Scholarship Details
Competitive Scholarships
SM Energy Scholar Award
SM Energy generously endowed a $10,000 award for junior- or senior-level undergraduates and Masters or PhD graduate students. Applicants must be studying petroleum geology or geophysics at an accredited university in the United States. The scholarship will be administered by the Trustees of the RMAG Foundation, a non-profit organization based in Denver.
Gary Babcock Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship for graduate students has no restrictions or requirements. The RMAG Foundation welcomes applications in any field of geoscience. The scholarship was created in 2007 in memory of Gary Babcock who is remembered not only for his successful, 40-year career in petroleum exploration and development, but for his kind spirit, caring nature, and his positive influence on others in the geologic community.
Bolyard Family Scholarship
This scholarship for graduate students has no restrictions or requirements. The RMAG Foundation welcomes applications in any field of geoscience, and rewards academic excellence and scientific achievement. The scholarship may also be awarded to a rising senior at any four-year university or college that offers a degree in geology except for students attending the Colorado School of Mines or Colorado College which have their own dedicated scholarships. This scholarship was established by the Bolyards, longtime supporters of the RMAG Foundation and the geologic community. Dudley passed away in 2022 and will be greatly missed. He served in major leadership positions with the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists and with the RMAG Foundation. He is remembered for his passionate success in all his geologic endeavors and unbridled enthusiasm for geologic events. Marion has been a longtime leader in the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists Auxiliary, an organization which provides support for technical conferences, conventions, and various social events for the geologic community.
Robert M. Cluff Memorial Scholarship for petrophysical and/or reservoir characterization studies.
This scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student enrolled at any accredited college or university who is incorporating petrophysical and/or reservoir characterization analyses to his/her research. It was established in memory of Robert (Bob) Cluff, a greatly admired geoscientist who founded a petrophysical consulting company, The Discovery Group, with his wife Sue. Bob was involved in numerous local and national professional societies, serving in leadership roles in the Denver community. He was a much beloved geologist who shared his technical knowledge with young professionals and students.
Colorado School of Mines Memorial Scholarship
This scholarship will be awarded to a CSM graduate student in support of excellence in geoscience research. Applicants focusing on geology, geophysics, or any other earth science-related sub-discipline, are encouraged to apply. This scholarship was initiated by John Lockridge, a prominent petroleum geologist and geologic community leader in Denver, and is supported in his memory by his wife, Erika, friends, and colleagues. John was one of the three founders of the RMAG Foundation, serving as a Trustee for thirteen years.
Norman H. Foster Memorial Scholarship for research in applied petroleum geology
This scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student at an accredited college or university who can demonstrate the ability and intent to utilize various exploration techniques to locate structural and/or stratigraphic accumulations of oil and gas. Innovative research with the addition of fieldwork and/or subsurface data will be given special consideration. The scholarship was created in memory of Norm Foster who was one of RMAG’s most prestigious members, a leader in the Denver geologic community, an outstanding and successful explorer, and a highly respected member of local and national organizations.
Michael S. Johnson Scholarship for students doing research in CO, ND, MT, WY, NE and UT.
This scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student at any accredited college or university who is pursuing petroleum-related research in one of the above-listed states. It was established by a generous gift to the RMAG Foundation from Michael Johnson, a well-known and highly successful petroleum geologist in the Denver area who has been active professionally throughout his long career in the Rocky Mountains and in international plays.
Stone-Hollberg Scholarship for structural geology research
This scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student at any accredited college or university who is conducting structural geology or geophysics research in the Rocky Mountain region. It was established with generous contributions by Donald Stone and John Hollberg, two Rocky Mountain structural geologists. Don Stone spent sixty years in the oil and gas business, specializing in structural geology and seismic interpretation of the Rocky Mountain foreland province. He is recognized for his detailed structural cross section restorations, especially when he teamed up with his colleague, John Hollberg, to digitize the Wyoming Transect, a detailed structured cross section across the state of Wyoming, originally drawn at a scale of 1:24,000 (1 inch=2000 feet). Don has donated a lifetime of career files to the Denver Earth Science Library which are available to the public.
Veterans’ Memorial Scholarship for any veteran or current member of any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces
This scholarship will be awarded to a graduate student at any accredited college or university who is a veteran or who is currently serving in any branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. It seeks to reward excellence in geologic achievement and has few restrictions. The Foundation welcomes applications in all earth science-related sub-disciplines, many of which are listed on the application page. This scholarship was created in memory of geologists who served in the Armed Forces and have sacrificed time and life to preserve freedom in our country. It has been supported primarily by World War II veterans who are member of RMAG and their families.
RMAG Foundation Scholarship
The Trustees of the RMAG Foundation may elect to award this scholarship to an applicant demonstrating outstanding research abilities and achievement. There are no restrictions on school affiliation or field of study as long as it is geoscience oriented. The Trustees may not elect to award the Scholarship every year.
Faculty Nominated Scholarships
Philip J. McKenna Memorial Scholarship for a rising senior geology major at Colorado College
This scholarship will be given to a Colorado College geology major to support geologic studies in the Rocky Mountain region and to reward excellence in geologic achievement. This scholarship was established by Don and Elizabeth McKenna in honor of their father and husband, respectively. Philip McKenna was a geology major at Colorado College, served as President of RMAG in 1984, received the Distinguished Service Award in 1986, became an Honorary Member in 1989, and was named the Outstanding Explorer by RMAG in 1991.
C. Elmo and Kathleen W. Brown Field Camp Scholarship for junior or senior geology undergraduates
One scholarship to defray costs of summer field camp from one student from each of the following schools: Adams State and Fort Lewis Colleges, Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado Universities.
The RMAG Foundation will contact the geology departments for each of the four above-listed schools, requesting one nomination for a geology major who will be attending summer field camp in the upcoming season. Faculty at each of the four departments will make nominations directly to the Foundation Trustees.