New Councilors Take Office at the Geological Society of America
Boulder, CO, USA – Claudia I. Mora of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico, recently assumed the presidency of The Geological Society of America. Serving as vice president (and president-elect) is Isabel P. Montanez, University of California Davis. Mora and Montanez are serving one-year terms beginning 1 July 2016.
"I am deeply honored to be a part of GSA and I'm committed to support this vibrant and inclusive global community of earth scientists," said Mora. "The geoscience disciplines have never been more important to the health and well-being of people across the globe. I will work to support the GSA community in their efforts to advance knowledge of earth systems, provide scientific leadership in our communities and promote thoughtful stewardship of earth resources."
Mora will deliver her Presidential Address, titled "Mission-Driven Geoscience," at GSA's 2016 Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, USA, on Sunday, 25 Sept. 2016, during a lunchtime lecture from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Colorado Convention Center. This event is open to all meeting attendees, and members of the media are invited to attend.
"Within a number of federal agencies, geoscientists mesh fundamental and applied science to focus on mission-driven geoscience,” says Mora. "My talk will explore some of the complex challenges being addressed within our national laboratories: from the detection and characterization of clandestine nuclear weapons tests to resolving the longstanding question of radioactive waste disposal, and building the knowledge necessary for the efficient and environmentally-sustainable development of our many energy resources. Harnessing scientific understanding to resolve large, complex problems is fundamentally important to a healthy, safe and prosperous nation."
Newly-elected Councilors serving four-year terms from July 2016 to June 2020 are
Marjorie A. Chan, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
F. Edwin "Ed" Harvey, Hydrogeologist, Fort Collins, Colorado
Mark Little, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Jonathan G. Price of Jonathan G. Price, LLC, Reno, Nevada, and Nevada State Geologist Emeritus, remains on the GSA Executive Committee, serving as past-president. Bruce R. Clark of The Leighton Group in Irvine, California, is serving his third term as Treasurer. Neil Fishman with Hess Corp., Houston, Texas, will serve this year as the Council member-at-large on the Executive Committee.
See the full Council at http://www.geosociety.org/aboutus/officers.htm.
GSA Executive Director Vicki S. McConnell extended a welcome to the new Council saying, "The need for unbiased and progressive geoscience knowledge makes this an exciting time to work in the profession, but also demands visionary leadership to chart the path forward. We are honored to work together to increase GSA's impacts in science, stewardship, and service."
The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, serves more than 27,000 members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100 countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the service of humankind. GSA encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all levels of earth science education.
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