Each year, the Department of Geological Engineering at Montana Technological University presents the students in its “Introduction to Geological Engineering” course with a new hard hat to promote the importance of safety during fieldwork. Throughout their time at Montana Tech, the students will have the opportunity for many field-based projects and site visits to prepare them for joining the engineering industry upon graduation. The hard hats help them remain safe during these field activities.
Last December, during a phone call with a couple of professors, Russ Sheets found out that the previous donor of hard hats would be unable to continue this practice. Barr stepped in and donated the hard hats to the class during a virtual presentation in early April. During the presentation, Barr staff members discussed the importance of safety in the field and gave a brief overview of the uses for geophysical investigations on real-world projects. The timing was perfect as the students were heading out into the field that afternoon to observe field geophysics methods and applications to identify groundwater at a project site.