WSU Professor Earns Geological Society Fellowship
OGDEN, Utah – Weber State University professor of earth & environmental sciences Adolph Yonkee has been named a Geological Society of America (GSA) Society Fellow for his teaching, research and service promoting the geosciences.
Yonkee said the award is a recognition for the work he has accomplished thanks to the help of students and colleagues.
“This honor reflects on many people, not just me,” Yonkee said. “Without great colleagues who help you out and without students involved in a number of these projects, I could not have been as productive.”
Yonkee’s research focuses on how large mountain systems were formed. Yonkee has led numerous teams of colleagues and students to Wyoming, Utah and Argentina to study various mountain chains.
Yonkee said his projects have given students opportunities to learn research methods and gain a better appreciation for the natural world.
“Working with students has been very rewarding, and I will continue to incorporate students into these projects,” Yonkee said. “I feel fortunate to share my passion for understanding mountain systems and our planet with students, and I hope they pursue that passion.”
Former student Ben Marconi said Yonkee’s humility, knowledge and willingness to help played a major role in Marconi’s decision to pursue a Ph.D. in earth and environmental sciences instead of attending medical school.
“In my experiences across three universities as a student and a researcher, I have met very few individuals with the breadth of knowledge that Dr. Yonkee possesses, and none who dedicates so much time to teaching and mentoring undergraduates,” Marconi said. “He has made a major impact directly in students’ lives through his work as a professor, mentor and field trip leader.”
WSU will be proposing a new environmental sciences degree, which, if approved, will be available in the fall of 2020. Yonkee will be part of the team of faculty and staff leading the new program.
“We are facing a number of environmental issues, whether it is from water resources, to air pollution, to climate change,” Yonkee said. “The new program will train the next generation to help address these problems, so I think it will be very valuable and exciting. It will benefit students, the college and northern Utah in general.”
When he was a young boy, Yonkee’s mother would take him out searching for rocks and petrified wood in the mountains of Wyoming. His fascination with geology grew and his childhood passion eventually turned into a life-long pursuit that led him to teaching and research.
“My goal is to learn how these huge mountain ranges form from sediments that were deposited on the ocean floor and are now 10,000 or 20,000 feet high,” Yonkee said. “We have made progress, and we have raised more questions than we have answered, but that’s how science works.”
Yonkee’s research program has resulted in more than 30 presentations at scientific conferences since 2008 and 16 peer-reviewed publications in leading geoscience journals, including Earth-Science Reviews, Geological Society of America Bulletin, and the Journal of Structural Geology.
In addition to his research and teaching, Yonkee uses his geology expertise to mentor and assist both students and colleagues in aspects of their careers and educations.
“He is an amazing mentor,” said Michael Hernandez, professor of earth & environmental sciences. “He supports us in our research, and he focuses on making sure his students are successful in life. He helps in any way he can.”
The Society Fellowship is awarded to members by election at the spring council meeting. Members must make substantial and continuous contributions to the geosciences, and they must be nominated by an existing GSA fellow.
Yonkee will be honored for his achievements during GSA's 2019 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, in September.
For photos, visit the following link:
wsuucomm.smugmug.com/Colleges-and-Departments/Science-College-of-Science/Adolph-Yonkee
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Shaylee Stevens, Office of Marketing & Communications
801-626-7948 • shayleestevens@weber.edu- Contact:
Adolph Yonkee, geosciences professor
801-626-7419 • ayonkee@weber.eduAllison Barlow Hess, Public Relations director
801-626-7948 • ahess@weber.edu