2015 Awardee - Dr. Nick Zentner, Central Washington University
Dr. Nick Zentner has been awarded the 2015 James Shea Award by the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.
The Shea Award is presented for exceptional contributions in the form of writing and/or editing of Earth science materials of interest to the public and teachers.
Nick Zentner's great gift is sensing where people are coming from and communicating in a language that immediately feels comfortable to them. He helps people see the landscape they've known all their lives with the eyes of a geologist.
Nick shares his gift beyond his classroom walls through his 2-Minute Geology and longer Ice Age Floods YouTube videos. In partnership with a videographer who takes his camera to the air over the channeled scablands and coulees, Nick has created a final product that is visually stunning, informative, and entertaining.
YouTube videos and social media have become critical tools for reaching a wide and diverse audience. Nick maintains the comfort and intimacy of the neighbor telling you about the local geology while capitalizing on these new media. For this and his many other accomplishments communicating geology, we are pleased to award Nick Zentner this year's Shea Award.