2023-2024 GSA James B. Thompson, Jr. Distinguished International Lecturer—Mary Hubbard

The lecture tours are made possible through a gift to the GSA Foundation by James B. Thompson, Jr., whose bequest contributed to the endowment of two lecture tours by distinguished geologists, one a non-North American scientist to tour academic and related institutions within North America, and the other a North American scientist to tour foreign universities and geological institutions. Both tours are arranged under the guidance of GSA International.

The GSA International committee selected Dr. Mary S. Hubbard (Montana State University) as the outgoing speaker from within North America who will present exciting and cutting-edge geoscience research in a tour of foreign universities and geological institutions.

Mary S. Hubbard

Mary S. Hubbard

Dr. Mary S. Hubbard, a distinguished structural geologist and professor emerita at Montana State University, brought her unparalleled expertise and passion for global engagement to the 2023-2024 Thompson International Lecture Tour. Across six countries, Dr. Hubbard inspired over 560 students and 210 faculty members through thought-provoking lectures.

About Dr. Mary Hubbard

Professor Mary Hubbard is a structural geologist whose work aims to better understand tectonic processes of mountain building. This work has necessitated the collaboration with petrologists and geochronologists to bring dimensions of time and temperature/depth to these processes. Hubbard’s work started in the Nepal Himalaya with a thermobarometric study of the Main Central Thrust zone. Since that early work she has also studied fault zones together with graduate students and research colleagues in the western Himalaya of Pakistan, the Western Alps of Europe, the northern Appalachians, the southern Rocky Mountains, the Southern Alps of New Zealand, and the Mauritainides of eastern Senegal. Other opportunities let her pursue new directions in climate studies in the Nepal Himalaya with the National Geographic and in natural CO2 occurrence in a structural dome of northern Montana. Most recently her work has brought her back to fault zones that cut orthogonal to the mountain belt in the Nepal Himalaya.

Hubbard received her PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1988. She started her faculty career at the University of Maine, following a NATO post-doctoral fellowship at the ETH in Zurich, Switzerland. She moved to Kansas State University in 1996 where she served as a professor and then department head. An opportunity to serve as the Dean of the College of Science brought Professor Hubbard to Utah State University in 2007. With a passion for internationalization in higher education, she served at Utah State as the Vice Provost for Global Engagement from 2009-2013 before returning to her role as professor. In 2015, she moved to MSU where she served as Department Head for three years before returning to the faculty. In 2017 she was a Fulbright Specialist at the Tri Chandra Multiple Campus, Kathmandu, Nepal. She received a Fulbright Scholar fellowship to return to Tri Chandra for 5 months in 2022 to continue her collaborative research on Himalayan geology. In 2023 she retired from MSU, but continues to work with students at both MSU and Tribhuvan University in Nepal.

Highlights from the Lecture Tour

In her blog, Dr. Hubbard shared reflections on the challenges and triumphs of her journey. She was particularly inspired by the enthusiasm of students, who often worked with limited resources but demonstrated boundless curiosity and determination. Dr. Hubbard also expressed deep gratitude for the cultural exchanges that enriched her tour. From vibrant discussions on geoscience to shared meals with local communities, these moments underscored the global bonds forged through science.

View Hubbards's CV

 

Mary S. Hubbard Tour Schedule

Itinerary for 2023-2024 Thompson Lecture Tour
6 November 2023 Jahangirnagar University
Hosts: Prof. Sakawat Hossain and Prof. Sharif Hossain Khan
Dhaka, Bangladesh
7 November 2023 Dhaka University
Host: Dr. Subrota Saha
Dhaka, Bangladesh
8 November 2023 Bangladesh Open University
Host: Dr. Mizanoor Rahman
Dhaka, Bangladesh
26 November 2023 (joint lecture with Dr. Cathy Whitlock) Prithvi Narayan Campus
Host: Durga Khatiwada
Pokhara, Nepal
4 December 2023 Central Campus, Tribhuvan University
Host: Nepal Geologic Students' Society
Kathmandu, Nepal
6 March 2024 Kyoto University
Host: Dr. Tetsuo Kawakami
Kyoto, Japan
9 March 2024 Universitas Nusa Cendana (Undana)
Hosts: Dr. Lien Bale, Dr. Maria Lobo, Dr. Suthree Djahimo, and Ben Djahimo
Kupang, Timur, Indonesia
18 March 2024 Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR)
Host: Dr. Jaishree Bhatt
Bangalore, India
20 March 2024 Indian Institute for Science Education and Research (IISER)
Host: Dr. Kathakali Bhattacharyya
Kolkata, India
21 March 2024 Indian Statistical Institute
Hosts: Dr. Tridib Kumar Mondal and Dr. Shreya Karmakar
Kolkata, India
25 March 2024 Royal University of Bhutan College of Science and Engineering
Hosts: Dr. Karma Tempa and Dr. Lily Gurung
Phuentsholing, Bhutan
2 April 2024 Birendra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan University
Host: Mr. Niraj Singh Thakuri
Bharatpur, Nepal
5 April 2024 TriChandra Multiple Campus, Tribhuvan Universit
Host: Dr. Subodh Dhakal
Kathmandu, Nepal
8 April 2024 Indian Institute of Technology (IIT)
Host: Dr. Malay Mukul
Mumbai, India