NEBRASKA EAS DEPARTMENT CLOSURE
The discovery of stable isotope fractionation might have appeared, at first glance, to be esoteric science. Yet today, stable isotope fractionation is used to explore for new mineral deposits, reconstruct past climate, and understand Earth’s carbon budget. Research-oriented programs, such as those in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, play a critical role in developing the new knowledge that leads to tomorrow’s innovation and advancement.
The United States has committed significant resources (e.g. the Earth Material Resource Initiative, National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program) to identify the raw materials that will be necessary for our country to compete in the global economy. Additionally, the ongo- ing effort to transition to lower impact energy sources will require a dramatic increase in mineral production. Geologists will play a critical role in identifying mineral deposits that can provide these critical minerals. Recently, geologists have identified a potentially world-class rare earth mineral deposit in Nebraska, just south and east of Lincoln. This deposit and others like it will be critical to future United States success. Shuttering the Earth and Atmospheric Science Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, will hinder efforts to provide well- qualified new geologists to staff important projects such as this one.
We recognize that the budget process is difficult and that changes in federal policies have placed economic strain on many colleges and universities. However, we believe that the long-term damage caused by closure of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will far outweigh any short-term savings. We urge the administration to reject this proposed closure.
Respectfully, Aaron W. Johnson, Ph.D., CPG, PG
On behalf of the AIPG Leadership Team: Sara Pearson, President Shanna Schmitt, Past-President Chuck Drake, President-Elect
The following is the letter that AIPG was invited to write by the department chair, Dr. Clinton Rowe. This letter was sent December 2, 2025.
To: Jeffrey Gold (UNL President), Paul Kenney (Chair), Jim Scheer (Vice Chair), Timothy Clare, Jack Stark, Elizabeth O’Connor, Robert Schafer, Kathy Wilmot, Barbara Weitz, Libby Wilkins, (UNL Board of Regents)
Dear President Gold and Honorable Members of the UNL Board of Regents,
On behalf of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG), the nation’s largest organization dedicated to advancing the ethical, scientific, and profes- sional practice of geology, we respectfully submit this letter urging the Board to reject the proposed closure of the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS). With more than 5,000 members across 54 countries, and a
www.aipg.org
strong national reputation for professional education and certification, AIPG has a vested interest in ensuring that the United States—and Nebraska in particular—maintains the scientific capacity required to steward its natural resources responsibly.
Nebraska’s prosperity is inseparable from the effec- tive management of its natural resources, especially groundwater. The High Plains Aquifer, the state’s agri- cultural base, and the Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) depend upon professionals with a deep understanding of Nebraska’s unique geologic, hydrologic, and soil systems. The Department of EAS provides the state’s only com- prehensive in-state training pipeline for hydrogeologists, environmental geoscientists, geochemists, and ground- water modelers. Discontinuing this program would force Nebraska’s communities, NRDs, state agencies, and industries to rely increasingly on out-of-state hires who lack critical place-based expertise necessary for sound groundwater management, contamination assessment, and long-term resource planning.
The loss of Nebraska’s sole Research I program in meteorology and climatology would further compromise the state’s ability to prepare for and respond to severe weather, drought, flooding, and emerging climate vari- ability. These challenges have immediate implications for public safety, agriculture, and infrastructure. At a time when the frequency and intensity of extreme weather events is increasing, eliminating Nebraska’s central hub of atmospheric science capacity represents a serious and avoidable risk.
Geoscience expertise is also fundamental to responsible development of mineral resources, aggregate evalua- tion, infrastructure planning, and carbon sequestration. Nebraska’s recently identified and potentially world-class rare-earth mineral deposit south and east of Lincoln is a case in point: its evaluation and future development will require highly trained geoscientists intimately familiar with local stratigraphy, structural history, and mineral systems. Disbanding the program that supplies this exper- tise would undermine Nebraska’s ability to participate in national initiatives such as the Earth Mapping Resources Initiative and the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program.
The national workforce picture underscores these concerns. The American Geosciences Institute projects a shortfall of 130,000 geoscientists by 2030, driven by retire- ment of the baby boomers and early Gen-X populations and declining enrollment in geoscience degree programs nationwide. The unemployment rate for geoscience degree holders stands at 1.4%, reflecting sustained and growing demand. Eliminating EAS would not only deepen this shortage but would constrain Nebraska’s ability to meet its own workforce needs in groundwater protection, agri- culture, environmental compliance, hazard mitigation, and mineral development.
The Nebraska Geological Survey (NGS), housed within the School of Natural Resources, is widely recognized for its excellence in groundwater assessment, geologic map- ping, and natural-resource management. Its 2024 Annual Report documents 55 peer-reviewed publications and the supervision of 19 graduate students, demonstrating the NGS's central role in supporting workforce development and applied science. The NGS depends on the graduate
Jan.Feb.Mar 2026 • TPG 23
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