the United States from Norway. In his early years he was a seafaring man who became captain of one of the first Gulf Coast oil tankers. This occupation led him into a long and distinguished career in the petroleum industry culminating with the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Texas Company. Torkild Rieber was a good friend of the Cullinan family who provided the endowment for the Torkild Rieber Award.

Awarded to an undergraduate (any year) or graduate student (any year) who has “distinguished himself or herself by high academic standing or other achievements in courses in geology“.

The Sam Worden Endowed Memorial Award in Geophysics

Sam Worden graduated from Rice University in 1935 and was awarded a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 1983. When he was a student here at Rice, the Department of Geology and Geophysics had not yet been established, and he received his degree in Electrical Engineering. However, he had a lifelong love of Geophysics. He was an inventor and is well known for his Worden Gravimeter, used extensively by Geophysical crews in searching for oil fields, especially in salt dome areas. In 1987, Sam’s wife, Helen, endowed this award in memory of her husband.

 Awarded to a graduating geophysics undergraduate or graduating geophysics graduate student. Award is based on the student’s creative, innovative contributions to the enhancement of geophysics, either in theory or instrumentation