Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences

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Savannah Devine ‘22

CAS alumna finds purpose in her work to understand volcanoes
Mar 23, 2026

Savannah Devine ‘22 graduated from App State with a passion for exploring the land under our feet.

student research
Vanya Dill, a senior geology major from Morrisville, at a field site in Mongolia in August 2025. Photo by Dr. Sarah Carmichael
Water tracks, shown by the darker curvilinear parallel bands of green vegetation, transmit water downslope into the Upper Kuparuk River on the North Slope of Alaska in July 2019. Credit: Qifan Yang

Water Tracks: The Veins of Thawing Landscapes [faculty co-authored]
Jun 27, 2025

In the Arctic, one of the primary paths for water to flow is along water tracks, stream-like features that fill with and route water when the... faculty research, student research

Tucker Terrell ’25, who graduated from App State in May with a bachelor’s degree in geology-environmental geology, far left, shows community members where a single headstone was located by App State researchers trying to determine the position of grave sites in an area formerly covered with brush behind the Fort Defiance site in Caldwell County. Photo by Bret Yager
UCalgary paleontologist Darla Zelenitsky and PhD candidate Jared Voris, left, helped identify the dinosaur species using fossils found in Mongolia. Photo by Riley Brandt, University of Calgary
App State senior Tucker Terrell, a geology-environmental geology major from Burlington, explains how he used ground-penetrating radar to locate unmarked burials of enslaved people at Fort Defiance, located near Lenoir in Caldwell County. The work helped confirm ancestral stories and the role of enslaved people in the fort’s history. Terrell is one of three undergraduate students who were honored with awards for their research at the university’s 28th Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endea

Geology major Tucker Terrell receives award at Annual Celebration of Student Research and Creative Endeavors
May 8, 2025

Tucker Terrell, of Burlington, a senior geology-environmental geology major, used ground-penetrating radar to establish the location of burials... student honors, student research

Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence awardee Savannah Devine

Savannah Devine '22 awarded Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence
Feb 16, 2025

Research Ireland has awarded the prestigious Jane Grimson Medal of Excellence to UCD PhD candidate Savannah Devine.

student research
Vanya Dill is a junior geology major from Morrisville. Photo submitted

SAFE Student Spotlight: Vanya Dill
Dec 9, 2024

Vanya Dill, a junior geology major from Morrisville, received a Fall 2023 Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund grant to attend the Society... student research

Luke Rose graduated from Appalachian in May with his bachelor's degree in geology with a concentration in paleontology. Photo submitted

SAFE Student Spotlight: Luke Rose ’24
Nov 25, 2024

Luke Rose ’24, now an alumnus of the Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, received a Fall 2023 Student and Faculty Excellenc

student research
Joshua Crouch is a senior geology major from Gastonia. Photo submitted

SAFE Student Spotlight: Joshua Crouch
Nov 14, 2024

Joshua Crouch, a senior geology major from Gastonia, received a Fall 2023 Student and Faculty Excellence (SAFE) Fund grant to attend the Society... student research