Newsroom
Backgrounder
The Society
The mission of the Geological Society of America (GSA) is to advance the geosciences, to enhance the professional growth of its 24,000+ members, and to promote the geosciences in the service of humanity. GSA provides geoscientists from all sectors - academic, government, and industry - with a vehicle for expressing core professional values of science, stewardship, and service. The Society is also a venue for establishing and maintaining professional relationships that span a lifetime.
Brief History of GSA
Founded in 1888 in Ithaca, New York, the Society is an offshoot of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). GSA was formed in recognition of the rapid growth of geology as a science, and the need for a forum dedicated to this new area of scientific inquiry. Its founders envisioned the Society disseminating results of geologic studies and conducting meetings for the presentation and discussion of geologic research. These activities remain the core of GSA's contemporary mission. The Society moved from New York to Boulder, Colorado, in 1967-68, where its operations and headquarters staff of about 60 people are housed.
GSA Programs, Services, and Products
The Society's primary activities are:
- Publishing current scientific information in books, journals, compact discs, and a variety of other formats. The Society's journals, GSA Bulletin, Geology, Geosphere, and Lithosphere, are primary vehicles for publication of academic research in the geosciences. GSA also co-publishes Environmental and Engineering Geoscience with the Association of Engineering Geologists. Other publications include special papers, memoirs, Reviews in Engineering Geology, treatises, memorials, maps, and charts, as well as the Society's publication for members, GSA Today.
- Conducting scientific meetings that present the latest in geoscience research. More than 6,000 geoscientists attend GSA's annual meeting, held in the fall. Upwards of 3,000 scientific papers are presented in symposia and technical sessions. Smaller, geographically-based GSA Section Meetings, held each spring, also focus on geoscience research.
- Assisting teachers, students, and policy makers in understanding and making informed decisions about complex environmental, economic, and social issues, of which the geosciences are an integral component. GSA's science and outreach programs, including the Institute for Earth Science and the Environment, foster public awareness and understanding of geoscience issues. Education programs provide support for K-16 teachers. Assistance for GSA student members is available from research grants and mentoring programs.
- Enhancing the professional growth of members. GSA recognizes outstanding scientific contributions through a number of awards and research grants. The Society coordinates professional education and career enhancement activities for geoscientists, including short courses, field trips, field forums, and Penrose Conferences.
How GSA is Organized
The Society's elected officers provide overall governance of GSA. The seven geographic Sections have their own governance boards and meetings. In addition, 59 specialized geoscience organizations are formally associated with GSA; they assist in developing the extensive scientific program of the Society's annual meeting.
GSA Members have access to 17 GSA Divisions defined by scientific specialty: archaeological geology, coal geology, engineering geology, geobiology and geomicrobiology, geoinformtics, geology and health, geology and society, geophysics, geoscience education, history and philosophy of geology, hydrogeology, limnogeology, planetary geology, quaternary geology and geomorphology, sedimentary geology, and structural geology and tectonics. The International Division provides a forum for global scientific exchange. These divisions facilitate communication among scientists within disciplines and facilitate crossdisciplinary activity within the Society. They also help develop the technical program for GSA's annual meeting, facilitate student participation in meetings, and help fund student research.
How GSA is Supported
Member dues, meeting fees, and the sale of publications support the work of the Society. In addition, the GSA Foundation raises funds for research grants, achievement awards, special projects, and to support some GSA publications.
For Additional Information
| GSA on the Internet: www.geosociety.org |
| Use of the GSA Logo |
Christa Stratton, Director,
Communications & Marketing
Geological Society of America
3300 Penrose Place, PO Box 9140
Boulder, CO 80301-9140
Telephone: +1-303-357-1093
Fax: +1-303-357-1071
E-mail:
Jack Hess, Executive Director
Geological Society of America
3300 Penrose Place, PO Box 9140
Boulder, CO 80301-9140
Telephone: +1-303-357-1039
Fax: +1-303-357-1074
E-mail: