Keith Klepeis, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Geography and Geosciences, has been invested as the inaugural Nelson-Mahan Green and Gold Professor in Earth Sciences at the University of Vermont (UVM). UVM leadership and special guests, including founding donors Jeff Nelson ’83, M.S. ’92, and Paul Mahan, gathered on campus in the John Dewey Lounge in the Old Mill Building for the formal ceremony on October 7, 2025.
Nelson and Mahan established the Nelson-Mahan Green and Gold Professorship to support academic research and teaching in the earth sciences and to recognize the value of the earth sciences education Nelson received at UVM.
Nelson earned a B.S. in geology from UVM in 1983, following that up with an M.S. degree in civil engineering in 1992. During his undergrad time at UVM, he spent summers working at an environmental engineering firm in Burlington founded by former UVM associate geology professor Dr. Philip Wagner, then transitioned to a full-time position after graduation. In 1996, Nelson founded Pioneer Environmental Associates, a Vermont-based environmental consulting firm, which was acquired by VHB, a leading east coast engineering, planning and environmental services consulting firm, in 2008. Currently, Nelson is a Principal and strategic advisor at VHB. He is an authority on environmental regulations in Vermont and is recognized by federal and state agencies as a leading expert in assessments, permitting, protection, and mitigation for natural resources in the state.
Throughout his career, Jeff has kept a strong relationship with his beloved alma mater, supporting initiatives such as the rehabilitation of UVM Alumni House and giving guest lectures on topics like renewable energy development in Vermont.
“My time at the University of Vermont shaped not only my understanding of earth sciences but also the direction of my career,” Nelson said. “Creating this endowed professorship is our way of giving back—a way to help ensure that future UVM students have the same opportunity to learn and explore the geosciences from dedicated faculty who are committed to deepening our understanding of how the earth works to build a more resilient, sustainable future for generations to come.”
“This professorship not only allows us to honor and support an excellent scholar in the field of earth sciences but also ensures that earth sciences research will be forever part our research and teaching,” said Bill Falls, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. “Keith is an outstanding scholar and teacher. Being the inaugural Nelson-Mahan Green & Gold Professor in Earth Sciences is a well-deserved honor for him and an honor for the Department of Geography & Geosciences.”
A geologist by training, Keith Klepeis specializes in global tectonics, a branch of earth science that examines the structure and evolution of the earth over time, with a particular emphasis on determining the origin and evolution of mountain ranges and other zones of tectonic deformation. His work is largely field-based, and he has led projects as close-to-home as Vermont and as far away as Antarctica, the Bhutan Himalaya, New Zealand, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Iceland, and Alaska. He is currently working on a new edition of his popular book, Global Tectonics, which he co-authored with researchers at Caltech and Virginia Tech.
“My research also explores interactions between geological processes and human communities, including through natural hazards here in Vermont and in other parts of the globe,” Klepeis said. “I am currently involved in a project in southern Patagonia that examines the balance between land conservation and development against a backdrop of climate change.”
Klepeis earned his B.A. in geology from Colgate University and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. After conducting post-doctoral research at Princeton University, Bryn Mawr College, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute, he spent several years teaching at the School of Geosciences at the University of Sydney in Australia. In 1999, he arrived at UVM as an assistant professor in the Department of Geology (now the Department of Geography and Geosciences) at UVM. He was promoted to associate professor in 2004 and full professor in 2008.
Klepeis’s research has garnered some impressive notice. In 2011 he was elected fellow of the Geological Society of America, and in 2015 he received the Kroepsch-Maurice Excellence in Teaching Award from UVM. In addition, he has been awarded numerous large research grants from the National Science Foundation and funding from FEMA, the FAA, and the State of Vermont. He has also received Editors’ Citations for Excellence from the journals Geospheres and Tectonics.
“I am deeply honored by this award and equally mindful that any success I’ve enjoyed stems from the extraordinary colleagues, staff, students, and mentors I’ve had the privilege of working with throughout my career,” Klepeis said. “I am profoundly grateful to Jeff Nelson and Paul Mahan for their generous commitment to the earth sciences at UVM. At a time when universities face intense pressures, supporting scientific inquiry and the pursuit of knowledge about the natural world and our place in it has never been more essential. The Nelson-Mahan Green and Gold Professorship in Earth Sciences will allow us to deepen our engagement with students, colleagues, and communities by helping us foster new discoveries and collaborations in the fields of tectonics, geophysics, crustal structure, and natural hazards
