With Top Director Leaving, Geological Society of America Begins Search for
New Executive Director
Boulder, Colorado, USA: The face and backbone of the Geological Society of
America, Executive Director Dr. Vicki S. McConnell, has announced her
intention to retire at the end of 2022. For the past seven years, Dr.
McConnell has served the Society as its leader. Her passion for all things
geologic, her ability to keep all GSA activities at the forefront, and her
leadership skills have elevated GSA in the international community. She
meticulously oversees all aspects of GSA’s activities, its hundreds of
volunteers, and tens of thousands of members. She is a skilled negotiator
and a patient mentor as she diligently works with each new president upon
their annual rotation and the new Councilors. She readily corresponds with
members and gets to know them.
During her time at the helm of GSA, GSA became a more vital and financially
sound organization, developed an overarching strategic plan, implemented a
number of initiatives, and expanded GSA's international reach and presence.
A few of the many GSA achievements during her tenure include:
-
Development of a Decadal Strategic Plan for GSA and its implementation;
-
Development and implementation of a new Code of Ethics for members,
including processes and procedures for dealing with professional
misconduct;
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Appointment of GSA’s first Associate Director of Diversity to assist
with the Society’s reforms in areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion
(DEI);
-
Revamping of processes and procedures to embed DEI in all aspects of
GSA, including its awards, nominations, fellowships, and committees;
and
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Implementation of measurements and metrics for evaluating GSA’s
improvements in DEI efforts in the short term for long term value
creation.
Perhaps most noteworthy is that she successfully guided GSA through the
COVID-necessitated transition to a remote office environment and to become
a leader in online scientific conferences.
With her exceptional staff, GSA’s publications continue to lead the
scientific community, with GSA’s journal Geology ranked as the #1
journal in the field of geology for the past 15 years. Under her
leadership, open access to journals increased; nearly 45% of the Geology articles have been open access. Social media presence has
grown with over 270,000 Facebook followers and 1.5 million page views on
the website. Together with the GSA Foundation, the support of graduate
students via research grants has grown steadily, with nearly US$700,000
awarded in 2021 alone to support more than 300 graduate students.
The larger scientific community has also recognized McConnell for her many
achievements. Recent awards earned during her time at GSA include:
- University of Alaska Fairbanks Alumni Association’s 2015 Alumni
Achievement Award for Business and Professional Excellence;
- The Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists 2017 AEG
Publications Award;
- American Geoscience Institute 2019 William B. Heroy Jr. Award for
Distinguished Service to AGI;
-
Elected AAAS Fellow, 2019; and
- The Geological Society of America 2020 E.B. Burwell, Jr., Memorial Award
in Recognition of Distinguished Contribution to Engineering Geology.
President Barb Dutrow states, “Vicki is the heart and soul of GSA. She
embodies the passion of GSA members and pushes our mission forward
relentlessly. It is an honor to work with her as well as a pleasure. Her
quick wit never disappoints. She will be sorely missed.”
Dutrow has established a search committee composed of present, past, and
future GSA leaders with extensive knowledge of the Society and its needs,
led by immediate past president Doug Walker. The committee will undertake
an international search to find the next leader of GSA.
Walker notes, “Vicki led GSA through the most tumultuous time it has
experienced in decades. The actions she took in response to the Covid
crises were brave and spot-on. This was on top of the other reforms she
championed as well as putting the process of relocating the GSA
headquarters in place and nearing fruition.”
Said McConnell, “It’s been a real privilege and such a pleasure to work
with so many dedicated Councilors, volunteers, and staff at GSA. My hope is
that I have made a positive impact on the lives and careers of my
colleagues in the geosciences and beyond.”
About GSA
The Geological Society of America
(GSA) unites a diverse community of geoscientists in a common purpose to
study the mysteries of our planet (and beyond) and share scientific
findings. Members and friends around the world, from academia, government,
and industry, participate in GSA meetings, publications, and programs at
all career levels, to foster professional excellence. GSA values and
supports inclusion through cooperative research, public dialogue on earth
issues, science education, and the application of geoscience in the service
of humankind.
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