The Department has seven scholarships that have been established by benefactors or alumni. These scholarships are endowed and funded by donations received throughout the year and by Alumni at the annual Banquet. Scholarships arising from interest on the endowments is awarded at the Alumni-Student Banquet during the spring semester.
Numerous scholarship opportunities are available to students who wish to apply. Department Scholarships must be applied for through the Financial Aid Office in the Student Affairs Building Room 118. Application information and deadlines for department scholarships will be posted during the spring semester on the Financial Aid website. Other scholarship opportunities will be posted on this web site as they become available. Students are strongly encouraged to apply at every opportunity.
Scholarship Recipients
The Aaron Waters Award was established in 1963 to recognize the outstanding, senior-level geology student. The winner, chosen by the faculty, must have an excellent academic record and show great promise in geology.
Aaron Waters was a Distinguished Visiting professor at Cal State LA in 1978. He earned his Ph.D. from Yale University in 1930. He was professor of geology at Johns Hopkins, Stanford, U.C. Santa Barbara, and U.C. Santa Cruz. He was widely recognized for his achievements in volcanology as well as other branches of geology. He was a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
- 2010 - Marcus V. Enriquez
- 2009 - Viral Vora
- 2008 - Sue Korm
- 2007 - Solomon Seyum
- 2006 - Michael Peet
- 2005 - Jack Tung
- 2004 - John Hartman
- 2003 - Hector Hernandez
- 2002 - Anna Foutz
- 2001 - Eric Gorman
- 2000 - Kathy Foley
- 1999 - Chris Markowski
- 1998 - Mark Pagenkopp
- 1997 - Jennifer Reyes
- 1996 - Aradhna Tripati
- 1996 - Altair Maine
- 1995 - Jorge Vazquez
- 1994 - Jennifer Nobui
- 1993 - Gian Cavoto
- 1992 - Paul Kimberly
- 1991 - Ron Matossian
- 1990 - Roi Hertanto
- 1989 - Patrice Agostino
- 1988 - Adam Hutchinson
- 1987 - Doug Santo
- 1985 - Victoria Castle
- 1984 - Brian Burnham
- 1983 - Frank Jordan
- 1982 - Lisa Wells
- 1981 - Jay Noller
- 1980 - Andrew Barth
- 1979 - Duncan Walker
- 1978 - Gregory Rzonca
- 1977 - Walter Crone
- 1976 - Thomas Farley
- 1975 - David Buesch
- 1974 - David Ungermann
- 1973 - Rodney Weick
- 1972 - Rae Conrad
- 1971 - Gary Benvenuto
- 1970 - John Baltierra
- 1969 - Mel Lahr
- 1968 - Jim Rodine
- 1967 - Gary Pelka
- 1966 - Dave Sigurdson
- 1965 - Monty Hampton
- 1964 - Donald Clark
- 1963 - Michael Donnelly
The Robert Stone Scholarship was endowed and funded by Professor Perry Ehlig. Robert Stone was a well-known engineering geologist in southern California. Professor Ehlig worked extensively with Robert Stone in the early years of his career and wished to honor him with this scholarship. This scholarship is intended to support the research of graduate students who show promise of success in the profession.
- 2013 - Monica Ortiz, Giancarlo Restreppo
- 2012 - Kathleen Kuepper
- 2011 - Heather Clifford
- 2010 - Paul Kaufman
- 2009 - James Vincett
- 2008 - Monica Maynard, Shelly Shaul, Jose Uribe
- 2007 - Wynee Hu
- 2006 - Jack Tung
- 2005 - Anna Foutz, Canaan Crouch
- 2004 - Anna Foutz, Humberto Nation
- 2003 - Lisa Alpert
- 2001 - Harumi Goya
- 2000 - Mark Pagenkopp
- 1999 - John McKeown
- 1998 - Pete Cooke, Sonjia Wicke
- 1997 - Russ Yoshida
- 1996 - Chris Bonds
- 1995 - Wendy Phillips
- 1994 - Pat Smolenski
- 1993 - Laura Albert-White
- 1992 - Alfredo Zanoria
- 1991 - Eric Hovanitz, Steven Watry
- 1990 - Marc Egli, Keith Putirka
- 1989 - David Johnson, David Mayo, Deems Padgett
- 1988 - Randy Adsit, Claus Jakobsen, Glenn Lauman, John McNamara
- 1987 - Rick Tate
- 1984 - Mary Kile
The Chance/Dana Scholarship was endowed and funded by Mr. Donald Chance in honor of Professor Dana. Professor Dana was Mr. Chance's undergraduate professor at Redlands University. The scholarship is awarded to students who show special promise in geology.
- 2013 - Tarra Thompson
- 2012 - Bashir Khan, Adriana Caire
- 2011 - Ricardo Escobar
- 2010 - Jessica Chaney, Caitlin D. Dwyer, Kazumi Nakamura
- 2009 - Jessica Deemer, Paul Kaufman, Denisse Hernandez
- 2008 - Rose Santilena
- 2007 - Heather Hall, Alejandra Lopez, Rose Santilena
- 2006 - John Hartman
- 2005 - Michael Peet
- 2003 - Jack Tung
- 2002 - Lisa Alpert
- 2001 - Anna Foutz
- 2000 - Tara Schaefer
- 1999 - Monica Lee, Newton Wong
- 1997 - Laura Liera
- 1996 - Quynh Trieu
- 1995 - Jennifer Nobui
- 1994 - Karin Meyer
- 1993 - Karin Meyer
- 1992 - Sonjia Wicke
- 1991 - Katherine Schuyler
- 1990 - Erin Kenyon, Linda Bell
- 1989 - Robin Wight
- 1988 - Patrice Agostino
This scholarship was set up in honor of Professor Martin Stout. Professor Stout was born and raised in southern 
California, earned his B.S. from Occidental, and his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Washington. He was introduced to engineering geology at the University of Washington and made it his lifelong pursuit. He joined the faculty at Cal State LA in 1960 and taught until 1994. He was very active in the Geological Society of America serving as secretary of the Cordilleran Section from 1973 to 1985. He was president of the Branner Club and served on the California State Registration Examination Committee from 1980 to 1994. He traveled the world to learn about geology and he absolutely loved field work.
This scholarship is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students in both Natural Science and Geological Sciences.
- 2013 - Kathleen Kuepper, Ngoc Luu
- 2012 - Kathleen Kuepper, Jessica Hernandez
- 2011 - Â Paul Kaufman, Bilma Garsia, Rosie Santilena
- 2010 - Carl Brian Von Coo, Pansy Yuen
- 2009 - Kazumi Nakamura, Ziad Saleh
- 2008 - Jess Deemer, James Vincett
- 2007 - Sokheang Korm
- 2006 - Rosie Santilena, Solomon Seyum
- 2005 - John Hartman
- 2004 - Michael Peet, Jack Tung
- 2003 - Gabriela Noriega, David Baseman, John Hartman
- 2002 - Hector Hernandez
- 2001 - Lisa Brellenthin, Tara Schaefer
- 2000 - Eric Gorman, Harumi Goya, Wayne Stevenson
- 1999 - Katherine Foley, Sonjia Leyva, James Bunker
- 1998 - Kathy Foley, Monica Lee, Chris Markowski, Terri Ryland
- 1997 - Mark Huber, Chris Markowski, and Quynh Trieu
- 1996 - Mark Huber
- 1995 - Mark Huber, Craig Nisbett, Jennifer Reyes
- 1994 - Jorge Vazquez
- 1993 - Jennifer Nobui
- 1992 - Rafael Alanis
- 1991 - Rafael Alanis
Bob Bean and Ernie Weber enjoyed long careers in hydrogeology and madenumerous contributions to our understanding of groundwater problems in California.  Bob and Ernie founded the hydrogeology program at Cal State LA and trained many students. The Bean Weber Scholarship is designed to assist deserving hydrogeology students with their research expenses.
Winners of the Bean-Weber Scholarship
- 2012 - Ngoc Luu
- 2011 - Kathleen Kuepper, Stephanie Darling
- 2010 - Luz Vargas
- 2009 - Wynee Hu
- 2008 - Nasrin Erdelyi
- 2007 - Rachel Andrus
- 2005 - Mercedes Merino
- 2004 - Mercedes Merino, Shiela Morrissey
- 2003 - Mylene Torrez
- 2002 - Joyce Wang
- 2001 - Cherylee Sevilla
- 2000 - Monica Lee
- 1999 - Pete Cooke
- 1998 - Rick Vergets
- 1997 - Tom Davis
- 1996 - Petr Kadera
- 1995 - Linda Bell
- 1992 - Xing Zheng
It is the Department's objective to provide as much help as possible for students attending the summer field program. The Liebman/Calseismics and Perry Ehlig Scholarships are devoted to assisting all students with the cost of tuition for summer field.
Mr. William Liebman completed his B.A. in geology at Cal State LA in 1979.
He was well known for his absolute love of field geology. He also developed an international reputation for cave exploration and rescue. He owned and was CEO of Calseismics, specializing in earthquake reinforcement of homes in southern California. Mr. Liebman's success in business and his generous nature enabled him to endow and contribute to this scholarship. Mr. Liebman's devotion to the field program that he greatly enjoyed is a tremendous help to all students attending summer field. He is presently living in West Virginia.
Dr. Perry Ehlig earned his Ph.D. from UCLA and came to Cal State
 LA in 1956. He was widely known for his energetic pursuit of field problems related to the Pelona Schist, the history of the San Gabriel Mountains, the San Andreas Fault, the Portuguese Bend Landslide, and numerous other problems of southern California. Dr. Ehlig was a certified and registered engineering geologist. He was a charismatic and devoted teacher who served the students of Cal State LA on a volunteer basis after becoming professor emeritus. His financial support of students attending summer field was a great benefit to the Department.