12 Seats. Endless Possibilities.
Each van expands access to hands-on learning, research, and career pathways in Earth and climate science
Reliable field transportation is the foundation of experiential learning—your gift makes it possible. A single van supports hundreds of student experiences each year—powering field courses, undergraduate research, and community-engaged science across the region.
Help provide 12-passenger vans that take UMass EGCS students from Amherst into the field—where Earth, climate, and geographic science come to life.
Field experiences are the foundation of Earth, Geographic, and Climate Sciences at UMass Amherst. They transform classroom learning into real-world understanding—whether mapping bedrock, sampling soils and waters, analyzing coastal change, or engaging with communities on climate resilience. Yet access to the field depends on something simple and essential: safe, reliable transportation. New 12-passenger vans will ensure that every student, regardless of background, can participate fully in hands-on learning that defines our discipline. Your support directly expands opportunity, strengthens training for high-demand careers, and sustains the department’s mission to deliver science in service to the common good.
Why It Matters - Move students; move science.
- Access for all students: Reduce financial and logistical barriers to required field experiences
- Safety and reliability: Replace aging vehicles with modern, secure transportation
- Workforce preparation: Equip students with hands-on skills employers demand
- High-impact learning: Turn landscapes into living laboratories across New England and beyond
Donate today on UMass Gives Day
Help us put students in the field.
Make a gift today to support EGCS field transportation and ensure every student has a seat on the journey from classroom to career. Gifts of $500 or more may be recognized through van naming opportunities. Some of you might remember older vans named George and Fred!
| Rank | Prize | Department/Group/RSO/Fund | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,000 | Student Alumni Association | 128 |
| 2 | $1,000 | UMass Women into Leadership | 112 |
| 3 | $500 | Dept. of Food Science | 90 |
| 4 | $500 | Golf Club | 53 |
| 5 | $500 | iCons | 40 |
| Rank | Prize | Department/Group/RSO/Fund | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,000 | Women's Club Ice Hockey | 180 |
| 2 | $1,000 | Women's Rugby | 95 |
| 3 | $500 | Department of Polymer Science and Engineering. | 71 |
| 4 | $500 | UWW Completion Fund | 57 |
| 5 | $500 | PRSSA | 51 |
| Rank | Prize | Department/Group/RSO/Fund | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,000 | Men's Rugby | 175 |
| 2 | $1,000 | Field Hockey | 102 |
| 3 | $500 | Women's Lacrosse | 96 |
| 4 | $500 | New2 U | 78 |
| 5 | $500 | Baseball | 54 |
| Rank | Prize | Department/Group/RSO/Fund | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,000 | Women's Ultimate Frisbee | 153 |
| 2 | $1,000 | Club Water Polo | 131 |
| 3 | $500 | S#arp Attitude | 117 |
| 4 | $500 | Doo Wop Shop | 98 |
| 5 | $500 | Choral Dilemma | 70 |
| Rank | Prize | Department/Group/RSO/Fund | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,000 | Stonewall Center | 196 |
| 2 | $1,000 | Club Swim | 127 |
| 3 | $500 | Minutemen Racing | 97 |
| 4 | $500 | Comparative Literature Program | 56 |
| 5 | $500 | Film Studies Program | 50 |
| Rank | Prize | Department/Group/RSO/Fund | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,000 | Minuteman Marching | 193 |
| 2 | $1,000 | Women's Rowing | 106 |
| 3 | $500 | Center for Women and Community | 78 |
| 4 | $500 | WMUA | 63 |
| 5 | $500 | Board of Student Businesses | 61 |
| Rank | Prize | Department/Group/RSO/Fund | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,000 | Men's Club Rowing | 268 |
| 2 | $1,000 | The Massachusetts Daily Collegian | 189 |
| 3 | $500 | CLACLS | 62 |
| 4 | $500 | Men's Club Volleyball | 48 |
| 5 | $500 | Fencing Club | 39 |
| Rank | Prize | Department/Group/RSO/Fund | Donors |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $2,000 | Duly Noted | 259 |
| 2 | $1,000 | UMass EMS | 118 |
| 3 | $500 | Vietnamese Student Association | 109 |
| 4 | $500 | Mock Trial Team | 96 |
| 5 | $500 | InterVarsity Christian Fellowship | 90 |
