EPS Celebrates Dual Wins: 2025 PROSE Awards and PDAC First Prize Highlight Innovation in Geosciences

EPS Faculty and Alumni Win 2025 PROSE Award for Groundbreaking Textbook

The textbook Data Science for the Geosciences, developed by Jef Caers, David Zhen Yin, and Lijing Wang, has received the prestigious 2025 PROSE Award, honoring its impact on geoscience education and its commitment to accessible, hands-on learning. The book emerged from a need to support students during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in EPS 6 and EPS 240. It provides a structured introduction to data science tools within geoscientific contexts—bridging theory with real-world application through case studies and coding exercises. The authors’ goal was to make data science more approachable and relevant, especially for those working with spatial and multivariate geoscience data. Its influence has already spread globally: in 2024, it became the cornerstone of a new MSc program in Data Science and Exploration Geology at Copperbelt University in Zambia, and collaborations are now underway with the University of Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Lijing Wang, now a faculty member at the University of Connecticut, continues to integrate the textbook into her teaching, further extending its reach.

“This award reaffirms the importance of accessible educational materials around data science with a focus on geosciences,” said David Zhen Yin “We will evolve the book as the field grows, ensuring students and researchers have access to up-to-date knowledge and tools.”

Sofia Mantilla Salas Takes First Place at PDAC 2025 for AI-Powered Exploration Research

PhD student Sofia Mantilla Salas brought home first prize at the 2025 Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) Student Minerals Colloquium—the most prestigious recognition in the field of mineral exploration research. Her award-winning project introduced an innovative method to identify new mineral deposits using Spatial Mixed Principal Component Analysis on geophysical data from Brazil’s Carajás region. Unlike traditional methods, Sofia’s approach requires minimal data and no deep learning, making it both efficient and scalable. It even identified known mineral deposits excluded from her training data—an impressive proof of concept.

“Winning at PDAC is a major career milestone,” said Salas. “It’s both validating and deeply motivating.”

Her work underscores the department’s commitment to sustainable and technologically advanced exploration strategies—an alignment that not only supports the energy transition but exemplifies EPS’s real-world impact. The technique is already showing promise for broader applications, offering mining companies a powerful new tool to reduce exploration costs and environmental footprint.

A Moment of Pride for EPS

These dual recognitions—across teaching, research, and innovation—shine a spotlight on the department’s leadership in the future of geosciences. From empowering students in Zambia to pushing the frontiers of AI in mineral exploration, EPS faculty, alumni, and students are making a tangible difference around the world. Congratulations to the teams behind Data Science for the Geosciences and to Sofia Salas for representing EPS at the highest levels.