About the Department

The Department of Earth and Environmental Geosciences brings together faculty who are active scholars and students who learn by doing. Housed in Marrs McLean Hall, the department pairs well-equipped labs and field tools with a culture of hands-on research, sending Tigers into the field from West Texas to Iceland and China. Small classes, faculty mentorship, and undergraduate research are the norm here, supported by a close-knit community that extends beyond the classroom through the Geosciences Club and the Sigma Gamma Epsilon honor society.

Make Your Mark
As an undergraduate, having professors and long-established experts in the field express interest in and be impressed by my work made me feel like this is something I can not only do, but do well.
Isabella Rueda ’26
View Isabella's Story

Earth and Environmental Geosciences (B.S., B.A., Minor)

Trinity's Earth and Environmental Geosciences department offers a B.S. and a B.A. grounded in hands-on fieldwork, from West Texas to Iceland. Tigers research alongside active faculty and graduate ready for careers in energy, environment, and policy.

Program Details

Latest News

Students, alumni, and faculty pause for a rest, sitting on the ground near a shallow pool of water while hiking at Enchanted Rock.
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A Legacy Carved in Stone

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Trinity Geosciences at GSA Connects 2025
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From Campus to Conference

Trinity Geosciences makes its mark at GSA Connects 2025

Audrey Davis in a lab coat working in a lab
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Trinity Alumna Receives Prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship

Semmes Scholar Audrey Davis ’24 credits her love of environmental geosciences to the care and dedication of her professors

Professors Adam Urbach (left) and Kathleen Surpless
Academics

Two Trinity Science Professors Rise as Endowed Chairs

Semmes School of Science continues to bolster research and scholarship

Ben Surpless and a student using advanced technology to survey folds and faultlines in the Earth
People

Trinity’s Ben Surpless Honored with Prestigious Piper Professorship​

From fault lines to the faculty, this geologist’s journey is anchored by mentorship

a collage of three retiring faculty members engaging in different activities with students, staff, and other faculty
People

Recognizing 2025 Trinity Faculty Retirements

The University thanks nine faculty members for their collective 274 years of teaching, research, and service

A collage of students dancing in a class (left) and working together at a table (right)
Academics

Beyond the Books

Five courses of many that expand the Trinity experience

A student holds their award while posing for a photo with their family
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Trinity Celebrates 2025 Honor Awards Recipients

More than 100 students recognized for academic excellence across departments

Professor helps two students with their research
Campus and Community

Trinity Joins Inaugural Carnegie Classification for Research Colleges and Universities

Designation recognizes sustained research activity from colleges and universities spending more than $2.5M annually on research

A graphic featuring the Murchison Tower against a night sky with fireworks and the 1869 Challenge 10th anniversary logo and the words "We did it, TUgether!" on the bottom.
Campus and Community

Trinity Community Rallies for 10th Annual 1869 Challenge

Students, faculty, staff, alumni, and Tiger families came TUgether to raise $876,263 for Trinity students

Students build small wooden boxes in CSI Cube.
Campus and Community

Trinity Celebrates Naming of D. R. Semmes School of Science

Event marks a seven-decade legacy (and beyond) of supporting undergraduate science education

People

Kathleen Surpless Studies North American Cordillera Through NSF Grant

Nearly $200,000 will support faculty and undergraduate research from California to Canada

Department of Earth and Environmental Geosciences

Location

Marrs McLean Hall

Phone

210-999-7092

Fax

210-999-7090

Emails

Email

Chair

Ben Surpless, Ph.D.