On April 4th, 2012 Joe Gutheinz and his graduate student Sandra Shelton were on hand at the West Virginia State Museum in Charleston West Virginia for the unveiling of a plaque in their honor. Sandra Shelton was honored for tracking down the West Virginia Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock and Joe Gutheinz was honored for his Moon Rock Project which facilitated student investigations of this kind. The plaque was placed next to the West Virginia Apollo 17 Goodwill Moon Rock in the State Museum.