About IGEA
Celebrating the teachers and professors who inspire a love of geoscience and motivate students to pursue geological careers.
Awarding Inspirational Excellence In The Classroom
The Inspirational Geoscience Educator Award honors college and university professors who have demonstrated outstanding leadership in the field of geoscience education. Each year, one deserving nominee is presented a $10,000 award and commemorative plaque.
Inspirational Geoscience Educator Award
If you know a geoscience professor who has inspired students to love geoscience and motivated them to pursue geological careers, honor them with a nomination.
Important: Nominee must be within 10 years of their initial tenure track appointment at the time of nomination. Please read the requirements and guidelines before submitting a nomination.
Stories About Latest Award Recipients
Explorer Foundation Update
Bloxson Honored for Inspiring Students and Advancing Geoscience Education
July 1, 2025
Explorer Foundation Update
Clay Morton, Julie Bloxson Awarded Foundation's Top Honors in Education
July 1, 2025
Explorer Foundation Update
Announcing the Foundation's Inspirational Geoscience Educator Award Winner
July 2, 2024
Past Winners
| Year | Recipient | School |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Julie Bloxson, Ph.D. | Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, Texas |
| 2024 | Henry Agbogun, Ph.D. | Fort Hays State University, Kansas |
| 2023 | Davide Oppo, Ph.D. | University of Louisiana at Lafayette |
| 2022 | Ahmed Ismail, Ph.D. | Assistant Professor of Geophysics, Oklahoma State University |
| 2021 | Clemencia Gomez Gonzalez, Ph.D. | Professor of Geosciences, Universidad Nacional de Colombia |
| 2020 | Bradford R. Burton, Ph.D., PGEO. | Associate Professor and Rady Chair in Petroleum Geology, Western Colorado University |
| 2019 | Brett Carpenter, Ph.D. | Assistant Professor of Geology and Geophysics, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma |
| 2018 | Lauren Birgenheier, Ph.D. | Geoscience Professor, University of Utah, Utah |
| 2017 | Hendratta Ali, Ph.D. | Geosciences Professor, Fort Hays State University, Kansas |
| 2016 | Stephen Bend, Ph.D. P.GEO. | Geology Professor, University of Regina, Saskatchewan |
| 2015 | Joseph Satterfield, Ph.D. | Geology Professor, Angelo State University |
| 2014 | Robert H. Goldstein, Ph.D. | Associate Dean of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Professor, University of Kansas |
| 2013 | James P. Evans, Ph.D. | Professor, Structural Geology, Utah State University College of Science, Utah |
| 2012 | Grant Wach, Ph.D. | Professor of Petroleum Geoscience, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada |