This fund was established in 1998 to support the research and instruction of geology in the Department of Geological Sciences.

The goal of the Department of Geological Sciences is to understand the dynamic physical and chemical changes that have occurred over the past 4.6 billion years in order to meet the challenges that are presented by the rapid changes Earth experiences today. They strive to understand global climate change, catastrophic events such as tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, mountain building, rising sea level, diminishing water and mineral resources and the history of life with a goal to forge a better relationship between modern society and the natural environment in which we dwell.