2007 Scientist Emeritus Award Recipients

October 16 , 2007

To: Geology Discipline

From: William Werkheiser, Acting Associate Director for Geology
Linda Gundersen, Chief Scientist for Geology
Dave Russ, Randy Updike, and Wes Ward, Regional Executives

Subject: 2007 Scientist Emeritus Award Recipients

This is the second year that the Geology Discipline is recognizing our Scientists Emeriti by announcing the winners of the Dallas Peck Outstanding Scientist Emeritus Award and Regional Scientist Emeritus Best Publication Awards. We started this process to better recognize the continuing contributions of the Geology Discipline Scientists Emeriti. This year as last year, we were very impressed by the work that our “retired” scientists contribute to the USGS and the broader scientific community. Nominations for the awards were reviewed by a panel consisting of Team Chief Scientists, Scientists Emeriti, a Program Coordinator and the Scientist Emeritus awards coordinator. Last month we reviewed all of the nominations and panel recommendations and then made our final selections. We wish to thank all who submitted the nominations, panel members for their thoughtful recommendations, and our Scientists Emeriti for their continued dedication.

All of the nominees this year were outstanding. We are delighted to announce the recipients of the 2007 awards:

• Dallas Peck Outstanding Scientist Emeritus Award: Robert Schuster for his work on the interaction of dams and landslides
• Eastern Region Scientist Emeritus Best Publication Award: Richard Meyer for “Natural Bitumen and Extra-Heavy Oil”
• Central Region Scientist Emeritus Best Publication Award: Forrest Poole for “Tectonic synthesis of the Ouachita-Marathon-Sonora orogenic margin of southern Laurentia: Stratigraphic and structural implications for timing of deformational events and plate-tectonic model”
• Western Region Scientist Emeritus Best Publication Award: Peter Barnes for “Benthic Habitats and the Effects of Fishing”

Please join us in extending congratulations to these outstanding and dedicated scientists; the Geology Discipline is very fortunate to continue to benefit from their efforts. The awards will be presented at ceremonies that will be held in Menlo Park, Denver, and Reston in the next few weeks. Please watch for notification as to the exact times and places.