UGS proposes student fellowships and a Southeast Utah field trip to bolster applied geoscience capacity

The Utah Geological Survey asked its board on Jan. 21 to consider a pilot fellowship program to support applied geoscience students and build local capacity in mapping and hydrogeology. UGS staff proposed annual fellowships costing about $20,000 to $40,000 per student, with an initial pilot at the University of Utah and potential expansion to other state universities.

Stefan Kirby described the aim as training students in field skills and applied geology that local employers need. "For a relatively small investment, we could fund a master's student or part of a PhD," Kirby said. The fellowship would be subject to project selection criteria to ensure alignment with UGS mission and Utah priorities.

Separately, UGS proposed a board field trip to southeastern Utah (Monument Valley, Blanding, Monticello, Paradox Basin) to view new mapping, legacy uranium-mine sites and regional stratigraphy. Staff suggested late September or early October for a Wednesday-through-Friday trip; UGS would provide travel and lodging and work to coordinate with local and tribal partners.

Next steps
UGS will develop governance and selection criteria for a fellowship pilot, consult universities about partnership terms, and distribute a poll to board members to fix field-trip dates and itinerary details.