WWU Geology Professor awarded fellowship for excellence in the field

The play on words “geology rocks” is old and familiar to many people, but in the eyes of the Geological Society of America, WWU Geology Professor Liz Schermer also rocks. 

The society recently announced Schermer as a Society Fellow, which is a rare honor awarded to people who are excellent in the field and contribute to the GSA through publication and service. 

Schermer has exemplified great teaching in the field of geology, according to her recommender and fellow GSA member, Mary S. Hubbard, a professor in Montana State University's Department of Earth Sciences. 

“Dr. Elizabeth Schermer has had a distinguished career of research, training and mentoring of undergrads and graduate students, and of service to GSA,” Hubbard said in the recommendation statement. 

Schermer has taken her students everywhere from Deception Pass near Anacortes to New Zealand for field studies that contribute to their understanding of mountain building and the process of plate tectonics. 

Schermer has also stood out by showing leadership on the GSA's Division of Structure and Tectonics, according to Hubbard. The Division of Structure and Tectonics brings together scientists who study the rock-bending forces of the Earth and enhance their ability to do effective field work in that area of study, according to the division’s website.

Find out more about Schermer and see what courses she teaches here.