RAPID CITY, S.D. (Oct. 1, 2025) – A South Dakota Mines professor is receiving international recognition for her dedication to teaching and mentoring students in the Black Hills.
Gokce Ustunisik, Ph.D., associate professor of geology and geological engineering and curator of minerals at South Dakota Mines, has been awarded the 2025 Graduate Women in Science (GWIS) Jean E. Simmons Award for Science Education Excellence.
The honor recognizes Ustunisik’s leadership in science, advocacy for STEM education and commitment to individualized mentorship. The award is named after GWIS’s first honorary member and former president, Jean E. Simmons.
For nearly a decade in Rapid City, Ustunisik has guided students in geology and mineralogy, blending classroom instruction with field and laboratory research. Her approach emphasizes critical thinking and a deeper understanding of the physical and chemical principles that shape Earth and planetary processes.
“Her commitment extends across undergraduate education, graduate advising, and postdoctoral training, where she combines subject mastery with a genuine ability to inspire students toward academic and professional excellence,” said Brooke Long-Fox, Ph.D., a Mines research scientist and member of the GWIS Black Hills Chapter.
Ustunisik said the recognition is less about her and more about the success of her students.
“I was very excited to receive this award,” she said. “What I love are these moments of success, like watching students I first met three years ago walk into their fourth year and doing excellent things. They are pushing the boundaries of science, and that is what I am most proud of.”
Her teaching style pushes students to go beyond observation, making connections between geology, chemistry and physics. She requires graduate students to publish research, present at conferences, apply for grants and mentor undergraduates—preparing them to lead the next generation of scientists.
The GWIS Black Hills Chapter, established at South Dakota Mines in 2017, aims to foster inclusion, collaboration and community among graduate students.
