Dr. P. Patrick Leahy
Associate Director for Geology
U.S. Geological Survey

Dr. P. Patrick Leahy is Associate Director for Geology of the U.S. Geological Survey. He has responsibility for Federal basic earth science programs, which include worldwide earthquake hazards monitoring and research, geologic mapping of land and seafloor resources, volcano and landslide hazards, and assessments of energy and mineral resources. He is also responsible for all international activities conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey. Dr. Leahy served as USGS Acting Director and the Chair of the Interagency Civil Applications Committee from June 2005 to October 2006.

He has been with the U.S. Geological Survey since 1974, having served in various technical and managerial positions, including Chief of the National Water-Quality Assessment Program. He has authored or co-authored more than 60 publications on a wide array of earth science topics. Dr. Leahy was born in Troy, New York. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in geology (1968) and geophysics (1970) from Boston College. He received his doctorate in geology (1979) from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he specialized in regional ground-water studies and hydraulics.

Dr. Leahy is a Fellow in the Geological Society of America and is a member of the American Geophysical Union, the American Institute of Hydrology (Former President), Sigma XI, American Association for the Advancement of Science, the 50th Anniversary Committee of the American Geological Institute, and the Geological Society of Washington. He served a 12-year term as Secretary-Treasurer and then President of the U.S. National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists. He was President of the U.S. Organizing Committee for the Third USA/CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) Conference on Environmental Hydrology and Hydrogeology that was held in Uzbekistan in September 1996. He has also served on the Editorial Board of Water Resources Update of the Universities Council on Water Resources.

Dr. Leahy is the past President of the U.S. National Chapter of the International Association of Hydrogeologists. In addition, he was selected by the National Academy of Science to head the U.S. delegation to the 30th International Geological Congress in Beijing, China, in August 1996. He also serves as the Chair of the Federal Advisory Committee for the National Cooperative Geologic Mapping Program. He was a member of the U.S. National Committee on Scientific Hydrology. Dr. Leahy is a Representative on the Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Science Committee of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He has served on the selection committee of The Ian Campbell Award for the American Geological Institute. He is a member and the past Chairman of the U.S. National Committee for Geological Sciences for the National Academy of Sciences. He has served as a member of the Institute of Medicine's Environmental Health Roundtable, the National Research Council's Sustainability Roundtable, the Design Committee advising the Heinz Center on "The State of the Nation's Ecosystems." He also served on the Subcommittee on Global Change Research for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. Dr. Leahy was the recipient of the 1996 Boston College Alumni Association Award of Excellence in Science. He was also the 1995 Alumni Association Fellow in Science for Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. He is a member of the Indo-American Working Group for the Center for Disease Control. He has received the Meritorious Service and Distinguished Awards from the U.S. Department of the Interior and in 2003 was recognized as a Meritorious Senior Executive by President Bush. Dr. Leahy lead the USGS efforts for the sustainable economic reconstruction of Afghanistan. Dr. Leahy visited Kabul in April 2005 to meet with Government of Afghanistan and U.S. Embassy officials.

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