John Renton
In Memoriam, 1933-2020 – Professor of Geology, Eberly Family Professor for Distinguished Teaching for Earth Science
Dr. Renton was Professor Emeritus of Geology and before his retirement served as an Eberly Family Professor for Outstanding Teaching since 2002.
The department estimates Dr. Renton taught over 50,000 physical geology students
over more than 100 semesters from 1965 to 2015. He was renowned for the Great Courses
video lecture Nature of Earth: An Introduction to Geology.
Contributions and Legacy
John and Eleanor Renton Geology Field Camp Scholarship
Dr. Renton established the John and Eleanor Renton Geology Field Camp Scholarship to help students attend summer geology field camp to have an experience that has a long-term impact on their education and future career.
An Introduction to Earth Science at the WVU Research Repository
Renton created a repository of his hand-drawn illustrations to encourage West Virginia K-12 Earth Science teachers and their students to pursue geology, while also providing a wealth of information for teachers of earth-science everywhere. This FREE material was prepared by Dr. J. Renton, Professor Emeritus, WVU Geology Department and is a culmination of the study of Earth accumulated during his 50 years teaching.
Teaching Awards
Dr. Renton’s success in teaching is indicated by the number of teaching awards he received:
- 1995, Outstanding Educator Award from the Eastern Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.
- 2000, Outstanding Teacher Award from the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences
- 2001, University-wide Outstanding Teacher Award from the West Virginia University Foundation
- 2001, West Virginia Professor of the Year from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching
- 2001, Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE Award)
WVU Positions
- 1964 Hired as geoscience faculty at West Virginia University
- 2002 Appointed Eberly Family Chair for Distinguished Teaching.
Education
- BS degree, chemistry Waynesburg College 1956
- PhD degree, geology West Virginia University 1963
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