Geology alumnus keeps O.R. Grawe Award with Northwest

Northwest Missouri State University alumnus Hunter Weakley recently received the O.R. Grawe Award from the Association of Missouri Geologists, making him the University’s 11th recipient in 25 years.

Weakley is the second consecutive Grawe Award recipient from Northwest, joining last year’s recipient, Shelby Norman.

“I was really surprised,” Weakley, who graduated from Northwest last summer with a bachelor’s degree in geology, said. “I was pretty happy that I actually got it and very happy that my professors nominated me for it.”

The association annually presents the Grawe Award, named for its first president, Oliver Rudolph “O.R.” Grawe, to the top junior or senior geology major in Missouri. Winners are selected based on a nomination letter, a written statement from the nominee describing why they selected the field of Earth science and their post-graduate plans, the nominee’s academic transcript and letters of recommendation from two department faculty members.

Hunter Weakley, right, is pictured with Dr. Onema Adojoh, an assistant professor of geology at Northwest, at a geologic site. (Submitted photo)

Weakley was nominated by Northwest Department of Natural Sciences faculty Jeff Bradley and Dr. Onema Adojoh.

“The O.R. Grawe is awarded to outstanding geology students who have demonstrated excellence in and out of the classroom,” Bradley said. “Hunter exemplifies this level of excellence. In addition to his work in the classroom, he has been involved with undergraduate research and has a true passion for the field of geology.”

Recipients of the Grawe Award receive an engraved Brunton pocket transit and case, a plaque and certificate of recognition as well as a cash stipend of $300.

Upon receiving the recognition, Weakley attended the 71st annual meeting of the Association of Missouri Geologists Oct. 11-12 in Warrensburg, Missouri, where geologists and students visited geologic sites in the region and participated in collaborative learning sessions.

“The people I met on the trip not only knew what I was talking about, but they also wanted to connect outside of the trip to discuss local geology and outcrops I found around the Kansas City area,” Weakley said.

He added, “There is still much to learn about local geology. I learned many new things in addition to what I had learned prior about some of the geologic units of Missouri. It was wonderful to see many new sites, as well as what sites professional geologist look for.”

Weakley is seeking employment opportunities and plans to attend graduate school to further his knowledge in specific disciplines of geology. At Northwest, he was active in Geo Club and Sigma Gamma Epsilon, the national honor society of Earth science.

The Association of Missouri Geologists is a professional organization tasked with promoting geology and geoscience education in Missouri. The association includes professional and academic geologists as well as student members at colleges and universities throughout the state. The association also admits members from other states who primarily conduct their geology work or studies in Missouri.