New GSA Fellows
Elected by Council 17 April 2011
Society Fellowship is an honor bestowed on the best of our profession by election at the spring GSA Council meeting. GSA members are nominated by existing GSA Fellows in recognition of their distinguished contributions to the geosciences through such avenues as publications, applied research, teaching, administration of geological programs, contributing to the public awareness of geology, leadership of professional organizations, and taking on editorial, bibliographic, and library responsibilities.
GSA’s newly elected Fellows will be recognized at the 2011 GSA Annual Meeting Presidential Address & Awards Ceremony on Sunday, 9 October, at the Minneapolis Convention Center.
Click on the name to read some of what their nominators had to say:
Jayne C. Aubele, New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science
“has been involved in a spectrum of research and geological education for 35 years, from early field studies of hydromagmatic vents and volcanic processes, pioneering planetary geologic research from Viking Mars missions to radar mapping missions to Venus, and public education about the local geology of central New Mexico.” —Eric B. Grosfils
Sally Bilodeau, AECOM Technology Corporation
elected to Fellowship as the 2010 E.B. Burwell, Jr., Award recipient.
William L. Bilodeau, California Lutheran University
elected to Fellowship as the 2010 E.B. Burwel, Jr., Award recipient.
Paul Bishop, University of Glasgow
“is a recognized authority in his field; he is the authority when one asks the question, ‘How and at what rate does Earth evolve in the near-surface realm?’ His published work is varied, innovative, and of the highest caliber; it is original and most certainly commands international recognition.” —Ellen Wohl
John R. Bowman, University of Utah
“is one of the leading researchers in applying cutting edge methods in isotope geology, petrology, and geochemistry to problems in tectonics, mineral deposits, and geothermal systems, and interactions of crustal fluids with rocks in plutonic environments. He also has a distinguished career as an educator, training graduate students who go on to work in academia, industry, and government agencies.” —Ronald L. Bruhn
Gary R. Byerly, Louisiana State University
“has made significant contributions in research on the Galápagos, Barberton Greenstone Belt, meteorite impacts, and komatiites. He is widely recognized for increasing minority participation in the earth sciences and increasing science abilities of secondary school teachers. He has been a success as department chair, associate dean, and residential college rector.” —Thomas A. Vogel
Xunhong Chen, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
is nominated “based on his exceptional contribution in hydrogeology of High Plains Aquifer and his outstanding scientific leadership of both field-based and theoretical research on stream-aquifer interaction.” —Hongbin Zhan
Timothy H. Dixon, University of Miami
elected to Fellowship as the 2010 George P. Woollard Award recipient.
R. Laurence Davis, University of New Haven
is recognized for his “distinguished contributions in building the public’s awareness of geology and its impacts on environmental problems; his extensive service to GSA’s Geology and Public Policy Committee, Northeastern Section, and the Geology and Society Division, and his assistance to local government agencies in solving environmental problems.” —Jonathan H. Goodwin
Richard J. Diecchio, George Mason University
is nominated for Fellowship in recognition of his “outstanding 30-year career of teaching and scholarship, demonstrating a commitment to geology education while engaged in program development and administration. He has provided exemplary service to GSA and SEPM as a section officer and meeting organizer.” —Donald W. Neal
Margaret R. Eggers, Eggers Environmental Inc.
“owns an environmental company specializing in third-party review, expert testimony, and litigation support. She is an editor of the Environmental Forensics Journal and a subject matter expert for the CA Board for Geologists and Geophysicists. She chairs the Board of Trustees of the GSA Foundation.” —P. Geoffrey Feiss
Dean B. Eppler, NASA–Johnson Space Center
“For many astronauts, engineers, and NASA managers, Dean Eppler is their main contact with the geosciences and how our profession is important to manned space flight. This is a geologic education at a very senior level and qualifies Eppler to be a GSA Fellow.” —Grant H. Heiken
Christopher R. Fielding, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
“has done extensive field work in Europe, Australia, North America, and Antarctica. The current president of SEPM, Fielding has authored or co-authored 130 refereed research papers, primarily on clastic sedimentology and sequence stratigraphy. Thirteen students (including 8 Ph.D.s) have completed graduate degrees under his direction.” —David B. Loope
Stanley C. Finney, California State University–Long Beach
“A renowned graptolite paleontologist, Stan Finney served for many years on the Ordovician Subcommission, and recently took over as chair of its parent International Commission on Stratigraphy to which is entrusted the geological time scale. Stan is a dedicated teacher and was head of department for almost 20 years.” —Brian Pratt
Raymond C. Fletcher, Pennsylvania State University
“has dedicated his professional career as a structural geologist to understanding the formation of geologic structures, including folds, gneiss domes, pressure solution seams, faults, salt sheets, and veins. In 34 peer-reviewed publications, he successfully integrated detailed field observations with rigorous theoretical analyses based on mechanics and thermodynamics.” —David D. Pollard
Haakon Fossen, University of Bergen
“has contributed nearly 100 original research articles and a textbook in structural geology and tectonics. He has published fundamental work on three-dimensional strain analysis (transpression/transtension), extensional collapse, and continental rifting, and developed stress and strain theories to interpret geological structures in the brittle and ductile crust.” —Christian Teyssier
Gary S. Fuis, U.S. Geological Survey
“A geologist in geophysicist’s clothing, Gary Fuis has been at the forefront in the use of seismic refraction methods to study continental evolution and tectonic deformation. He has led consortia projects such as TACT, PACE, and LARSE that examined the formation of the North America Cordillera and its western margins.” —David A. Okaya
Eldon Gath, Earth Consultants International
elected to Fellowship as the 2010 E.B. Burwell, Jr., Award recipient.
Monica E. Gowan, University of Canterbury
is nominated for GSA Fellow in recognition of “her long and varied record of contributions in the geosciences, including most recently her efforts to bridge the geosciences and the behavioral and health sciences, in order to improve emergency management, disaster risk reduction, and preventive health care efforts.” —John W. Geissman
Darryl E. Granger, Purdue University
“is an excellent research scientist with numerous refereed publications. Promoted to full professor based on teaching and research. Specialty is geomorphology and age dating; affiliated with Purdue PRIME facility. Major professor for M.S. and Ph.D. students who completed degrees. Applied research on age dating of sediments in caves.” —Terry R. West
John M. Hanchar, Memorial University
“has contributed to many facets of Earth science as a versatile geochemist-mineralogist-petrologist. He is most renowned as a world expert on accessory minerals whose pioneering work has provided a foundation for the explosion of zircon as a powerful tool in geosciences in the last 15 years.” —Calvin F. Miller
Stephen S. Harlan, National Science Foundation
“is a highly productive scientist whose work in paleomagnetism and geochronology has forged new directions for tectonic studies in the InterMountain West. Steve is nominated for his broad contributions ranging from being an inspirational teacher and researcher to influencing the direction of future science at the National Science Foundation.” —Lisa A. Morgan
Susan S. Hubbard, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
elected to Fellowship as the 2010 Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer.
Neal R. Iverson, Iowa State University
“has made significant contributions to our understanding of till deformation beneath glaciers. In laboratory experiments, he and his students have shown that till behaves plastically, not viscously. He has also described the coupling of ice to a soft bed, and has carried out ground-breaking experiments in a subglacial environment.” —Roger L. Hooke
Karen H. Johannesson, Tulane University
“has made numerous and important contributions in chemical hydrology. She is one the world’s experts on the speciation and geochemical behavior of rare earth elements in aquatic systems. Her recent work on the groundwater geochemistry of oxyan-ions forming elements is of the highest quality.” —William Berry Lyons
Paul Karabinos, Williams College
“has been a long-standing GSA member, an active, productive scientist and educator and has assumed leadership roles at Williams College and GSA. He is a full professor and department chair. Paul has published 38 peer-reviewed papers including those in GSA Bulletin, Geology, GSA Special Papers and GSA Memoirs.” —Arthur Goldstein
Keith A. Klepeis, University of Vermont
“has undertaken significant research on the evolution of orogenic belts along convergent and transform plate boundaries at all crustal levels. He has received numerous grants and has strong support from coworkers. His service includes serving as an NSF panelist and serving as an associate editor of Tectonics.” —Maria Luisa Crawford
Richard P. Langford, University of Texas at El Paso
“has made major contributions to sedimentary geology through studies of both modern and ancient eolian systems; a distinguished service record with GSA as an officer in the Sedimentary Geology Division; and has been faculty mentor to more than 20 graduate students in the last decade.” —Terry L. Pavlis
Chongxuan Liu, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
is nominated for Fellowship “for his outstanding contributions to understanding of the kinetics of geochemical and biogeochemical reactions, diffusive mass transfer processes, and coupled reactions and mass transfer in porous media.” —Chunmiao Zheng
Christopher G. Maples, Oregon Institute of Technology
“Maples’ accomplishments include extensive publication in paleo-ntology; stints at the Kansas Geological Survey, Indiana University, the Desert Research Institute, and program director at the National Science Foundation; contributions to professional organizations (including editorship of Palaios), and his current position as president of the Oregon Institute of Technology.” —Rex C. Buchanan
William C. McClelland, University of Iowa
is recognized as a GSA Fellow “on the basis of his outstanding contributions to understanding the origin of the Cordilleran, Franklinian, and Caledonian orogenic systems of North America and his creative integration of information from geochronology, petrology, and structural geology.” —George E. Gehrels
Vicki S. McConnell, Oregon Geological Survey
“serves as the governor’s advisor on geological and natural hazards. She created a tsunami hazard mitigation program, seismic evaluation of public schools and emergency facilities, and a nationally recognized LiDAR consortium. She is truly an exemplary member of our profession in the realm of geology and public policy.” —James C. Cobb
Charles Gil Mull, Alaska Division of Oil and Gas (retired)
“For 50 years with state and federal agencies and oil companies Charles (Gil) Mull has contributed significantly to the geology, principally tectonics, structure, stratigraphy, and hydrocarbon potential, of the Brooks Range and Arctic slope of northern Alaska as recorded in more than 100 combined publications, talks, and quadrangles mapped.” —James D. Lowell
Kathleen Nicoll, University of Utah
“has a unique blend of enthusiasm, scholarship, and communication skills that is of the highest quality. Her ability to clearly communicate complex geological explanations of Quaternary geology to students and the public and her publication of cutting edge science is the reason for her nomination for GSA Fellowship.” —Michael R. Rosen
Jeffrey W. Niemitz, Dickinson College
“has made distinguished contributions to geological education, both within Dickinson College’s Dept. of Earth Sciences and nationally for his service as an officer and leader in the National Association of Geoscience Teachers.” —Noel Potter Jr.
Francisca E. Oboh-Ikuenobe, Missouri University of Science and Technology
is elected to Fellowship “for her significant contribution in advancing research and education in paleo-n-tology, palynology, and climate change as well as her outstanding role in mentoring and supporting women geoscientists.” —Mohamed G. Abdelsalam
Lewis A. Owen, University of Cincinnati
“has distinguished himself through his publications on Quaternary glacial history and landscape development in high mountains, specifically the Himalaya and Tibet, and the application of innovative techniques such as optically stimulated luminescence and cosmogenic surface exposure dating.” —William C. Haneberg
Ronald Lee Parsley, Tulane University
“is a widely published and cited author of studies of fossil echinoderms. He has read conference invited papers from 1974–2008, and he has published 87 manuscripts including coauthored studies with Americans, Czechs, and Chinese. In addition, he has trained 1000 undergraduates in geology.” —John Projeta Jr.
Jack C. Pashin, Alabama Geological Survey
“has made many significant contributions to the geosciences in diverse fields of coal geology, energy resources, paleontology, sedimentology, stratigraphy, structural geology, and most recently carbon sequestration. As a researcher and administrator at the Alabama Geological Survey, he has served the professional geosciences community for 29 years.” —Stephen F. Greb
Carle M. Pieters, Brown University
elected to Fellowship as the 2010 G.K. Gilbert Award recipient.
Louise M. Prockter, Johns Hopkins University
“is deserving of this recognition because of her high standing in the scientific community, contributions to major spacecraft missions, the significance of her planetary geology research, her leadership of scientific teams, and her service through editorships, peer review panels, and as a GSA officer in the Planetary Geology Division.” —Herbert V. Fry
Robin W. Renaut, University of Saskatchewan
“is a world-renowned researcher of saline/alkaline lakes in Africa and elsewhere as well as a key expert on the geochemistry and sedimentology of hot springs worldwide. He also is a respected educator of undergraduates and graduate students. Robin has contributed his time and energy to the publication of many books and journals in an editorial role and has worked tirelessly administrating grant programs.” —Elizabeth H. Gierlowski-Kordesch
Paul T. Robinson, Dalhousie University
is recognized as a GSA Fellow “because of his impressive publication record on the petrology and geochemistry of oceanic lithosphere, his significant contributions to the DSDP/ODP for over 40 years, and his service to the Chinese scientific community and to the GSA International Division as its Chair.” —Yildirim Dilek
Dana Royer, Wesleyan University
elected to Fellowship as the 2010 Young Scientist Award (Donath Medal) recipient.
Dibyendu Sarkar, Montclair State University
“has dedicated his career to the development and administration of transdisciplinary geological science educational and research programs. He is deeply committed to excellence in student mentorship, to diversifying the geosciences, and to leveraging exceptional research into meaningful training of new geoscientists.” —Robyn E. Hannigan
Craig M. Schiffries, The Geological Society of America
“has been involved with increasing the public awareness of geology since 1991 when he was a GSA Congressional Fellow. He has held policy positions with AGI, National Council for Science and the Environment, and GSA. Craig has served GSA on many different committees and as a staff member.” —John W. Hess
C. Scott Southworth, U.S. Geological Survey
is nominated “for major advances in unraveling the complex geology of the Blue Ridge province in the Central and Southern Appalachians and the western Piedmont of the Central Appalachians through geologic mapping and the initiation and follow-through of collaborative studies with geochemists and geochronologists.” —Douglas W. Rankin
John C. Steinmetz, Indiana Geological Survey
“has served the geologic profession for over 30 years in academia (University of South Florida), the private sector (Marathon Oil Company), and state government (Montana and Indiana Geological Surveys). He was president of the Association of American State Geologists. Nationally, he has championed geoscience data preservation.” —James M. Robertson
Barton G. Stone, Pincock, Allen & Holt
“is a distinguished minerals geologist who has made significant contributions in applying geology to ore deposits. Currently the Chief Geologist of Pincock Allen & Holt, Bart draws upon vast experience in exploration and open-pit and underground mining to specialize in the evaluation of mining properties.” —Jonathan G. Price
Peter J. Sugarman, New Jersey Geological Survey
“has been a leader in deciphering the Late Cretaceous to Holocene record of the New Jersey coastal plain. He developed a sequence and chronostratigraphic framework for these deposits and interpreted their hydrostratigraphic significance, showing that aquifer-confining unit relations can be predicted using sequence stratigraphy.” —Kenneth G. Miller
Frederick J. Swanson, USDA Forest Service
is nominated for his “significant contributions to understanding fundamental interactions among geomorphic and ecologic processes in disturbed landscapes and for developing improved strategies for managing public lands.” —Jon J. Major
Peter N. Swift, Sandia National Labs
is elected to GSA Fellowship “for his distinguished contributions to the science and program management in the area of geological repository of nuclear wastes.” —Hui-Hai Liu
Roger D.K. Thomas, Franklin & Marshall College
“In addition to being a superb paleontologist and scholar, Roger Thomas has been a workhorse for professional organizations. Among many other duties he has cheerfully embraced, Roger served as Secretary of the Paleontological Society from 2003 to 2009, and he is now Secretary-General of the International Palaeontological Association.” —Stephen M. Rowland
Harvey Thorleifson, Minnesota Geological Survey
“has distinguished himself as a researcher in glacial geology and mineral resources, professor of geology and geophysics, state geologist of Minnesota, officer in several professional societies in the U.S. and Canada, 2011 GSA Annual Meeting general chair, Trustee of GSA Foundation, and member of the One Geology Management Committee.” —Vincent Matthews
Jeffrey D. Vervoort, Washington State University
“is nominated for his original research in geochemical evolution of the crust and mantle.” —Jonathan Patchett
Colin R. Ward, University of New South Wales
elected to Fellowship as the 2010 Gilbert H. Cady Award recipient.
Philip E. Wannamaker, University of Utah and Energy & Geoscience Institute
“is a pioneer in using electromagnetic geophysical methods to understand the geochemistry, petrology, and structure of the lithosphere. In particular, his work has provided fundamental insights into the role of fluids in both active tectonic margins and extensional terranes.” —V.J.S. (Tien) Grauch
Christopher F. Waythomas, U.S. Geological Survey
is elected Fellow “for his publications on debris flows, floods, debris avalanches, tsunamis, and hazards at Alaskan volcanoes, administration of the Alaska Volcano Observatory, and leadership in the IAVCEI Commission on Volcano-Ice Interactions.” —Charles R. Bacon
David R. Wunsch, National Ground Water Association
“has distinguished himself by advancing the visibility of the New Hampshire Geological Survey and expanding its mission to include many geological disciplines relevant to societal issues. He has effectively advocated for the geological sciences through his leadership posts at AGI and the Association of American State Geologists.” —Robert G. Marvinney
Jingsui Yang, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences
is elected “for his seamless integration of careful fieldwork with quantitative geochemical-geochronologic analysis to solve problems of the tectonics and continental crustal evolution of central Asia.” —W.G. Ernst
Robert S. Young, Western Carolina University
“has followed a distinguished career in coastal geology. His impact is especially strong in societal debate about shoreline stabilization and the societal response to sea level rise. In addition, he has interacted widely with media outlets and is involved with many panels on shoreline management.” —Orrin Pilkey
Lifei Zhang, Peking University
is elected for “his finding of coesite inclusions in garnet, establishment of a new Ultrahigh-P Metamorphic Terrane in Western China and significant contributions in petro-tectonic evolution of both oceanic and continental subduction in northern Tibet. He is one of the young geoscience leaders in China.” —Juhn G. Liou
Haibo Zou, Auburn University
“has excelled in theoretical-geochemical research, in addition to having considerable laboratory analytical skills in mass spectrometry. He has published papers on trace element modeling, significantly contributing to chemical geodynamics with mantle melting models, and has also authored an important textbook on geochemical modeling, widely used by researchers worldwide.” —Asish R. Basu