CV

Ongoing Master of Science: Geology

University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

GPA: 4.00

August 2024 Bachelor of Science: Geology

University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY

GPA: 4.00

August 2022 Associate of Science: Geographic Information Systems

Casper College, Casper, WY

GPA: 3.90

May 2021 Associate of Science: Geology

Casper College, Casper, WY

GPA: 3.90

Ongoing    University of Wyoming: Stratigraphy and paleontology of the Upper Cretaceous strata in the Wind River Basin and southwestern Powder River Basin, Wyoming 

• Advisors/Mentors: Dr. Brandon McElroy, Dr. Ellen Currano, Dr. Joshua Slattery, Dr. Kent Sundell

• Project: Measuring stratigraphic sections of the nonmarine Mesaverde, Meeteetse, and Lance formations near Midwest, Alcova, Powder River, Ervay Basin, and Castle Gardens.

• Goal: Construction of a chronostratigraphic framework of the Upper Cretaceous nonmarine deposits and preliminary faunal and floral comparisons to coeval deposits in northern and southern Laramidia.

• Role: Project lead 

• Publications/Presentations: 

  • Tenney, Z., Slattery, J. S., Sundell, K. S., “The stratigraphy and taphonomy of the Upper Cretaceous Nonmarine Member of the Mesaverde Formation along the Teapot Dome, Wyoming, USA.” Geological Society of America Connects 2024, Sept 22, 2024. (GSA_2024-Poster.pdf)

2024    University of Wyoming: Diversity and taphonomy of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde and Lance formation’s vertebrate faunas in Wyoming 

• Collaborators: Whitney Worrell, Dr. Joshua Slattery, and Jean-Pierre Cavigelli. 

• Project: A collections-based survey of vertebrate faunas from the Upper Cretaceous within the University of Wyoming Geological Museum and Tate Geological Museum vertebrate paleontology collections. 

• Goal: Analyze the diversity and faunal richness of vertebrate localities within the Mesaverde and Lance formations using GIS spatial analysis. Compare the taphonomy of the localities with depositional environments and the richness at the order and family level.  

• Role: Project lead 

• Publications/Presentations: “Diversity and taphonomy of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde and Lance formation’s vertebrate faunas in Wyoming: A collection-based analysis of the University of Wyoming Geological Museum and Tate Geological Museum vertebrate paleontology collections.” Tenney, Z., Worrell, W., Slattery, J. S., Cavigelli, JP., 84th Annual Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Meeting, November 1st , 2024. (SVP_2024-Poster.pdf)

2023         University of Wyoming: Quaternary Paleoenvironmental Research of Wyoming Alpine Lake Sediments

• Advisor/Mentor: Dr. Bryan Shuman; Project Co-lead: Sara McCullough

• Project: Analyzing lake cores from northern Wyoming to study Holocene climate variability by examining sediments. 

• Goal: Discovered the presence of diatoms which we graphed by abundance in stratigraphic section through the core noting periods of high lake productivity. 

• Role: Laboratory assistant and project co-lead. 

• Poster: “Using XRD Analysis to Determine Northern Wyoming Lake Sediment Components” McCullough, S., Tenney, Z., Shuman, B., GEOL-4200, May 2023. 

2021-2023   University of Wyoming and Casper College: Near Surface Geophysics Research 

• Advisor/Mentor: Dr. Brad Carr & Dr. Kent Sundell 

• Projects: Using DC resistivity to find water wells near Casper and Douglas and collapsing gold mine adits in Chesapeake & Ohio Canal National Historical Park in Maryland. 

• Goal: Improve pastureland in arid regions by drilling water wells and to improve public safety around potentially hazardous collapses. 

• Role: Field assistant 

2019-2022   Casper College: Wyoming Meteoroid Impact Crater Field Project 

• Advisor/Mentor: Dr. Kent Sundell 

• Project: Identification of a 40-mile-long expansion of the Douglas Permian-Pennsylvanian meteoroid impact crater field in central Wyoming.

• Goal: Determine the scale of the event whether it was a local event or global event. Project ongoing. 

• Role: Field assistant 

2025 Teaching Assistant: Stratigraphy and Sedimentology - GEOL 2100 - University of Wyoming

• Preparing lab sessions, grading, and assisting in organizing a field trip.

2024 Research Assistant: Upper Cretaceous Stratigraphy of Central Wyoming

• Measuring stratigraphic sections and analyzing well core data from central Wyoming.

2023-2024   Geology Museum Aide: University of Wyoming Geology Museum 

• Fossil preparation, collections management, and photography of microfossil specimens.

• Geological museum docent 

2023-Present Founding Board member of Poke’s Prospecting LLC. 

• A prospecting company established to provide students with experience to explore for economic mineral deposits. 

2020-Present  Paleontology Field Assistant/Quarry Manager: Mesa Dinos 

• Prospecting and collection of Mesaverde and Lance Formation fossil material, bone bed quarry mapping and collection and preparation of vertebrate fossils. 

2022-2023   Student Research Technician: University of Wyoming Near Surface Geophysics Instrumentation Center 

• Organizing and testing near surface geophysical instruments, data processing, operation of near surface geophysical instruments for research. 

2021         Museum Collections Intern: Tate Geological Museum 

• Accessioning fossil material into collections and database. 

2019-Present  Paleontology Field Assistant: Douglas Fossils 

• Prospecting and collection of White River Fm. fossils and dinosaur trackway preservation and collection. 

2019-2022   Earth Science Department Work Study: Casper College 

• Rock lab equipment maintenance and training and department librarian 

May, 2025 Tenney, Z., Slattery, J. S., Minor, K., Sundell, K. S., "Stratigraphy and Biostratigraphy of Upper Cretaceous Strata in Central Wyoming: Implications for Central Laramidian Paleogeography." 75th Annual Meeting of the Rocky Mountain Section of the Geological Society of America, May 22, 2025. In prep.

Mar, 2025 Tenney, Z., Slattery, J. S., Sundell, K. S., "A new middle Campanian molluscan-dominated fossil assemblage from the marine shale member ("North Platte Tongue") of the Mesaverde Formation: Implications for the depositional age of the Parkman Sandstone Member and nonmarine middle member." 13th Founders Symposium of the Western Interior Paleontological Society; Retrospectives: Celebrating 4 Decades of Paleo Advances, March 22, 2025. (WIPS_2025-Poster.pdf)

Nov, 2024 Tenney, Z., Worrell, W., Slattery, J. S., Cavigelli, JP., “Diversity and taphonomy of the Upper Cretaceous Mesaverde and Lance formation’s vertebrate faunas in Wyoming: A collection-based analysis of the University of Wyoming Geological Museum and Tate Geological Museum vertebrate paleontology collections.,” 84th Annual Society of Vertebrate Paleontology Meeting, Nov 1, 2024. (SVP_2024-Poster.pdf)

Sept, 2024 Tenney, Z., Slattery, J. S., Sundell, K. S., “The stratigraphy and taphonomy of the Upper Cretaceous Nonmarine Member of the Mesaverde Formation along the Teapot Dome, Wyoming, USA.”  Geological Society of America Connects 2024, September 22, 2024. (GSA_2024-Poster.pdf)

May, 2023 McCullough, S., Tenney, Z., “Using XRD Analysis to Determine Northern Wyoming Lake Sediment Components,” University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics, Paleoenvironmental Research, GEOL 4200, May 2023. 

Aug, 2022 Tenney, Z., Condelario, S. “Alcova Area, Natrona County, Wyoming Geologic Tour,” Casper College Earth Science Department, Advanced GIS, GEOG 2100, August, 2022. (Alcova_Geologic_Tour-ArcGIS.StoryMap)

2023-Present  University of Wyoming Geology Club President 

2023-Present  University of Wyoming Campus Ventures Student Leader 

2023-2024   Undergraduate Representative at Faculty Meetings, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wyoming 

2022         Elementary Field Science Camp Volunteer 

2022         Wyoming Science Olympiad Volunteer 

2021-2022   Casper College Campus Ventures President 

2021-2022  Casper College GeoScience Club President  

2019-2020  Casper College GeoScience Club Treasurer 

2024           Geology Student of the Year: University of Wyoming, Department of Geology and Geophysics

2022-2024   President’s List: University of Wyoming 

2021-2022   Earth Science Department Work Study Student of the Year: Casper College

2021 Mathematics Student of the Month: Casper College

2019-2022   President’s Honor Roll: Casper College 

2016-2017   Dean’s Honor Roll: Casper College 

2024 Geological Society of America – Rocky Mountain Section Student Travel Grant Total: $500

2024 Graduate Education Travel Scholarship Total: $500

2024 Summer Level Up Scholarship Total: $400

2024 S. H. Knight Science Camp Scholarship Total: $2245

2023-2024 Michael C Humphreys Scholarship Total: $1000

2022-2023 Hathaway Need Honor Scholarship Total: $2874

2022-2023 Bozanic Student Support Scholarship Total: $1000

2022-2024 Society of Mining, Metallurgy & Exploration – Swank Memorial Scholarship Total: $6000

2021-2022 Margaret Mosteller Bullack Scholarship Total: $800

2020-2022 Rolland W. McCanne Scholarship Total: $1330

2020-2022 Carlton and Winnie Belz Scholarship Total: $1689

2020-2022 Crestwood Oil Scholarship Total: $7500

2020-2021 Wyoming Geological Association Scholarship Total: $1250

2020 Wyoming NASA Space Grant Total: $460

2019-2024 Hathaway Honor Scholarship Total: $16800

2024-2025            American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG)

2021-2025            American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG)

2024-2025            Geological Society of America (GSA)

• Rocky Mountain Section

• Sedimentary Geology Division

• Structural Geology & Tectonics Division

• Geobiology & Geomicrobiology Division

2025 The Paleontological Society

2022-2025            Society of Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploration (SME)

2024-2025 Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM)

2024-2025            Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (SVP)

2021-2025 Wyoming Geological Association (WGA)

Field Skills:

• Field/quarry mapping and collection of fossil specimens 

• Geological field mapping 

• Measurement of lithologic sections 

• Geophysical data collection: Shallow seismic, DC resistivity, and ground penetrating radar

Lab Skills: 

• Vertebrate fossil preparation (air abrasion and air scribe) 

• Microfossil photography 

• Powder X-ray diffraction 

• Microscope grain identification 

• Thin section cutting and mounting 

• Wilfley table operation 

• Magnetic sediment separation 

Technical Skills: 

• Geographic Information Systems training (ESRI ArcPro) 

• Constructing stratigraphic sections on Adobe Illustrator 

• Specify7 – paleontology collections database software 

• Drone flight, mapping, and photogrammetry 

• Operation and data processing of DC Resistivity, shallow seismic reflection and refraction, and ground penetrating radar.

• Proficient in Microsoft Office: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access