Senior Principal Geologist Dave Cook returned to his alma mater, Northern Arizona University (NAU), in Flagstaff on Friday, October 27, to attend the 2023 Honored Alumni & Hall of Fame Ceremony. He was honored with their 2023 Jeff Ferris Volunteer of the Year Award, which “is presented to an NAU alumna or alumnus who has demonstrated sustained interest and loyalty to the NAU Alumni Association or the University as a whole.” The ceremony and Dave’s acceptance speech are available on the NAU Advancement | Foundation YouTube page.
“I was given an incredible opportunity at NAU to learn from world-class geologists while completing a dream research project in the Grand Canyon. The place, people, and environment were game changers for my development. It’s important to me to mentor and give back to the place and people that helped put me in a position for an amazing career – hoping that they’ll have similar successes.”
Dave outside the NAU Geology building
Dave’s service to the university started shortly after he graduated with a master’s degree in geology in 1991. Over the years, he has spoken at various lectures and seminars and acted as a reviewer and commenter for NAU’s Annual Science Symposium. He has contributed to alumni-funded scholarships and was one of the launch funders for the Parnell Water Research fund, named after Dave’s master’s advisor Rod Parnell, in 2019. In 2022, he co-led a geology department alumni committee to envision new curricula. He is currently an affiliate professor for the School of Earth and Sustainability and serves on its Board of Advisors. Dave has also had three student mentors through NAU’s Thrive Externship program, two of which have traveled to Seattle to shadow Dave and meet Aspect staff to learn more about environmental consulting.
Dave on campus with past NAU mentees (left to right) Karen Vera, Natalie Pierson, and Caitlin Brogan in May 2023
Congratulations to Dave on his award and for his years of contributions to NAU.