A conversation with David Schmidt, PhD, brings to mind a line from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade when the iconic character says, "That belongs in a museum!" The Associate Professor of Biology and Environmental Science is on a mission to restore and permanently house a Triceratops skeleton his student research team discovered in 2019 — and continue to unearth — on annual summer excavations in South Dakota.
When he isn't scouring the Badlands for rare paleontological finds, Schmidt teaches geology and oversees Environmental Science Program at the College. Read more about that program on our website.
Originally from Leavenworth, Kansas, Schmidt earned a PhD in geology in 2009 from Texas Tech University in Lubbock. In 2003, he received a master's degree in geology from Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas. He earned a bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City in 1999. Schmidt joined the faculty at Westminster in the fall of 2013 and hit the ground running by taking students to the first Badlands field study the next summer.
Schmidt says he is fascinated by the study of rocks and minerals primarily because he enjoys the outdoors and feels that encountering geology up close, with hands-on experience, is of utmost importance.
"In the field, there is a sense of adventure and exploration that is associated with geology that is unlike any other discipline I have been exposed to," he explains.
Next on his list of favorites — right after rocks and dinosaur bones — are his students, who he says are exactly what makes teaching at Westminster so special. Schmidt says, "The ability to get to work with students on a more personal level and interact with them in the capacity that I am able to at Westminster is exhilarating."
Schmidt is currently processing finds from his summer excavation at the Grand River National Grassland and teaching a variety of environmental science courses, including those involving Shady the Triceratops. He also is spending time with his wife, Vanessa, son, Hayden, 14, and daughter, Rosie, 6.
When he isn't with his family or up to his elbows in the soil, Schmidt enjoys hiking, kayaking, painting, writing poetry, and playing the guitar (and admits to playing in a rock band in graduate school). Ultimately, however, Schmidt enjoys teaching and delving even further into the study of geology.
"The raw power and rugged nature of geology is so inspiring to me," Schmidt reflects thoughtfully. "I enjoy how it drives me to understand, respect, and appreciate it the more I learn about it."
This article was originally published on Westminster's news site on August 2023 and was updated in October 2024.
Please Stand Up
Won't the real Shady donors please stand up … and help us care for Westminster's very own Triceratops? To assist with expenses associated with Shady's upkeep and eventual reconstruction for display, visit our Giving Page at WCMO.edu/giving. Just select "Give to Westminster Online," and under Fund, choose "Other." Be sure to drop "Shady" or "Dinosaur" in the Special Instructions box!
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