Arizona Sets a Grand Stage for Geological Society of America’s Annual Meeting & Exposition

Boulder, Colo., USA: Media registration is now open for The Geological Society of America’s 131st Annual Meeting & Exposition, to be held 22–25 September 2019 at the Phoenix Convention Center, 100 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix, Arizona, 85004, USA. The meeting is earlier than usual, so plan now to attend for one of the best opportunities of the year to meet geoscience experts face-to-face and cover the scientific findings that are enlarging our understanding of Earth and defining the future.

The Grand Canyon State welcomes GSA to its capital city for the first time in more than three decades. It’s an especially auspicious year for geoscientists to gather here, as 2019 marks both the 150th anniversary of John Wesley Powell’s first expedition through the Grand Canyon, and the 100th anniversary of Grand Canyon National Park. Arizona is a land of textbook geology, where you can set feet, hands, senses, and camera on the exposed rock record of nearly two billion years of deep time.

Staff of the Arizona Geological Survey in the University of Arizona are working with meeting organizers on a project to showcase examples of the marvelous geology that abounds throughout the state. Learn about ArizonaRocks!

General Meeting Chair, Professor Steve Semken (Arizona State University), and the organizing committee cordially invite members of the media to attend, participate, and cover the meeting. Attending journalists will arrive to find story ideas and access to resources, as the conference will feature new research, emerging issues, context and sources on the geoscience that underpins modern society. More than 130 companies will be represented in the exhibit hall.

Review media eligibility requirements, request complimentary media registration, and prepare to be welcomed, inspired, and productive.

Meeting Highlights
Twenty-nine pre- and post-meeting field trips will explore extraordinary geological landscapes from caverns and canyons, to rivers, deserts, and moonscapes. Field trips are a unique feature of GSA meetings, and fill quickly.

Pardee Keynote Symposia—six sessions with invited speakers cover topics of broad interdisciplinary interest.

American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) 2019 Distinguished Lecturers—these five 2019 Distinguished Lecturers are selected from a global list of stellar geoscience professionals.

Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony: Incoming GSA President Donald Siegel speaks on “The Future of the Geosciences in the Twenty-First Century: A Speculation for Your Consideration,” and luminaries in the field, are honored, including the Penrose, Day, and Donath gold medalists.

Feed Your Brain“ lunchtime lectures feature special guests each day from 12:15–1:15 p.m., including:

  • Scott Tinker, “Switch is Back! Energy Poverty, the Energy Transition, and Modern Energy Education.”
  • Katharine Hayhoe, 2019 Michael T. Halbouty Distinguished Lecturer, “Climate Change: The Threat Multiplier.”
  • Meghan Kish, “Your Park. Your Science. Our Future: Inspiring Geoscience and Other STEM Careers via Collaboration with the NPS.”

Technical Program
Technical Program Chair Amy Brock-Hon (University of Tennessee at Chattanooga) and Vice-Chair Kevin Mickus (Missouri State) report that geoscientists from 38 disciplines have organized 201 topical sessions.

Oral Sessions will run Sun.–Wed., 8 a.m.–noon and 1:30–5:30 p.m.
Poster Sessions will be on display 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m. on Sun. with authors present from 3:30–5:30 p.m., and 9:00 a.m.–6:30 p.m. on Mon.–Wed., with authors present from 4:30–6:30 p.m.

Search topical sessions for areas of interest by discipline categories or sponsors from the drop-down menus, or use your browser’s “find” feature to search for keywords or convener names. The complete technical program schedule will be available in mid-August 2019 after the abstract submission deadline.

Complete meeting information will be updated regularly on the Annual Meeting website.

** HELPFUL TRAVEL LINKS **
International Travelers: Inquire/apply for a U.S. travel visa early.
           
Explore Phoenix. The fifth largest city in the United States: a sunny, friendly, exciting, culturally rich, proudly Southwestern place.
           
Lodging: Make reservations early for best selection.

The Geological Society of America is a scientific society with 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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