ZZYZX, CA – We are so fortunate to have the chance to conduct research in collaboration with some truly talented people. One of the highest points of this year’s trip to the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America in Charlotte, NC, was that Dr. Kurt Burmeister and Nikki Mainwaring (’13) were fortunate to be coauthors on an excellent undergraduate research presentation by Melissa Gundersen from the Department of Geology at the State University of New York at New Paltz. Melissa did a truly amazing job presenting research that she conducted under the advisement of Dr. Fred Vollmer. In recognition of her outstanding performance, Melissa chosen to receive the Austin A. Sartin Best Poster Award by the Sigma Gamma Epsilon National Honor Society. Melissa’s presentation was unanimously ranked first of 97 qualifying posters by a panel of 6 professors. We are all very proud, impressed, and inspired by her work.

Group shot in front of Melissa Gundersen’s poster shortly after she was awarded Sigma Gamma Epsilon’s highest honor for student research presentations at GSA. From left: Dr. Fred Vollmer and Melissa (SUNY New Paltz), Dr. Kurt Burmeister, Dr. Steve Marshak (Univ of Illinois), and Dr. Yvette Kuiper (CO School of Mines)