Alumni

Though the USF Geology Field Station Building and Operating Fund (Fund 420144) is the newest and highest-priority of the funds supporting the USF Geology Field School today, it takes it's place alongside two funds previously-established for the field program:

The Sam Upchurch Fund (Fund 420079) was initiated in the 2000s and officially named for the former USF Geology professor and chair in 2010. This fund was designated as a portal through which alums and supporters could donate to defray student field school costs for the upcoming field season. Benefits to students varied on an annual basis, dependent on factors such as field school cost, tuition/fees, student attendance, and funds raised by the donor base.

Recognizing the need for a more stable, long-term means of sustainability, GAS initiated the Field School Endowment (Fund 426063) in 2012. Similar in nature to the Richard A. Davis Endowment for graduate scholarships, the Field School Endowment is an invested fund designed to grow in time with alumni donations and accrued interest. Following it's initial growth period, this Endowment will pay out its accrued interest annually to the Field School Program, defraying costs in the same manner as the Sam Upchurch Fund, with more financial consistency from one year to the next, particularly as field school costs flatten with the establishment of a permanent field station.

You can access all three funds at the USF Foundation site.