Undergraduate Awards

Dr. Reginald H. Pegrum, our department's distinguished founder, established an annual award to be presented to an outstanding senior majoring in geology. The recipient is selected by faculty and presented with a check and certificate at our departmental Celebration of Academic Achievement and Awards in April each year.

Charlotte Rosenshine established the Gilbert Jaffe Memorial Award in memory of her brother, Gilbert Jaffe, who received his BA in Geology from UB in 1949 and his MA in 1950. After graduation, Mr. Jaffe entered the field of oceanography at the U.S. Nave Oceanographic Office in Washington, DC.  He began his career in design and development of sensory, telemetric, and recording equipment.  Later he founded and directed the Naval Oceanographic Instrumentation Center and ultimately became Director of the NOAA Instrument Center.  Faculty select a graduating senior who has intentions on pursuing graduate studies in the area of marine geology or environmental science.   The recipient is presented with a check and certificate at our departmental Celebration of Academic Achievement and Awards in April each year.

Alumna Dorethea C. Duttweiler was the first woman to graduate from our department, with a B.A. in Geology in 1937.  This was a time when few women attended university at all, let alone completing a major in a male-dominated science field such as geology.  She eventually became a professor in UB's School of Education, but she never lost her love for geology.  This award has been given annually since 1994 to benefit students attending field camp, with special preference given to female students as specified by Dorothea.   Recipients are presented with a check at our departmental Celebration of Academic Achievement and Awards in April each year.

The Owens scholarship was set up by Lucy McCartan-Owens to honor the memory of her husband James. He interrupted his education to serve in the U.S. military and returned to UB in 1946 under the GI bill. He received his bachelor's degree from Geology and Chemistry in 1948 and completed his graduate degree in 1949.  His graduate work included extensive study of Cazenovia Creek, and he credits the University at Buffalo with much of his later professional success.  The scholarship was set up to assist an outstanding undergraduate student who is interested in fields related to surface and near-surface geology. The scholarship is applied to the recipient's student account and they are recognized at our departmental Celebration of Academic Achievement and Awards in April each year.

Solène Pouget was a promising young scientist. She earned her Ph.D. at UB Geology in less than three years, during which time she first‐authored four papers. She was co‐author on 6 other papers, and first‐ or co‐author on 23 abstracts. She organized a workshop on tephra that attracted sponsorship from numerous societies, as well as funding from NSF and the International Union for Quaternary Research; over 70 scientists from around the globe participated.

Dr. Pouget accomplished much of this work after being diagnosed with an incurable cancer. During her time as a student, and then as a post‐doc for five brief months, she underwent numerous rounds of chemotherapy, three major and many minor surgeries, and other treatments. Through all this, she remained happy, charitable and optimistic, not wanting to be defined by the disease. She continued to work until she could no longer do so; and was offered her dream job with the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, in ash cloud detection and warning, just 3 weeks before her death.

This award honors Solène's memory and aims to inspire future generations of scientists, by offering a prize to a deserving graduate or undergraduate student, for the best published, first‐ authored scientific journal article in a given academic year. In keeping with Solène's character, the article should also have an obvious impact on the improvement of the human condition, or otherwise clearly demonstrate compassion towards others.

Thanks to a large donation from alumnus James W. Cadwell,  the Pegrum Fund profides additional awards to outstanding graduate students. Recipients are selected by faculty for outstanding research, teaching, or overall performance and presented with a check and certificate at our departmental Celebration of Academic Achievement and Awards in April each year.

The Pegrum Professional Development Award provides partial financial support for students in the Department of Earth Sciences to present research at professional meetings or attend career workshops or short courses.

• 🚫 This award does not support travel or fieldwork related to student research or coursework.
• 💰 Funding availability varies each semester and may not cover all travel costs.
• 🎯 Priority is given to students who have not received a Pegrum Award in the current academic year.

1. Download the fillable Pegrum Application PDF and the Budget Form below and email the completed documents to earthsciences@buffalo.edu.

2. Submit a printed hardcopy of this application form to 126 Cooke Hall (Main Office).

3. Complete and upload your signed W-9 form to our secure box folder. Note: Do not email your W-9.

• Faculty-nominated awards are selected internally.
• Application-based awards require submission of forms before the deadlines.
• Recipients are honored at our Celebration of Academic Achievement and Awards in April.