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Support Field Camp Scholarships and Impact the

Geosciences—GSAF’s Year-End Giving Campaign

o you want to make a lasting impact upon a student’s There are two ways to support field experiences through the
life—and upon the geosciences? While the end of the GSA Foundation. The Field Camp Opportunities Fund was
year is a busy time for many of us, it affords a chance created to facilitate GSA’s ongoing mission to support students
Dto give thanks for the opportunities we have received, seeking to hone their skills and discover their scientific passions
consider the lasting impact we wish to make, and determine how by providing them with financial resources to pursue various field
best to facilitate that desire philanthropically. The Geological camp opportunities. The Petroleum Geoscientists Fund for
Society of America Foundation will kick off its annual year-end Undergraduate Field Experience and Research is a grassroots
giving campaign on #GivingTuesday, 27 Nov., and we invite you initiative by a dedicated group of energy industry geoscientists to
to join us in sustaining and expanding field experiences for aspir- provide undergraduate students with an opportunity to learn the
ing geoscientists. skills necessary to contribute meaningfully to corporate and
industry efforts.
Fieldwork is a crucial element to geoscience education—just Make your gift today! You can give online at gsafweb.org/
ask Ángel García, visiting assistant instructor at James Madison donate, or to discuss in-depth ways that you can support field
University and a 2018 GSA/ExxonMobil Bighorn Basin Field camp scholarships, please contact Debbie Marcinkowski at
Award recipient. Ángel recounts that he first discovered his pas- +1-303-357-1047 or dmarcinkowski@geosociety.org.
sion for the geosciences “when my introductory geology professor
brought us to a cave in the town of Morovis, Puerto Rico.” That
initial experience sparked Ángel’s interest in karst geology, and
after finishing his undergraduate degree, he decided to pursue
graduate studies in this area.
Ángel’s most recent field experience was at the Bighorn Basin
Field Seminar, which he found incredibly impactful: “I had the
chance to learn from experts in the field of geology exploration
some of the methods and field training required in this discipline.
Besides that, the chance to network with folks from industry was
amazing. Additionally, it gave me a different perspective on
industry careers. I feel that I am more prepared to advise my
future students if they want to pursue a career in geology explora-
tion.” In reflecting upon his experiences, Ángel believes that all
students should engage in some form of fieldwork, noting that it is
“so important for all of us in the geosciences at any stage of our
career.”
Finally, Ángel is particularly thankful to GSA. From attending
his first annual meeting as a 2015 On To the Future participant, to
moving into a leadership role in the geoscience community, GSA
has provided important experiences and space for him to grow
professionally, and most importantly, “has constantly supported
me along the way. This kind of support is something that I have Ángel García at the Bighorn Basin Field Seminar.
not found in other professional associations.”

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