The Department of Geological Sciences was the first at UTEP to be given PhD granting status. The region’s long association with mining (We are the Miners!) and excellent geological location have ensured the department a high-profile position within the university since being founded as the Texas School of Mines, then as Texas Western College, until today as part of the University of Texas system. With a diverse faculty of 30, the department continues a tradition of strong fundamentals and field work combined with advanced analytical and computational methods. We thrive and excel at interdisciplinary research and education working with Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Health Sciences, Computer Sciences and other disciplines. Our mission is to provide experiential education to our undergraduate and graduate students to propel them into diverse careers in industry, government, non-governmental organizations and academia. With majors in Geological Sciences, Geophysics and Environmental Science, a degree with us can lead to numerous career options. The Department of Geological Sciences has instituted a program of team-oriented, project research starting with Physical Geology for majors. We have begun organizing peer-to-peer learning to facilitate interactions among all levels of students. In addition, UTEP Geological Sciences is a national leader in transitioning community college and early college high school students into the B.S. degree. Our faculty incorporate undergraduates into our graduate student-centered research to make the most of the learning experience while producing world-class research publications.