Grants, Awards, & Prizes

The department sponsors and/or administers numerous awards and prizes each year. Cumulatively these awards recognize outstanding teaching, academic, and/or research achievement, and contributions to academic and student life. In addition, two competitive research funds provide monetary support for student initiative and innovation in research and organizing research-related conferences, workshops, or seminar series.

Undergraduate Awards

Departmental Honors
Given to one or two graduating majors in recognition of outstanding undergraduate academic accomplishment as well as participation and leadership in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. 

Walter C. Pitman III Award
Awarded annually to a Columbia University undergraduate major in our department to attend the American Geophysical Union meeting, or similar large international conference.

Young Investigator Award
Awarded annually to one or more majors or concentrators in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, this award acknowledges creativity and excellence in research and grants funds for research expenditures or travel associated with field work, analyses or presentation of results at a scientific meeting.

USC Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award
Presented by the Undergraduate Student Committee to a faculty member selected by undergraduate majors and concentrators.

USC Outstanding Graduate Teaching Assistant Award
Presented by the Undergraduate Student Committee to a graduate teaching assistant selected by undergraduate majors and concentrators.

 

Graduate Student Awards

Chevron Student Initiative Fund
The Chevron Student Initiative Fund (SIF) is supported by gift funds from Chevron to encourage, support and stimulate student-designed research projects and/or student-organized conferences, workshops or seminar series. In addition to funding these efforts, the Chevron SIF allows graduate students the unique opportunity of engaging in the peer-review process early on in their careers.  A small committee of graduate students administers all aspects of the Chevron SIF award process, from proposal solicitation to review to award and post-award.

Goodfriend Prize - Established 2004
A monetary research grant awarded to the registered Lamont graduate student who submits the best peer-reviewed, published (or in-press) paper in paleoclimate, on which the student is first author.

Department Teaching Assistant Award
Awarded annually by the Department Chair to the graduate student with the strongest teaching evaluations from his/her students.

GSC Best Teacher Award
Awarded by the Graduate Student Committee to a faculty member selected from nominees from the graduate student body.

Sara Fitzgerald Langer Book Prize
Presented annually by the Graduate Student Committee (GSC) to a pre-orals graduate student who has contributed to both academic and student life at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.  The prize consists of a book, chosen by the elected student, that is a classic in his or her field.

Science for Society Award
Established by Professor Emeritus Peter Schlosser, the Science for Society award is a monetary award that recognizes a DEES graduate student whose research applies basic Earth or Life science to problem solving for the benefit of society.  Candidates are selected based on nominating and seconding letters from DEES faculty or Lamont Research Professors/Scientists who are advisors to DEES PhD students.