Dr. Rick Schmidt

Dr. Rick Schmidt is an educator, outdoorsman, paleontologist and firefighter. He grew up in the Philadelphia suburbs and first acquired his love for the outdoors through scouting.  While there are no other scientists or educators in his family, Rick always showed an innate interest in science even at an early age and he never outgrew his childhood love of dinosaurs.  During his undergraduate years as a dual degree student in both Earth Sciences and Secondary Education, Rick also connected strongly with the field of meteorology in addition to geology, a skill set he still uses each summer in the Bighorn Basin. During his 32 year tenure in public education, he was the author/instructor of five unique high school science curricula and an additional higher education leadership studies curriculum designed for emergency services personnel. Schmidt is also the writer of 25 successful science education, instructional technology, and fire service grants totally over $400,000.

He has been recognized for excellence in teaching by the Upper Dublin School District, the National Association of Geoscience Teachers, the Geological Society of America, the West Chester University and Penn State University. In 2012, Dr. Schmidt received the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching, the highest science teaching award issued by the United States government.

Rick was also a firefighter and fire officer at a busy suburban Philadelphia volunteer fire department from 1988-2025 having served up to the rank of Assistant Chief.  He has an affinity for rescue and truck company operations, started the department’s first water rescue team and served in management roles with several natural disaster response teams during his long tenure.

Rick is currently acting as the Director of Educational Programming for Elevation Science and is actively engaged in ongoing work between the organization and outside entities including public, private and higher education partners. He has a passion for field work, loves all forms of site mapping and associated technology, is (in)famous for his introductory geologic setting hikes with new participants and is notorious for making new fossil discoveries with the edge of a well placed shovel blade.    

Curriculum Vitae 

Research

Rick’s research interests encompass both paleontology and geoscience education.  As an undergraduate, he authored Kings of the Mesozoic, a comprehensive guide to the geology, ecology, climate and dinosaur taxonomies during the Mesozoic Era for teachers with an interest in dinosaur paleontology.  As his career progressed, he focused on the lack of connection between secondary education earth science and undergraduate geoscience programs.  In 2011, he completed his doctoral dissertation Bridging the Geoscience Workforce Gap: Advanced High School Geoscience Programs as a means to connect the K-12 and higher education geoscience communities.  His research on this topic and the ongoing impact of his advanced geosciences program continues to this day and he frequently speaks at national conferences and guest lectures on the topic.  

During the summer months, Schmidt is the creator and primary instructor of the organization’s Field Paleontology course acting as an adjunct of Montana State University Billings. Schmidt frequently supervises quarry operations at ESI sites and was the main operations officer for the organization during much of the 2025 field season. He has also independently led two different ESI paleontology survey missions under BLM contract to the Musselshell Breaks (2019) and Missouri Breaks (2024). Wilderness Study Areas.

Ongoing research includes refining best practices for place-based field education experiences and the integration of outdoor education into traditional science ciuurricula.

Teaching Experience

Rick retired from public education in 2025 after 32 years and is now working year-round for Elevation Science developing new educational programs for the organization. During his tenure, he served as a science instructor and curriculum leader for Upper Dublin High School’s science department. He was the creator of five different original curricula at Upper Dublin including three advanced geoscience courses, the first full year Forensic Science program in the Philadelphia region and Survival Science and Fitness, a collaborative effort between the school’s science and physical education departments. He is perhaps best known for the creation of the Advanced Geosciences I and II courses in 2010, the first high school geoscience courses in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to be accredited by a four year university. The framework for these courses has since been replicated by other districts in PA. 

His teaching philosophy has always been grounded in experiential learning opportunities which have become the hallmarks of his teaching career. From fully immersive simulations in earthquake emergency response and mitigation with middle school Earth Science students as far back as 1994 to the creation of a highly complex and much celebrated marine archaeology simulation that integrated SCUBA diving for Advanced Geosciences marine science students, Schmidt has forged a career based on the notion that science is not taught, it is experienced.

In His Own Words

“Sometimes the most interesting things in a career happen entirely by accident and that is how I first became affiliated with the Elevation Science in 2012. Now, I can’t wait until the next season in the field. There is something rejuvenating about working outside that you just cannot feel by any other means. It’s not science, it’s just a deep seated feeling but I know it draws all of us associated with the BBPI back to Montana and Wyoming every year. From the first sunset you watch on the Beartooth Pass to the thrill of finding a brand new dinosaur bone never before seen by any other human on Earth, once you’ve experienced this with us, you’ll understand what brings us back year after year.”