Geology and Geological Engineering Scholarships
The Department of Geology and Geological Sciences has over ten scholarships or tuition savings programs to help you afford your degree.
Financial Assistance for GGE Students
The majority of students in the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering receive some form of scholarship or financial assistance.
Named departmental scholarships range from $350 to $500 annually. Several additional endowed scholarships are also available to qualified students. Because these are funded through endowments, award amounts can vary from year to year and are not published as a fixed figure. Eligibility requirements, application windows, and available amounts for each scholarship are listed below.
- Smaller awards are available for course expenses, lab fees, and student research. For these opportunities, contact the GGE office at geology@olemiss.edu.
- Undergraduate students may also qualify for the Mississippi Tuition Assistance Grant (MTAG) or the Academic Common Market, a tuition-rate program for residents of participating states pursuing Geological Engineering.
The University and the School of Engineering also offer scholarships to qualified students.
Departmental Scholarships and Awards
The department recognizes top-performing students with annual awards:
- Outstanding PhD Student ($500),
- Outstanding MS Student ($500),
- Outstanding Senior ($500),
- Outstanding Junior ($400), and
- Outstanding Sophomore ($350).
Eligibility Requirements for Outstanding Student Awards
To be eligible for the Outstanding Student Awards:
- Graduate students must be currently enrolled with a GPA of 3.7 or higher.
- PhD candidates must have completed their comprehensive exam
- MS students must have completed their prospectus.
- Undergraduate students must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher and meet minimum credit-hour and graduation-date requirements for their class standing.
The Charles Dunbar King Memorial Scholarship is open to full-time undergraduate or graduate students within one year of their expected graduation date.
- Applications are typically accepted in January and February.
History of the Charles Dunbar King Memorial Scholarship
Established in memory of Charlie King, a GGE graduate student who died in a climbing accident in 2014, this scholarship supports students who demonstrate his love of discipline, colleagues, and the outdoors.
Charlie King was pursuing a graduate degree in the Department of Geology and Geological Engineering when he tragically died in a climbing accident on Mexico's Mount Orizaba in early 2014. He was much loved in the department, and family and friends quickly formed an endowed scholarship in his memory. His parents, Kerry and Terry King, are now Oxford residents and routinely appear at the GGE game day tent in the grove each Fall.
Donate Now to the Charles Dunbar King Memorial Scholarship
Past Recipients
- 2024-2025: Christian Keyes
- 2023-2024: Caden Bryan
- 2022-2023: Bolatito Adele-Bolaje and Rae Payne
- 2021-2022: Pam Akakpo and Bolatito Adele-Bolaji
- 2020-2021: Mohammed Al Harthy
- 2019-2020: TyAnna Cox and Tanner Avery
- 2018-2019: Zack Lepchitz and Mohammad Oyan
- 2017-2018: Aaron Jones
- 2016-2017: Dakota Kolb
- 2015-2016: Peshani Herat
- 2014-2015: Zhen Guo
- 2013-2104: Austin Patton
Open to full-time juniors, seniors, or graduate students with a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Applicants must submit two nomination letters and have a documented record of financial need on file with the Office of Financial Aid.
- Letters can be sent via email to Dr. Oommen or delivered directly to the GGE office.
- Applications are typically accepted in January and February.
How are applications evaluated?
Our evaluation criteria focus on a student's:
- Academic success
- Potential for successful professional practice
- Financial need
History of the Krista Dawn Blackledge Scholarship
Established in 2014 by GGE alumna Krista Dawn Blackledge, this scholarship supports students with financial need who are members of the Society of Women Engineers and show potential as future professional engineers.
Donate Now to the K.D. Blackledge Fund
Past Recipients
- 2024-2025: Arden Pierce and Abby Kilgore
- 2023-2024: Arden Pierce, Rae Payne, and Kaylee Williams
- 2020-2021: Hashindra Herath and TyAnna Cox
- 2019-2020: Pam Akakpo and Alex Warren
- 2018-2019: Pam Akakpo, Eleanor Dietz and Liz Vitale
- 2017-2018: Ryann Lam
- 2016-2017: Elsie Okoye
- 2015-2016: Ann Sutton Teichmiller and Sarah Hill
- 2014-2015: Amanda Couch
Open to juniors, seniors, and graduate students with a minimum GPA of 2.5 for undergraduates or 3.0 for graduates.
- Applications are typically accepted in January and February.
History of the Robert Woolsey Scholarship
Named for Dr. Robert Woolsey, longtime director of the Mississippi Mineral Resources Institute, this scholarship funds field experiences such as field camp, honors projects, and graduate research.
Dr. Woolsey was the director of MMRI from 1982-2008, ending when he tragically died in a car accident. He was a great friend of the Geology & Geological Engineering Department, and his family continues to have ties with MMRI and the department.
The Woolsey Scholarship provides funding for field experiences, including, but not limited to, field camp, honors project, and graduate projects.
Donate Now to the Robert Woolsey Scholarship
Award Recipients
- 2024-2025: Santosh Adhakari and Jennifer Crowell
- 2023-2024: Max Pizarro
- 2022-2023: Kaylee Williams
- 2021-2022: NA
- 2020-2021: Addison Seifert and Husam Zubi
- 2019-2020: TyAnna Cox and Pratap Bohara
Established through a gift from Stephen and Kaye Franks, this fund provides general support to the department, including field-camp scholarships, helping students further their studies and launch careers in the geosciences.
Franks, who earned a master’s degree from the university in 1971, has spent more than 40 years in the petroleum industry, including work at Atlantic Richfield’s Exploration and Production Technology Co. in Plano, Texas, and with Saudi Aramco.
Donate Now to the Franks Geology Fund
Awarded each March by the Mississippi Geological Society, this scholarship supports juniors and seniors majoring in Geology or Geological Engineering who demonstrate financial need and a commitment to a career in the geosciences.
Eligibility requires a minimum GPA of 3.0, ethical character, strong communication skills, and a willingness to attend the awards banquet in Jackson in early April.
- Applications are typically accepted in January and February.
Award Recipients
- 2024-2025: Arden Pierce
- 2023-2024: Elsie Buskes
- 2022-2023: Kaylee Williams
- 2021-2022: Jillian Dees
- 2020-2021: Sarah Simmons
- 2019-2020: Savanah Grass
- 2018-2019: Jordan Johnson
- 2017-2018: Alexandra Warren
- 2016-2017: Christopher Boucher
- 2015-2016: Elizabeth Russell
- 2014-2015: Peshani Herath
- 2013-2104: Amanda Couch
- 2012-2013: Courtney Ash
- 2011-2012: David Cain
- 2010-2011: Devan Murray
- 2009-2010: Melanie Graupner
- 2008-2009: Mallory Crandall
- 2007-2008: Stuart Coleman
- 2006-2007: Shannon Wilson
- 2005-2006: Robert Herr III
- 2004-2003: Stephanie Rice
- 2003-2002: Natalie Rose
- 2002-2001: Matt Sleep
- 2001-2002: Emily Strack
- 2000-2001: Andy Richardson
- 1999-2000: Jon David Wilson
- 1998-1999: Stephanie Anders
- 1997-1998: Dana Strickland
- 1996-1997: Addy Mills
- 1995-1996: Billie Robertson
- 1994-1995: Heath Franklin
- 1993-1994: Russell Davis
- 1992-1993: Jessica Kincaid
- 1991-1992: Paul Schoenly
- 1990-1991: David Beverly
- 1989-1990: Harold Underwood
- 1988-1989: N/A
- 1987-1988: Lewis Beard
- 1986-1987: Jennifer Herndon
- 1985-1986: Robert Whorton
- 1984-1985: Joel Powers
- 1983-1984: William Lehr
Provided by the Mississippi Geological Society, this scholarship supports an undergraduate student who has overcome significant hardship to pursue a degree in geology or geological engineering, particularly a hard worker with a strong interest in the geosciences who may have worked outside of school to finance their education.
This is not strictly a GPA-driven award, though a 3.0 GPA is considered an advantage.
- Applications are typically accepted in January and February.
This award recognizes a graduate teaching assistant who has excelled in the role, based on nomination by students or faculty.
Open to graduate TAs who have served at least two full semesters, including summer terms. Self-nominations are not accepted.