The Student Field Experiences Fund was started in Fall of 2014 in honor of Kip Hering’s enormous teaching contributions to the Department of Geological Sciences. This fund will enrich the educational experience of students by supporting ‘high impact’ learning experiences, which include attendance at professional meetings, short courses, participation on field trips organized by professional societies, governmental organizations or others, and also field trips organized by the Department as part of a class or research project. These funds will be allocated directly back to students in the form of travel reimbursements.
Kip Hering graduated from Geological Sciences at SDSU in 1962 and went to work in the petroleum industry the following Monday. He was one of four students former Department Chair Baylor Brooks sent to the National AAPG meeting that year, and Kip’s first job was a direct result of attending that meeting! Kip went on to an adventurous and hugely successful career working around the globe with Occidental Petroleum before returning to SDSU in 2007 to spearhead the Department’s petroleum geology program. Kip’s forty-plus years of experience in petroleum exploration and production, combined with his energy, enthusiasm and remarkable skill as a teacher has had a major impact on the program via his Petroleum Geology course, and his mentorship of our student teams entering AAPG’s Imperial Barrel Award (IBA) competition. An important part of Kip’s approach in preparing students for successful careers are the class trips he leads to California oil fields, company offices and governmental agencies.