The following press release was written by the CGS Student Competitions Coordinator, Assistant Professor Joy Adams, Department of Geography/Environment & Community M. A. Program, Humboldt State University.
Graduate student Dayna Quick of UC-Santa Barbara and undergraduate student John Krafft of Sonoma State University each received a $500 Geosystems Award at the annual meeting of the California Geographical Society in Solvang, California, on May 2.
The Geosystems Award is given to the outstanding student presentation delivered on a topic in physical geography or earth systems science at each year’s conference. Krafft’s paper, “Carbon Sequestration in Vernal Pool Soils of the Laguna de Santa Rosa Watershed,” was chosen as the top qualifying undergraduate paper of the conference while Quick’s paper, “Investigating the Influence of Owens Lake Playa Dust on Alluvial Soils using Strontium Isotopes,” topped the graduate category.
Typically, a single winner is selected from all papers entered into the competition by both graduate and undergraduate students. This year, the judges’ panels of the undergraduate and graduate paper competitions reached a stalemate and could not agree upon a single winner. When asked if the prize could be divided between the students, with $250 being awarded to each, Geosystems competition sponsors Robert and Bobbe Christopherson generously offered to fund two $500 awards this year.
Founded in 1946, the California Geographical Society (CGS) is the oldest state-wide organization devoted to enhancing the understanding of geography and promoting interaction amongst academic and applied geographers, as well as members of the general public who share an interest in geography.
The annual conference, which will be hosted by CSU-Fullerton in 2010, combines day long field trips, workshops, paper sessions, and poster and map displays. Students have an opportunity to network with other students and faculty from California’s universities, community colleges, and K-12 institutions. More information about the CGS and its annual meeting can be found online at: .
