Barbara Bekins Named GSA's 2004 Birdsall-Dreiss Lecturer

The Geological Society of America (GSA) selected U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientist Dr. Barbara A. Bekins as the 2004 Birdsall-Dreiss Lecturer. The lecturer is selected in recognition of their expertise in an area of science related to hydrogeology. Dr. Bekins will be presenting two lectures.

• Hydrogeology and the weak nature of plate boundary faults
• The influence of hydrogeology on 25 years of natural attenuation at a crude oil spill site

The second talk will summarize research on the fate of a crude oil spill in the subsurface at the USGS Toxic Substances Hydrology Program's Bemidji, Minnesota, Research Site. The lecture will highlight the role that ground-water flow plays in the microbial degradation of contaminants, the evolution of the microbial communities responsible for degradation of key crude oil constituents, the special variability of degradation within the oil body and the implications of the variability on forensic hydrology investigations, and other topics related to natural attenuation.

More Information

• Announcement and Lecture Abstracts, Also available in the August 2003 issue of GSA Today, v. 13, no 8, p. 26.
• The web site Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students is using slides from Dr. Bekins GSA Birdsall-Dreiss lectureship as an example of good slide design. The web site is hosted by the Virginia Tech College of Engineering and is written by Michael Alley, author of The Craft of Scientific Presentation.

Current Lecture Schedule

• Topic Key FF = "Hydrogeology and the Weak Nature of Plate Boundary Faults" NA = "The Influence of Hydrogeology on 25 Years of Natural Attenuation at a Crude Oil Spill Site"

  University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, Wed, 11/19/03, FF
• USGS, Denver, Denver, CO, Thur, 11/20/03, NA
• University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, Mon, 11/24/03, Both
• National Ground Water Association Expo, Orlando, FL, Fri, 12/12/03, NA
• USGS, Reston, Reston, VA, Wed, 12/17/03, NA
• USGS, Richmond, Richmond, VA, Thur, 12/18/03, NA
• Indiana University, Indianapolis, IN, Fri, 01/16/04, FF
• New Mexico Institute of Technology, Soccoro, NM, Thur, 01/29/04, FF
• University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, Fri, 01/30/04, NA
• Los Alamos National Lab, Los Alamos, NM, Mon, 02/02/04, TBA
• University of Arizona, Tuscan, AZ, Wed, 02/04/04, NA
• Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, Thur, 02/05/04, FF
• Florida International University, Miami, FL, Fri, 03/05/04, FF
• University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, Tue, 03/16/04, FF
• Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, Thur, 03/18/04, TBA
• Michigan State, Lansing, MI, Thur, 03/19/04, TBA
• USGS, Tacoma, Tacoma, WA, Tues, 03/30/04, NA
• University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Thur, 04/01/04, Both
• Washington State University, Pullman, WA, Tues, 04/06/04, NA
• Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, Wed, 04/07/04, Both
• USGS, Vancouver, Vancouver, WA, Fri, 04/09/04, FF
• Texas A&M, College Station, TX, Wed, 04/21/04, NA
• University of Texas, Austin, TX, Thur, 04/22/04, NA
• University of Texas Institute of Geophysics, Austin, TX, Fri, 04/23/04, FF
• Iowa State University, Ames, IA, Mon, 04/26/04, FF
• USGS, Minnesota, Mounds View, MN, Tues, 04/27/04, NA
• College of St. Benedict / St. John's University, St. Cloud, MN, Wed, 04/28/04, NA
• Winona State University, Winona, MN, Thur, 04/29/04, NA
• University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI, Fri, 04/30/04, Both
• University of Wisconsin, Platteville, WI, Mon, 05/03/04, NA
• UC Davis, Davis, CA, Thur, 05/13/04, NA
• San Jose State University, San Jose, CA, Mon, 05/17/04, FF
• UC Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, Tues, 05/18/04, FF
• USGS Menlo Park, Menlo Park, CA, Thurs, 05/20/04, NA
• Peninsula Geologic Society, Palo Alto, CA, Tues, 06/01/04, FF

Past Birdsall-Dreiss Lecturers from the Toxics Program

• 2001 -- Steven E. Ingebritsen
• The Permeability of the Continental Crust
• Land Subsidence in the United States
• 1996 -- D. Kirk Nordstrom
• Model Validation and Other Chimeras: Some Personal Reflections on the Philosophy of Science
• Negative pH, Ultra-Acidic Mine Waters, and the Challenge of Environmental Restoration at the Iron Mountain Mine Superfund Anomaly
• 1989 -- Warren W. Wood
• Geologic Questions? Hydrologic Solutions
• Lakes, Solutes, and Ground Waters
• 1986 -- Leonard F. Konikow
• Predictive Accuracy of Ground-Water Models? Lessons from a Postaudit
• Modeling Solute Transport and Dispersion in Ground Water
• FAQ - What awards have Toxic Substances Hydrology Program scientists received?

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