Rick Hugo, Ph.D., is a Senior Instructor in the Department of Geology. He completed his Ph.D. in Material Science from Washington State University and his Postdoctoral fellowship at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Since arriving at PSU, he has served in both research and teaching roles.
In his time at PSU, he has committed himself to student success. His pedagogy emphasizes course-based research experiences, authentic projects, and real-world data sets. His open-ended problems challenge students to think critically, develop self-efficacy, and become life-long learners. He supports students across the K-12 - college spectrum. His long-running Capstone class serves local K-12 outdoor science education programs. He coordinates the Challenge Geology program, serving two area high schools. He coordinates recruiting and transition support for community college students. He administers multiple support programs for Geology majors, including departmental scholarships, graduate grants-in-aid, and undergraduate research and thesis support.
His research uses electron and x-ray beam instruments to address a wide variety of problems. He has collaborated with researchers across PSU, and investigated topics including microbial fossils, environmental minerals, and engineered materials. His current research emphasis is on characterizing the deformation and fracture of meteorites to help understand the formation of early planetary bodies.
Hugo has found special joy in working one-on-one with students. He is constantly amazed by PSU students’ resourcefulness, creativity, and resilience in the face of immense challenges, and has been honored to be a small part of their academic and career journeys.