ESS annual alumni awardee profiles: Julia Kelson and Donna Whitney

At the 2026 Awards Ceremony we recognized two alumnae, Julia Kelson and Donna Whitney, whose careers embody the department’s spirit of discovery, service and innovation. We asked our awardees to share parts of their story, with excerpts provided below. Each reflects the curiosity, perseverance and impact we think characterize our graduates. By honoring our former students, we hope to inspire today’s students to strive for both personal and professional success.

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One donation, one big impact

Geologic outcrops provide critical information about a wide range of Earth processes, including tectonics, sedimentary transport and climate. Former undergraduate student Jade Wells (2026) and Assistant Professor Akshay Mehra were awarded funds from the Petrie Endowed Fund for Undergraduate Research to create 3D reconstructions of outcrops for use in teaching digital mapping skills.

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A critical industry: ESS undergrads travel to the AME's annual 'Round-up' conference

In January 2026, five ESS undergraduates and Associate Professor John Stone travelled to Vancouver, Canada, to attend the Association for Mineral Exploration's annual "Round-up" conference. The Round-up is a student-focused mineral industry conference, job fair and networking event for early-career geologists interested in the mineral industry. For the ESS students who attended, this was a chance to meet and talk to geologists working in the industry, discover the breadth of exploration science and technology, and learn about the wide range of career opportunities in the field.

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38 Years, 50,000 Students, One Extraordinary Classroom Legacy

Teaching Professor Terry Swanson has taught more than 50,000 students, a truly staggering number, through ESS 101: Introduction to Geology and Societal Impacts. Professor Swanson arrived at UW in the autumn of 1988 as a Ph.D. student, working with Professor Stephan Porter, a leading expert in Pleistocene glaciation and then-director of the UW Quaternary Research Center. We interviewed Terry and asking him to share his reflections on 30+ years of teaching and consider the impact he has had on all the students who have taken ESS 101.

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The lasting impact of recruitment

Something as simple as an invitation to participate can change the course of an individual’s career and their impact on the geoscience community. From 1971 to 1974, seven Black graduate students were invited to apply to the UW Department of Geological Sciences, five of whom entered in 1973. To better understand the outcomes, current ESS graduate student Claire Jensen and Professor Emerita Jody Bourgeois recently interviewed four of these students, asking about their experience, why they chose UW and their careers following graduation.

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Seismologists, locals weigh in on 4.2 earthquake that hit western Washington

A magnitude 4.2 earthquake occurred on the Kitsap Peninsula on Tuesday afternoon, Sept. 28. Pacific Northwest Seismic Network Director and ESS Professor Harold Tobin is interviewed.

Watch the coverage at Kiro 7

The north pole of Mars is less dusty than scientists thought

A study from the APL’s Aditya Khuller, ESS affiliate assistant professor, and former ESS undergraduate student Pari Mohan shows that the top layer of ice contains approximately 3% dust by mass, compared to previous estimates of 25%. A dusty layer of frost covers the ice in the winter but disappears in the summer, revealing cleaner, older ice. Studying the ice on Mars gives researchers more information about what the climate used to be like, and whether the planet is or was ever habitable.

Read the full story on UW News

September research highlights: New capybara fossil changes the forecast for the ancient Atacama region

This highlight features a recent paper co-authored by ESS Adjunct Professor Caroline Strömberg, UW professor of biology. Capybaras like their habitats wet and thrive in low-elevation wetlands. Researchers were surprised to find an 8.8 million-year-old fossilized capybara tooth in northern Chile's Atacama Desert, one of the driest regions on Earth.

Read more at UW News

Dave Montgomery's new book "ReGen" included in UW News faculty book round-up

In “REGEN: A New Future For Farming, Food, and Health,” David R. Montgomery, professor of Earth and space sciences at the UW, lays out practical and productive solutions to recover the health of our land through soil-building regenerative agriculture. Drawing on the work of farmers, historians and researchers, he articulates the power of rebuilding soil health by minimizing or avoiding physical and chemical disturbance of the soil, such as through combining cover cropping, no- or low-tillage and crop diversity.

Read more at UW News

Geoclub spring break trip showcases geology close to home

In March 2025, UW Geoclub's spring break trip took students through southern Washington and along the Oregon coast, through the Columbia Gorge, Wallula Gap and the Columbia Basin and home across the Cascades. The trip was a reminder of all the spectacular geology close to home, and the events that have shaped the landscape and history of the Pacific Northwest, from millions of years in the past up to the present day.

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