McMechan Student Support Fund:
Cited for his dedication to mentorship and the breadth of knowledge he imparts to students, Professor George McMechan has served UT Dallas since 1983. He has received outstanding Teaching Awards and recognition the Ida M. Green Professor of Geosciences.
Created in honor of his serving faculty, George McMechan Student Support Fund is used to support students in advancing their academic and professional pursuits in the area of geophysics and related disciplines.
Carter Scholarship:
It’s impossible to talk about the history of research at UT Dallas without mentioning the late associate professor emeritus of geoscience, Dr. James Carter. Recruited from Rice University in 1963, he arrived in 1964 as a senior researcher and is one of the early faces of both the Graduate Research Center of the Southwest (GRCSW) and Southwest Center for Advanced Studies (SCAS). A long-standing leader in both the Department of Geosciences and the development of the university, his intrigue with the world around him has led to a series of impressive scientific revelations, including ten articulated cervical vertebrae of the largest sauropod, Alamosaurus, which was discovered in Big Ben, Texas, and on display at the Perot Museum.
The James Carter Scholarship seeks to empower students’ potential as they advance their academic and professional pursuits in the area of Geosciences.
Department Unrestricted Fund:
The mission of the Department of Geosciences is to deliver a challenging, stimulating, and useful education in geosciences to undergraduates and graduates at all degree levels and to add to our understanding of the Earth through the research of students, faculty, and staff. This includes studying the composition, structure, and history of our surroundings and ultimately provide us with a better sense of ourselves, the universe around us, and our connection to everything.
Support of this fund allows the Department to employ leading geospatial information sciences, technology and techniques that help students have appealing career options across the U.S. and around the world.
GSS:
Addressing a wide range of 21st century problems requires geoscience expertise as well as the use of valuable tools that stimulate interest. These issues include a wide range of natural hazards, climate change and coastal development, environmental issues, and energy and natural resources. Geoscience Studios targets university and community college students, K-12 teachers and students, and the general public. This fund allows for our community to play a part in helping to inform students of all kinds as well as grow learning beyond the classroom and the conventional.
PBRL:
The Permian Basin Research Lab, taken from the study location - the Permian Basin of west Texas and SE New Mexico. The area is increasingly important to the economies of these states and to U.S. energy independence. However, many university geoscience faculty and students know little about it. The Basin is densely drilled for oil and gas, but there is much we do not know about how it formed and evolved. The fund helps our research teams get support to better understand the geological evolution of this basin and to inform and prepare the next generation of geoscientists.
Micro-Imaging Lab:
This lab is devoted to imaging natural materials at several scales, using intricate pieces of equipment. Their wide range of applications from art conservation to geochemistry and other advanced materials science allows for research beyond the field of Geoscience. Supporting the lab helps to bolster more collaborations that advance real-world use as well as effective student learning.
