HGS Undergraduate Scholarship Foundation
Presents Seven Scholarships
The HGS Undergraduate Scholarship Foundation has been providing scholarships to deserving students since 1984. To date, over $153,000 in scholarships have been awarded. This year, the Foundation awarded seven scholarships totaling $10,500. Foundation Chairman John Adamick presented the scholarships to the recipients at the February 9th HGS dinner meeting. Universities included in the undergraduate scholarship program include Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Stephen F. Austin State University, Rice University, Texas A&M University, the University of Houston, and the University of Texas.
Vitae for our scholarship winners are listed below. These students are to be commended for their accomplishments.
Madelyn Percy
University of Texas
Madelyn is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, double majoring in geology and anthropology, with a concentration in archaeology. Stating her goal of being the first ever archaeologist AND geologist as early as kindergarten, she feels incredibly fortunate that she has been allowed to pursue both studies. Madelyn’s research interests currently follow two trajectories, working with Dr. Charlie Kerans on a late Albian carbonate rudist reef complex in Medina County, Texas and with Dr. Fred Valdez, Jr. in Belize, studying the water management features and agricultural techniques used at a late Classic Maya archaeological site. She is applying to PhD programs in both geology and archaeology, hoping to work in the field of geoarchaeology. Outside of school, Madelyn is the director of an amateur production of the musical “Chicago” and loves to travel, swim, read, cook, and hike.
Buck Johnson
Stephen F. Austin State University
Buck is a senior at Stephen F. Austin State University majoring in geology, with petroleum land management as a minor. He serves as secretary for Sigma Gamma Epsilon and GSA for his chapter and is also a member of AAPG. Buck is on the President’s Honor Roll and the Dean’s List. Special topics include: XRD and a two week geochemical field study of the Southwestern U.S. After graduation in fall of 2009, Buck intends to pursue his master’s degree in geophysics. While not in class, Buck enjoys fossil collecting, biking, hiking, and many other outdoor activities.
James Burnes
Lamar University
James grew up on a farm in Fred, Texas. He is a senior at Lamar University with a dual major in geology and history and minors in anthropology and earth science. James is also planning to take several biology courses to help with his plans to study paleontology and obtain his PhD. and teach as a research professor at the university level. James is currently treasurer of LUGS (Lamar University Geological Society), former president of the Lamar Anthropology Association, a member of the National Geographic Society, Safari Club International, and a current McNair Scholar. He is also a member of the Phi Kappa Phi national honor society, the Phi Alpha Theta International Honor society for history, the Texas Academy of Science, and holds a student membership to the Geological Society of America. James has spent the last two field seasons doing research in Utah’s Uinta Basin searching for Eocene micro-mammal fossils. He also spent a month in Belize doing Maya archaeology fieldwork with the University of Texas. James has co-authored an abstract on the results of his Uinta field work and currently teaches a historical geology lab at Lamar. His interests are wide-ranging and include paleontology, geology, biology, archaeology, and the history of science. When not studying, teaching, or doing research, James likes to read and to spend time with his grandfather and family up on the farm.
Ashley Jordan
Texas A&M University
Ashley is a junior in the geology program at Texas A&M University. She is a social chair in the Geology and Geophysics Society. Her other school activities include the National Society of Collegiate Scholars and the Aggie Speleological Society. She has gained experience through her internship with Schlumberger WesternGeco in Houston in the summer of 2007 and with her job with the Bureau of Land Management at Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve in Idaho during the summer of 2008. She plans on participating in undergraduate research this fall and will graduate in December.
Tabitha Bittinger
Sam Houston State University
Tabitha Bittinger is a student at Sam Houston State University currently finishing her undergraduate geoscience degree with a minor in mathematics. She is active with the Sam Houston Association of Geology Students (SHAGS), planning and coordinating field trips and other events. For the past three years, Tabitha has been employed as a geological technician with McAllen Oil and Gas. She has worked extensively on projects focused on the Vicksburg sands of south Texas. Tabitha also teaches introductory geology laboratories at Sam Houston State University and serves as a tutor for most other introductory level classes. She plans on attending graduate school after her graduation, a decision that was solidified by attending a research expedition for undergraduates led by Professor Chris Baldwin to the Ainsa Basin in the Spanish Pyrenees during the spring of 2008. Tabitha’s current research interests combines aspects of basin sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology, and structural controls on basin development.
Mairi Litherland
Rice University
Mairi is a senior at Rice University majoring in earth science with a concentration in geophysics. She has worked on research projects studying mantle anisotropy in Alaska using S-wave splitting and modeling volcano formation on different planets at the Lunar and Planetary Institute. Currently she is working with Dr. Fenglin Niu to do research on the inner core. Her other activities include writing and making cakes, and she is an active member of the Marching Owl Band and the Rice Light Opera Society. She hopes to attend graduate school to study seismology following her graduation in May.