Farouk El Baz is the 2009 Honorary Degree Recipient at the American University of Beirut. El Baz has been a professor and director of the Center for Remote Sensing at Boston University since 1986. An expert in satellite imagery, he has worked with the Apollo Space Program, studied arid areas using space photography, and applied technology to geography, the geosciences, and archeology. To learn more about this honor, visit http://www.aub.edu/activities/doctorates/.
Archive for June, 2009
Farouk El Baz Receives Honorary Doctorate at AUB
Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009USGS Public Lecture: Hurricanes and Our Changing Coasts
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009The next presentation in the U.S. Geological Survey’s public monthly lecture series, “Hurricanes and Our Changing Coasts” given by Dr. Asbury (Abby) Sallenger, will be held on Wednesday July 1, 2009 at 7:00 PM at the Dallas L. Peck Memorial Auditorium at the USGS headquarters.
In September 2008, Hurricane Ike destroyed nearly every house in the Gulf-front community of Gilchrist, just north of Galveston Texas. In addition to storm surge and battering waves, the land on which the houses were built contributed to the disaster by changing in shape and elevation. Dr. Sallenger will explain how the coast changes during extreme storms — such as Hurricanes Isabel, Katrina, and Ike — and what this means for our coastal developments today and in the future.
For more information on this topic, visit: Coastal Change Hazards: Hurricanes and Extreme Storms
Future lecture titles are:
- Climate Change 101 by Dr. Tom Armstrong
- Baked Alaska: What’s Happening to the Glaciers in Alaska by Dr. Bruce F. Molina
For more information on the monthly lecture series, visit the USGS website at http://www.usgs.gov/public_lecture_series/
National Ground Water Research and Educational Foundation Awards $12,000 in Scholarships
Tuesday, June 16th, 2009The National Ground Water Research and Educational Foundation (NGWREF) awarded a total of $10,000 to eight students from its Len Assante Scholarship Fund, Foundation President Alan Eades, CWD/PI, announced today.
Breana Hashman of West Chester, Pennsylvania, won the Past President’s Award—the top scholarship presented to the most qualified of the applicants. Hashman, who is studying geology at Dickinson College in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, received $2,000 toward her education.
The other recipients are:
- Matthew J. Palmer of Fort Worth, Texas, $2,000 for the Ora Lyons Scholarship named in honor of a former distinguished National Ground Water Association (NGWA) member; Palmer will attend Tarrant County College in Fort Worth to study hydrology
- Peter J. Laciano of New Providence, New Jersey, $1,000; Laciano will attend Hamilton College in Clinton, New York, to study environmental science and geology
- Amber C. Rolader of Bostwick, Georgia, $1,000; Rolader attends the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, studying environmental science
- Crystal L. Nickel of Lake Mills, Wisconsin, $1,000; Nickel attends the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire studying geology and hydrogeology
- Laura A. Hempel of Tallahassee, Florida, $1,000; Hempel attends Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, studying environmental science
- Caroline L. Vallelian of Argyle, Texas, $1,000; Vallelian plans to study environmental science
- David C. Mills of Janesville, Wisconsin, $1,000; Mills attends the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh studying hydrogeology
NGWREF also awarded $2,000 in scholarships to four students for their paper presentations made at the 2009 Ground Water Summit that took place in April. The $500 scholarships are given in honor of the late Dr. Robert Farvolden, former senior science counsel for NGWA.
The scholarships were awarded based on the quality of the presentation, content (including contribution to ground water science, engineering, management, or policy), and demonstrated insight on the chosen topic.
The winners are:
- Marcel Sousa of the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, for “A Systematic Approach for Assessing the Potential Impacts of Beneficial Management Practices on Wells Affected by Nonpoint Sources of Contamination”
- Hooray Ajani of the University of Arizona in Tucson, Arizona, for “Quantifying Spatial and Temporal Variability of Mountain System Recharge in Semiarid Catchments”
- Danielle Moss, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, for “Introduction of Relatively High Conductivity Material and the Effects on TCE Degradation and Remediation”
- Megan Smith of the Colorado School of Mines in Golden, Colorado, for “Polymer-Enhanced Remediation Techniques for More Effective Treatment of Heterogeneous Aquifers.”
This marks the 32nd year in which scholarship awards have been made. Since its inception, the scholarship program has supported 179 students in their pursuit of education.
Geoscience Currents #20: Geoscience and Science & Engineering Employment by State
Monday, June 15th, 2009Geoscience Currents #20 reports on geoscience and and science and engineering employment at the state level. Science and engineering employment comprises a small percentage (~2%) of every state’s total employment. Geoscience employment comprise an average of 12% of the total state science and engineering employment. Read more in Geoscience Currents # 20: Geoscience and Science & Engineering Employment by State.
Denver SIPES Consultant & Independent Workshop - June 16, 2009
Tuesday, June 9th, 2009SIPES Consultant & Independent Workshop
Venue: Wynkoop Brewery
Date: June 16th
Time: 4 - 8pm
Cost: $45 per person (Includes appetizers and 1 beer/wine ticket)
Join us for this informative workshop focused on consultants and independents. Whether you are currently a consultant/independent or considering this as an option with the current status of the industry, this workshop could assist you. Topics will include legal, entity structure, accounting/tax consideration, pricing your services, marketing, networking, data and software needs, and success stories.
Presenters: Jim Applegate, Michael Austin, Judy Cain, Erin Capra, Robert Cluff, Michael Faas, et., al.
For more information please call (303) 730-296 or e-mail sipesdenver@yahoo.com
Geoscience Currents 21: Percentage of Bachelor Degree Recipients with Disabilities
Friday, June 5th, 2009Geoscience Currents 21: Percentage of Bachelor Degree Recipients with Disabilities examines the percentage of geoscience bachelor degree recipients with physical disabilities as compared to other STEM fields. On average percentage of geoscience bachelor degree recipients with physical disabilities (6.45%) is on par with other STEM disciplines. Within the sub-disciplines of the geosciences there is some variation, with four sub-disciplines having higher percentages of bachelor degree recipients with physical disabilities than other STEM fields. Read more in Geoscience Currents 21: Percentage of Bachelor Degree Recipients with Disabilities.
SIPES Installs New Officers and Directors
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Dallas, Texas — The Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists (SIPES) recently installed William R. Finley, an independent petroleum geologist and participating partner of Rozel Energy, LLC in Lafayette, Louisiana, as president for 2009-2010. Mr. Finley holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in geology from the University of Southwestern Louisiana, and is involved in onshore and offshore petroleum exploration/exploitation in the Louisiana Gulf Coast area.
Other 2009-2010 officers installed at the SIPES 46th Annual Meeting in Hilton Head, South Carolina are Vice President Marc D. Maddox of Midland, Texas; Vice President of National Energy Kenneth J. Huffman of New Orleans, Louisiana; Secretary J. Phil Martin of Houston, Texas; and Treasurer Bobby M. Greenwood of Dallas, Texas.
New members of the SIPES Board of Directors include Donna F. Balin of San Antonio, Dennis M. Gleason of Arlington, and Larry J. Rairden of Houston, Texas.
Continuing directors are J. R. “Dick” Cleveland of Dallas, Owen R. Hopkins of Corpus Christi, H. Jack Naumann of Midland, and Jon B. Selby of Austin, Texas; Thomas J. Smith of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; and Peter MacKenzie of Worthington, Ohio.
The Society of Independent Professional Earth Scientists is a national organization of more than 1250 self-employed geologists, geophysicists and engineers engaged primarily in domestic energy exploration and development. SIPES has eleven chapters located in oil and gas centers of the United States.
Experts to Weigh in on Environment and Journalism
Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009Metcalf Lectures Focus on Global Change in Coastal Ecosystems
Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting is hosting its Annual Public Lecture Series, Scientists and Journalists: Getting the Point Across, from Monday, June 8, through Friday, June 12. This year’s program will feature nationally renowned specialists in research, environmental economics and journalism.
Monday’s lecture features William Schlesinger of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. He will discuss the value of taking an ecosystem-wide approach to investigating and addressing these impacts. On Tuesday, June 9, Colleen Charles of the U.S. Geological Survey will identify what climate change research is needed to better predict changes in ecosystems. Wednesday’s lecturer is Christophe Tulou, Resilient Coasts Initiative, who will discuss ways in which the world’s coastal cities can manage the risks of climate change.
On Thursday, Tom Rosenstiel will turn the discussion to journalism. Rosenstiel, of the Pew Research Center’s Project for Excellence in Journalism, will discuss what is really happening in journalism today. For the final lecture on Friday, June 12, John Reilly will confront the challenges to economists of estimating the costs of environmental damages. Reilly is from the Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change at the M.I.T. Sloan School of Management.
All lectures are free and open to the public.
The 2009 lecture series is presented concurrently with the Metcalf Institute Annual Science Immersion Workshop for Journalists. These programs are made possible in part through generous support from Charlotte Metcalf, Pamela and J. Frederick Thye through the J. Frederick Thye Charitable Trust, Lucy Metcalf, Helen Buchanan, the Chicago Tribune Foundation, the Rhode Island Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Sharpe, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. John Penney, Jr., Mr. and Mrs. W. Nicholas Thorndike, and Mr. and Mrs. Paul Coe Nicholson.
The Metcalf Institute for Marine and Environmental Reporting, a leading provider of science training for journalists, was established in 1997 with funding from Belo Corp., The Providence Journal Charitable Foundation, The Washington Post’s Philip L. Graham Fund, and the Telaka Foundation. The Metcalf Institute was named for the late publisher of The Providence Journal, Michael P. Metcalf and is based at the University of Rhode Island’s Graduate School of Oceanography.
Additional information is available online at http://www.metcalfinstitute.org or by calling (401) 874-6211.
Science Education and Public Outreach: Forging a Path to the Future
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009ASP will be holding their Annual Conference September 12-16, 2009 in Millbrae, California. All earth and space science education specialists, K-12 educators, and informal educators are encouraged to attend. “Science Education and Public Outreach: Forging a Path to the Future,” will include presentations and posters to be organized under four theme strands:
- Building on the Momentum of the International Year of Astronomy.
- Connecting the Sciences in the Year of Science.
- Refining our Practice.
- Bridging to the Future.
The deadline for submitting proposals for sessions and posters is June 15, 2009.
To learn more about this important event visit http://www.astrosociety.org/events/meeting.html
The Burgess Shale Geoscience Foundation is Pleased to Announce its 2009 Centennial Celebrations
Tuesday, June 2nd, 2009100 years of discovery of the Burgess Shale
The Foundation takes great pride in presenting its centennial celebrations of the discovery of the Burgess Shale by Dr. Charles Doolittle Walcott. Throughout the summer, the BSGF has organized an extensive and diverse series of centennial events that will appeal to the professional geologist as well as interested members of the public. Programs are designed to engage stakeholders from all over the world, introducing them to the wonders of geology in one of the world’s most spectacular settings in the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Activities include: guided hikes to the Burgess Shale fossil sites; a series of public lectures at venues ranging from Calgary, to Banff, to Golden, BC; geo/paleo art for kids; a historical re-enactment on horseback, and in period costume, of Walcott’s famous discovery; and a grand birthday and dance finale! There is something for everyone. For a complete listing of the 2009 Centennial activities and dates, please visit the Foundations website at http://www.burgess-shale.bc.ca.