1. Department of Biology & Earth Sciences
208 Edgemont Blvd.  Alamosa, CO 81101  Fax: (719) 587-7242  Phone: (719) 587-7426
22 AUG 16
RE: Mr. Dan Hagendorf
I am pleased to offer my recommendation of Mr. Dan Hagendorf for early-career
geologist work. He was one of the two highest scoring students in a very intense field
course in 2015. He worked exceptionally well with a diverse group of students and was
unfailing cheerful under high-stress situations.
The field course required independent thinking, motivation, and long field stays under
moderately difficult outdoor living conditions. Work locations spanned a range of cold,
wet and muddy, to hot, dry and dusty settings in Colorado and New Mexico. Terrains
ranged from moderate to extremely mountainous at elevations from 4,000 to 10,000 feet.
Fieldwork focused on data collection, geologic mapping and report writing in folded
and faulted sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rocks.
I found Mr. Hagendorf to be a hardworking student who cheerfully tackled problems
and challenges without complaint. He was well-prepared for all of my classes with a
highly-developed problem-solving sense. His demonstrated work ethic suggests to me
that he has the important success attribute of willingness to work hard and learn.
I would gladly hire him for fieldwork if I had work available. My perspective comes
from 12 years as an exploration, development and mine geologist in base and precious
metals, and 20 years as a professor.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or require further information.
Sincerely,
Dr. Rob Benson
Professor of Geology and Earth Sciences
Department of Biology and Earth Sciences
719-587-7921
rgbenson@adams.edu