The next generation of geologists at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will have new opportunities for research and study thanks to an alumnus’ gift to the NU Foundation.

UNL announced last week Bill Walker and his wife, Judy Orendorff Walker, have donated $250,000 to establish two permanently endowed funds to support students in the Department of Geosciences.

One fund will provide fellowships to graduate students in geology. The other will support an annual field research trip to the Rocky Mountains for freshmen and sophomores.

“This is going to make a big difference,” said geosciences chairman and professor David Watkins. “It’s a wonderful thing.”

Walker, who majored in geology, earned his bachelor’s degree from UNL in 1965 and a master’s degree in 1967. He then launched a 42-year career as a geologist for oil companies, including Shell Oil Co.

The Walkers live in Sedalia, Colo.

With the couple’s gift, UNL will be able to recruit even more of the nation’s top students, Watkins said.

More money for graduate fellowships, for instance, helps UNL stand out in a competitive market and may prompt out-of-state students who wouldn’t otherwise have considered Nebraska to visit campus, he said.

And with money for the research field trip — taken only a few times in the past decade for cost reasons — UNL now hopes to make the trip an annual event, which could help draw more students to the field of geology, Watkins said.

“It takes their book learning and their classroom learning and shows them where it really fits in,” he said. “It’s great to see the light bulbs go on like that.”

Walker said he hopes he can introduce others to a field he loves.

UNL “provided me with the support, the training and the encouragement to forge a rewarding career,” he said.

Reach Melissa Lee at 473-2682 or mlee@journalstar.com.