MaryAnn Love Malinconico

Lafayette College

2026 GSA Distinguished Service Award

Dr. MaryAnn Love Malinconico has devoted more than four decades of extraordinary service to GSA, taking on leadership roles across the Society and helping to shape its public policy work. As Chair of the Geology and Public Policy Committee, she brought deep institutional knowledge, sound judgment, and a clear sense of how to turn member expertise into action. Last year, at a consequential moment for geologists and the profession, she pushed forward the rapid development of GSA’s Position Statement on The Benefits of Professional Geologist Licensure, ensuring the Society could comprehensively weigh in during key legislative discussions. She has also been a generous mentor to me and other members of the committee, helping us understand the history of GSA’s policy work and the standards that come with it. MaryAnn brings rigor, sharp insight, humor, and real joy to service. GSA is stronger for everything she has given it.

I am very honored to receive this Award. I thank Dr. Emily Orzechowski, GSA Director for Geoscience Policy, for the nomination and citation, and thank all the hard work and time of the wonderful GSA member volunteers and staff I have worked with over the years.

In 6th grade, way back in 1963, I had to write two term papers on topics of my choice. I chose first “President Franklin Roosevelt during World War II”, probably from repeatedly watching with my father the ground-breaking 1950’s TV documentary, “Victory at Sea” about US WWII naval battles, and, secondly, and unsurprisingly, “Volcanoes and Earthquakes”. (I did not build a papier mache volcano at that time but did two years later for the 8th grade science fair.)

Later, in the Fall of 1969, as a freshman in college, right after the first Moon landing, I was considering majoring in Astronomy, Russian Studies or Asian Studies: Astronomy because I thought it might prepare me to boldly go where no woman had gone before. But I discovered that Astronomy was really Physics in disguise; much later I realized what I really wanted was Planetary Geology, but that topic was not a mainstream academic discipline at that time.

I ended up majoring in History, with a minor in Geology, and my first career was as a Foreign Service Officer, US Department of State. I eventually changed my career path to Geology, and, after my Master’s degree, I applied in 1985 to be on GSA’s Geology and Public Policy Committee, also known as GPPC. It seemed like an ideal melding of my geoscience plus social science background.

At that time, GPPC’s primary product was symposia at the annual meeting, published symposia summaries, and occasional white papers. I chaired the GPPC symposium, “The Urbanized Desert”, at the 1987 GSA annual meeting in Phoenix. GPPC was formed 55 years ago, in 1971, as the Committee on Environment and Public Policy, in the heady days of the first Earth Day and the founding of the EPA.

In 2001, 25 years ago, GPPC started issuing Position Statements, written by GPPC, and approved by GSA Council after a GSA membership comment period. The first Position Statement was “Teaching Evolution”. The 28th Position Statement was approved last year, “The Benefits of Professional Geologist Licensure”.

After a reproductive hiatus and getting a PhD, I resumed volunteering in geoscience policy activities by attending Geoscience Congressional Visits Day, held every fall since about 2008, and sponsored by several geoscience societies including GSA. I have attended most Geo-CVDs since 2009, plus other Congressional Visits events, become familiar with and less intimidated by Capitol Hill, and met a rich variety of fellow geoscientists.

Currently I am the GPPC Past Chair after two terms as Northeastern Section Representative on GPPC starting in 2018. I have also been privileged to serve on the NE Section Management Board including as 2012 Section Chair. GSA’s Geographic Sections are a unique strength and offering among the large US-based geoscience societies. Section meetings are a reliably predictable annual event offering a relatively local opportunity for Section students to present their research, sometimes their first science conference experience; to hear preliminary results of regional geological research; and attend local field trips. The success of these meetings depends on the volunteerism of both the Management Board and the tireless section meeting committees. Importantly, the support of GSA headquarters in member communications, elections, abstract submission, standardized abstract and program publication, plus field guides, contributes to Section success.

Emily mentioned the decision last year for the accelerated completion of the Position Statement on The Benefits of Professional Geologist Licensure. The expected finish date for this statement was Spring or Fall 2026. However, in June 2025, GSA leadership requested it be finished in 6-8 weeks, while it still required more draft text review, a GSA membership comment period, and final votes by GPPC and GSA Council. While doing this during summer vacation and field work season seemed ambitious, the Committee, external writing group, and DC policy office staff accepted the challenge, zooming in at times from the highest points in their field area in search of the best Wi-Fi and from the passenger seat of the family car while their spouse drove. We met the deadline, and the approved Position Statement was published in mid-August 2025.

This outcome is an example of a work product, as described recently by author Jody Kantor, “made by groups of former strangers who labored together in shared discovery, discipline, and purpose”. (The New Yorker, June 22, 2026, p. 59). Expanding geoscience friendships is one reward of GSA volunteer service, but especially, service strengthens our Society.