Alumni Spotlight: Michael Gibson

Mike Gibson, hydrogeologist and Vice President of Eagon & Associates, Inc., earned his B.S. in Geology & Mineralogy at Ohio State in 1989 and joined the School of Earth Sciences Alumni Advisory Board in 2018. Mike was a nontraditional student that was a member of the Ohio Army National Guard and worked full-time, which elongated his academic career. As an undergraduate, he focused on the study of structural geology, eventually completing post-graduate field work in Antarctica during the 1989-1990 field season under Dr. Terry Wilson. After returning from Antarctica, Mike began his career at Eagon & Associates and has seen the company grow from a staff of eight to 31 during his 30 years with the company. 

Through his service on the SES Alumni Advisory Board, Mike hopes to help students become as prepared as possible for work in their field of interest, and thus more professionally successful, while also achieving a well-rounded earth sciences curriculum in the event the practicalities of the job market dictate that they shift their focus.  His efforts are also centered on promoting the field experience for undergraduates and expanding the scope of the traditional field camp course of study. Not only do these immersive experiences allow students to hit the ground running in their careers, they were also a place where Mike built lifelong friendships and professional networks. Mike also hopes to help SES address one of the primary obstacles in obtaining adequate field training for students–the expense of these courses and associated equipment, along with lost income from summer jobs and internships. To illustrate his commitment to the students and faculty of SES, Mike and his company, working with Professor Audrey Sawyer, recently donated equipment and resources for expansion of the Mirror Lake Hydrogeology Field Lab, even going so far as to train students on field methodologies and procedures. With the help of Mike and Eagon & Associates, SES students gained first-hand experience in monitoring well construction and development, drilling techniques, soil sampling and geologic logging from leading industry professionals.

In addition to helping students while they’re enrolled at OSU, one of Mike’s passions is helping students find employment, particularly within his own company, which currently consists of roughly 20 OSU alums. Since beginning his involvement with the Alumni Advisory Board, Mike has hired 3 of our recent graduates. One of the things he appreciates most about the graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences at OSU is the interdisciplinary insights that allow them to better assess the “big picture”. Although his 3 kids are alums of OSU’s Engineering and Business programs, which tend to offer more hours of major-related upper level courses, Mike recognizes the benefits to Earth Science majors of the broader education offered by the College of Arts and Sciences.