Texas A&M University Department of Geology and Geophysics graduate student awards for undergraduate teaching, research, and best research paper were announced onDec. 8 during the department end-of-semester Virtual Gathering. Matt Dorsey received the Teaching Award, and James Teoh received the Research Award. Cuiting Qi was awarded the award for Best Research Paper Award, for her paper titled, “Influence of time-dependent ground surface flux on aquifer recharge with a vadose zone injection well” in the Journal of Hydrology, May 2020. 

Qi’s research focuses on the theme of vadose zone well (VZW) injection, a promising technique to implement managed aquifer recharge in semiarid and arid regions. Her study includes a time-dependent ground surface flux (GSF) generated by surface infiltration or evapotranspiration in the analytical model of a VZW to establish an innovative mathematical model. The obtained solutions are utilized to assess the influences of time-dependent GSF generated by infiltration or evapotranspiration. The proposed semi-analytical solutions can serve as guidance for VZW design and management and provide a solid contribution in the subsurface hydrology.

“I would like to thank the Department of Geology and Geophysics, College of Geosciences, and Texas A&M University for the award; it represents great recognition and encouragement for my work,” Qi said. “I would also like to thank my advisor, Dr. Hongbin Zhan, for his guidance and support in completing the paper.”

Teoh’s research revolves around examining the mineralogical controls on dolomitization, and how dolomitization can affect fluid flow in carbonate deposits. More specifically, he studies how the starting material for dolomitization can affect the reaction rate, texture, and stoichiometry of the dolomite produced. These findings are then translated to an outcrop model to run flow simulations on to understand how dolomitization affects fluid flow. This research has potential implications on the observation of selective dolomitization in nature, and on the optimization of petroleum production from dolomitized reservoirs.

“Winning this award was a pleasant surprise, and a strong reassurance that my research is meaningful and deserving of merit,” Teoh said. 

"When a student answers their own question shortly after stating it, this ultimately means they have learned something they didn’t even realize they had learned,” Dorsey said. “I take pride in sparking these types of student experiences and strive to facilitate a learning environment where all students can gain the confidence to make data-driven interpretations and decisions of their own.”

“The department is justifiably proud that all our graduate students, as notably exemplified by the award recipients, have shown tremendous perseverance and resilience in their research efforts and execution of their teaching duties this past year," said associate department head for graduate affairs, Dr. Mark Everett. 

By Ali Snell