A Great Finish to the Semester and Congratulations!

In April 23, at the annual award lunch, Dr. Keith Koper received this academic year’s Outstanding Faculty Teaching Award. Edie Raines won the Outstanding Student in Geophysics. Valerie Springer won the Outstanding Student in Geological Engineering. Many congratulations to them!

Members of our group had a great showing at the departmental poster session 2026 on the morning of April 23! Sean won Second Place in the graduate poster session and Valerie won Third Place in undergraduate poster competitions, respectively—congratulations to both of them on these fantastic achievements! Below are some photos.

Besides, in earlier week (April 13–19), Valerie and Edie also participated in the University of Utah Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP), where they received very positive feedback on their researches.

It’s been an exciting and rewarding stretch for the group, showcasing strong contributions across research, teaching, and student involvement—well done, everyone!