The Belt-Brophy prize, formerly the Stearns prize, is given to that student at the end of the junior year who, in the judgement of the Department of Geology, has shown the greatest promise for success as a geologist. The prize is given in honor of Professors Edward S. Belt and Gerald P. Brophy who, through their combined 78 years of teaching, brought Geology at Amherst College into a 21st Century study of the Earth and Environment. The prize is a Brunton compass, the most important geological field tool in the past and for the future.

Name and Class Year Year Awarded
Rilla McKeegan’21 and Colin Murphy ’21 2020
Eric Hasegawa ’20 2019
Che Pascal Saunders-Shultz '19 2018
Natalie Wigger '19 2017
Rachel Welch '17 2016
Brian Beaty '17 2015
Matthew GoodSmith '15 2014
Eric Smyth '15 2014
Nora Gayer '14 2013
Danielle Santiago Ramos '13 2012
Benjamin Lin '12 2011
Catherine Rothacker '12 2011
Lee Penwell '11 2010
Benjamin Klein '10 2009
Allan Lerner '10 2009
Samuel Miller '10 2009
John Neff '09 2008
Lidya Tarhan '08 2007
Megan Dickoff '07 2006
Hilary Palevsky '07 2006
Zalmai Yawar '06 2005
Naomi Kirk-Lawlor '05 2004
Scott Dougan '04 2003
Emily Dubinsky '03 2002
Laurie Smith '02 2001
Alex Webb '01 2000
Ingrid Ekstrom '00E 1999
Andrew Logan '99 1998
Christine Hatch '98 1997
Gregory Gerbi '97 1996
Chris Gerbi '96 1995
Bethany Gentilesco '95 1994
Bradley Wakoff '95 1994
Douglas Norry '94 1993
Emily Giambalvo '93 1992
Diane Loftus '92 1991
Christopher Green '91 1990
Cynthia Knight '90 1989
James Crowley '89 1988
Charles Dunlap '89 1988
Juliet Crider '89 1987
Mark Wick '87 1986
Gregory Symmes '86 1985
Carl Friedrichs '86 1985
Robert Greenwald '85 1984
William Maggs '84 1983
Sheila Hudson '83 1982
Daniel Seaver '82 1981
Christopher French '81 1980
Mark Handy '80 1979
Christopher Reaves '79 1978