2021 Division Awards for outstanding geobiologists

Every year the GBGM executive committee selects exceptional scholars to receive awards for their accomplishments in research, education/mentoring, and service in geobiology. This year we had an exceptional list of nominees so thanks to all those who nominated someone!

We are pleased to announce that the 2021 awards go to Kim Lau (pre-tenure), Phoebe Cohen (post-tenure), and Frank Corsetti (distinguished career). Please check out their brief biographies below and explore their websites for further details about their research.

Pre-Tenure Award Recipient: Kimberly Lau (Pennsylvania State University)

Dr. Kim Lau is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geosciences at the Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on reconstructing biogeochemical changes in Earth’s past and specifically the causes and consequences of redox changes in ancient oceans using a combination of lab, modeling, and field methods. She is interested in major perturbations throughout Earth history and how these events are recorded geochemically in the sedimentary record. Her approach includes better understanding the sedimentary geochemical and isotopic proxies that geobiologists can employ to constrain past environmental change.

Post-Tenure Award Recipient: Phoebe Cohen (Williams College)

Dr. Phoebe Cohen is an Associate Professor in Geosciences at Williams College. Phoebe is a paleontologist who uses a wide array of microscopic, microchemical, and geochemical techniques, in combination with field-based stratigraphy and sedimentology, to reconstruct ancient organisms and ecosystems. Her current work focuses on the evolution of eukaryotes in the Proterozoic and the microfossil record of the end-Devonian mass extinction. She is also actively involved in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion work in the geosciences. 

Distinguished Career Award Recipient: Frank A. Corsetti (University of Southern California)

Dr. Frank Corsetti is a Professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Southern California.  He studies the co-evolution of the Earth and its biosphere from a geobiologic/sedimentologic perspective, searching for traces of life in deep (and not so deep) time.  Key topics of study include the identification of biosignatures (in particular, those left behind by microbes), unraveling the diagenetic alteration of biosignatures, mass extinctions, the environmental setting for the emergence of animals, and the search for life beyond Earth.  Frank co-directed the International Geobiology Summer Course from 2010-2016.  He is a fellow of the Geological Society of America, recipient of the SEPM Dickinson Medal, the 2019 James B. Thompson Distinguished International Lecturer, and a recipient of the Mellon Mentorship award for mentoring graduate students.

Please join us in congratulating these exceptional scientists at the 2021 GSA (hopefully) in Portland; the awardees will be giving invited talks in our "New Voices in Geobiology" and "New Advances in Geobiology" sessions! The Geobiology Division Award Presentation (a.k.a. the GBGM Lunch) will be held virtually since this year's meeting will be offered in a hybrid format with limited in-person attendance.

2020 Division Awards for outstanding geobiologists

Every year the GBGM executive committee selects exceptional scholars to receive awards for their accomplishments in research, education/mentoring, and service in geobiology. This year we had an exceptional list of nominees so thanks to all those who nominated someone!

We are pleased to announce that the 2020 awards go to Emmy Smith (pre-tenure), Greg Dick (post-tenure), and Kurt Konhauser and Will Berelson (distinguished career; we couldn't choose which one of these guys was the most deserving... so we just decided to have two awards this year) Please check out their brief biographies below and explore their websites for further details about their research.

Pre-Tenure Award Recipient: Emmy F. Smith (Johns Hopkins University)

Dr. Emmy Smith is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Johns Hopkins University. She is a field geologist interested in the co-evolution of life, climate, oceans, and tectonics during the Neoproterozoic and Cambrian. Her approach integrates geologic mapping, regional stratigraphy, sedimentology, paleontology, stable isotope geochemistry, and geochronology to better understand mechanisms for environmental and evolutionary change during this unusual interval in Earth’s history.

Post-Tenure Award Recipient: Gregory Dick (University of Michigan)

Dr. Gregory (Greg) Dick is an Associate Professor in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan. He studies how microorganisms interact with each other and with geochemistry, mostly on the modern Earth but also to understand Earth’s geobiological history. Current research is focused on cyanobacteria; he aims to determine the controls on oxygen production in cyanobacterial mats and the environmental and biological factors that influence the production of toxins in harmful cyanobacterial blooms. He is particularly interested in merging approaches from molecular biology, microbiology, and geochemistry.

Distinguished Career Award Recipient: William M. Berelson (University of Southern California)

Dr. William (Will) M. Berelson is a Professor of Earth Sciences and Environmental Studies at the University of Southern California, where he has taught and conducted research for over 40 years. His early studies of bioturbation in St. Croix sands and North Carolina barrier island migration naturally(?) led him to a lifelong love of biogeochemistry. Many studies of benthic fluxes and elemental cycling in the ocean have been supported by his Rube Goldberg-like invention habit. His recent work is on calcium carbonate dissolution kinetics, CO2 sequestration, and the urban C cycle. In 2002, he and Kurt Hanselmann, with Agouron Foundation support, launched the Geobiology Summer course, which continues today cross-training graduate students and building a supportive and intellectual cohort. Degrees in geology at U. Rochester, Duke and USC have left him with great friendships and excellent basketball and football teams to cheer.

Distinguished Career Award Recipient: Kurt Konhauser (University of Alberta)

Dr. Kurt O. Konhauser is a Professor in the Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Alberta. Kurt is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal Geobiology, author of Introduction to Geomicrobiology, founding member and 1st President of the Geobiology Society, and organizer for the 2017 and 2019 Geobiology Society Conferences in Banff. Kurt obtained his PhD from the University of Western Ontario before undertaking postdoctoral research at the University of Toronto and an academic appointment at the University of Leeds. Kurt moved to the University of Alberta in 2002 where he was the Canada Research Chair in Geomicrobiology. His research interests span a number of facets of geobiology and geomicrobiology including reconstructing the evolution of the biosphere across Earth’s history, modern analogue environments, and the surface reactivity of microbes and minerals. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, the Geochemical Society, and the American Geophysical Union.

Please join us in congratulating these exceptional scientists at the GSA Geobiology Division Award Presentation (a.k.a. the GBGM Lunch) during the 2020 GSA in Montreal, Canada.

Student Research Awards

Hello members of the GBGM,

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) is offering the following student research awards. 

Dutro Award

In recognition of the importance of basic systematic research to the science of paleontology, the Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) is once again proud to be able to offer support to a deserving graduate student for research in systematic paleontology.

This award of $500 is available to any student enrolled in an advanced degree program (Masters or Ph.D.) who is pursuing research in any area of systematic paleontology. Acceptable costs are research supplies, bench fees, and/or travel in support of fieldwork, museum visits, or to present research at a scientific meeting.

A brief description of the student's research project (two-page maximum, including a simple budget of how the funds will be used, references, any images, etc.) should be emailed to studentaward@priweb.org by the application deadline of March 1, 2020; please include "DUTRO AWARD" in the subject line. The student's primary research advisor must email a separate letter of recommendation in support of the project to studentaward@priweb.org, also by March 1.

John W. Wells Grants-in-Aid of Research Program

The Paleontological Research Institution (PRI) invites applications from undergraduate students, graduate students and post-doctoral researchers for the 2020 John W. Wells Grants-in-Aid of Research Program to support collections based research in any field of paleontology. The program awards grants of up to $500 to visit PRI’s collections.

This grant honors John W. Wells (1907 – 1994), past President of the PRI Board of Trustees, a long-time geology faculty member at Cornell University, and one of the world’s leading authorities on fossil and living corals.

PRI houses one of the largest collections of invertebrate fossils in North America, with particular strengths in Cenozoic mollusks from the Western Hemisphere, and marine invertebrates of the northeastern U.S., especially the Devonian of central New York.

 Applications should include a brief (one page) description of the research project, a budget justification and a letter of recommendation. Application deadline is February 15, 2020.

 Please e-mail your application material to Dr. Gregory P. Dietl, Curator of Cenozoic Invertebrates at gpd3@cornell.edu.

NAS Postdoc and Senior Research Awards

The National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine administers postdoctoral and senior research awards at participating federal laboratories and affiliated institutions at locations throughout the U.S and abroad. All research opportunities are open to U.S. citizens; some are open to U.S. permanent residents and foreign nationals.

We are actively seeking highly qualified candidates including recent doctoral recipients and senior researchers. Applicants should hold, or anticipate receiving, an earned doctorate in science or engineering. Awards are contingent upon completion of the doctoral degree. A limited number of opportunities in select fields are also available for graduate students. Degrees from universities abroad should be equivalent in training and research experience to a degree from a U.S. institution.

Application deadline dates (four annual review cycles):

• February 1
• May 1
• August 1
• November 1

Awardee opportunities:

• Conduct independent research in an area compatible with the interests of the sponsoring laboratory
• Devote full-time effort to research and publication
• Access the excellent and often unique facilities of the federal research enterprise
• Collaborate with leading scientists and engineers at the sponsoring laboratories

Awardee benefits:

• One-year award, renewable for up to three years
• Stipend ranging from $45,000 to $83,000; may be higher based on experience
• Health insurance (including dental and vision), relocation benefits, and professional travel allowance 

Applicants should contact prospective Research Adviser(s) at the lab(s) prior to the application deadline to discuss their research interests and funding opportunities.

For detailed program information, visit www.nas.edu/rap or e-mail rap@nas.edu.

GSA 2019 Student Awards

Dear Geobiology and Geomicrobiology (GBGM) Division Members,

It is our pleasure to announce the winners of the 2019 student presentation awards. This year we had a record number of student participants and there were many interesting talks and posters at this year's GSA Meeting, so thank you to everyone who participated! As usual, we were all impressed with the quality and diversity of research conducted by our student members! Presentation feedback has been sent out.

The many excellent entries always make it difficult to choose winners, but here are the presentations that rose to the top.

Oral presentation winners:

Remy Rovelli - Using Paleoenm to predict patterns of survivorship in the hell creek formation ecosystems across the k/pg mass extinction

Samantha Ocon - Best practices for instagram as a geoscience education tool

Poster presentation winners:

Cathryn Sephus - Shedding light on phototrophic pigment evolution: reconstruction of ancestral rhodopsins

Martina Bennick - Determining the origin of intracameral deposits in the orthocerid genusarionoceras

Honorable mention:

Jasmina Wiemann - Metazoan biomolecule fossilization products record phylogeny, physiology, and biomineralization

Kathryn Mudica - Lead burden in long bones of north american river otters

As with previous years, we'll be handing out prizes at GBGM awards luncheon next year (GSA 2020). If you think you're not going to be able to make it to the meeting, please contact Rowan Martindale, and we'll find a way to get your award sent to you.

We'd like to thank all of the students who contacted us and put their names forward for consideration; it was a real privilege to see and hear about the work you've been doing, and we encourage you to enter again next year. Recognizing the excellent work of our members is the most important aspect of the GBGM division, so please stay in touch. It is wonderful to see the faces of the student population of GSA GBGM and there is a bright future ahead for this group!

We would especially  liketo express our deepest gratitude to our members who judged this year's competition. Without your feedback and support, this endeavor would not be possible. We are also very grateful to our student representative Amanda Godbold and Andrew Putt for coordinating everything.

All the best,

Rowan, Vicky, David, Trinity, Lydia, Simon

GSA GBGM Division Executive Committee

Amanda Godbold and Andrew Putt

GSA GBGM Division Student Representatives

2019 Division Awards for outstanding geobiologists

Every year the GBGM executive committee selects exceptional scholars to receive awards for their accomplishments in research, education/mentoring, and service in geobiology. This year we had an exceptional list of nominees so thanks to all those who nominated someone!

We are pleased to announce that the 2019 awards go to Betsy Swanner (pre-tenure), Clara Chan  (post-tenure), and Russell Shapiro (distinguished career). Please check out their brief biographies below and explore their websites for further details about their research.

Pre-Tenure Award Recipient: Elizabeth (Betsy) Swanner (Iowa State University)

Betsy Swanner is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences at Iowa State University. Dr. Swanner is interested in the impact of ferruginous conditions on life throughout Earth’s history. Her research seeks to determine the extent of ferruginous conditions through time and space, and how global biogeochemical cycles operate in iron-rich conditions, primarily those cycles mediated by microbes. She uses a wide variety of analytical tools coupled to experimental approaches and work in modern analogues.

Post-Tenure Award Recipient: Clara Chan (University of Delaware)

Dr. Clara Chan is an associate professor of Earth Sciences at the University of Delaware, specializing in geomicrobiology. She studies how microbes make minerals, addressing the molecular mechanisms of biomineralization, as well as the unique composition of biominerals. Her approaches integrate culturing, ‘omics, biochemistry, and field experiments in caves, deep sea vents, coastal environments, and streams. She loves to watch things grow, including her microbes, crystals, her garden, and her daughter.

Distinguished Career Award Recipient: Russell Shapiro (California State University, Chico)

Russell Shapiro is a Professor of Geology and (just recently) former department chair at California State University, Chico. Dr. Shapiro has studied Phanerozoic microbialites from the modern Bahamas all the way back to the Archaean; he then branched out to enigmatic iron formations and methane seep carbonates.  In particular, he is interested in how metamorphic processes affect the fidelity of geobiological signals.  He funded his college education as a tattoo artist both at Humboldt State and UC Santa Barbara. Dr.  Shapiro was a field instructor on the International Geobiology Course from 2010-2016, served on the editorial board for Astrobiology, and was the Biosignature Panel Chief for the Mars2020 mission.  In addition to his academic career, Shapiro also works as a consultant for paleontological resources.

While research is a passion, he is most proud of the service he has provided in various roles inside and outside of academia. If you see a problem that needs to be fixed, step up!

Please join us in congratulating these exceptional scientists at the GSA Geobiology Division Award Presentation (a.k.a. the GBGM Lunch) during the 2019 GSA in Phoenix.

2019 AWG Winifred Goldring Award & Undergraduate Excellence in Paleontology Award

AWG Winifred Goldring Award
The Association for Women Geoscientists is pleased to announce the Winifred Goldring Award competition. The award, which consists of a $2000 cash prize and membership in the Paleontological Society and AWG for tenure of the awardee’s schooling, will be presented to an outstanding female student pursuing a career in paleontology. The award is named for Winifred Goldring, a pioneering woman paleontologist, who became State Paleontologist of New York State in 1939 and the first female president of the Paleontological Society in 1949. This award was made possible by the generous donations of David Watkins and MaryAnne Holmes. 

All application materials must be received by April 15th. The winner will be notified in May and the award will be distributed in early summer.

QUALIFICATIONS

A. Applicants must be women pursuing education as a graduate student in the paleontological – and affiliated – sciences at a degree-granting institution. 

B. Applicant must be enrolled as a student during the period of the award.

C. Proof of student status in the form of transcripts (official or unofficial) must be provided. 

D. Successful applicants will exhibit exceptional motivation, professional potential, outreach, and long-term commitment to goals. 

E. Students may receive the Winifred Goldring Award only once during the tenure of their graduate school careers. 

F. No prior AWG or PS membership is required.

G. National or international students are allowed to apply, with the exception of sanctioned countries.

For more information about application requirements, visit the AWG Awards and Scholarships web page at www.awg.org/awards and click on the AWG Winifred Goldring Award.

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Introducing the AWG Undergraduate Excellence in Paleontology Award
The Association for Women Geoscientists is pleased to announce the AWG Undergraduate Paleontology Award. The award, which consists of a $1000 cash prize and membership in the Paleontological Society and AWG for the tenure of the awardee’s schooling, will be presented to an outstanding female undergraduate student pursuing a career in paleontology. This award was made possible by the generous donations of David Watkins and Mary Anne Holmes. 

All application materials must be received by April 15. The winner will be notified in May and the award will be distributed in early summer.

QUALIFICATIONS

A. Applicants must be women pursuing education as an undergraduate student in the paleontological – and affiliated – sciences at a degree-granting institution. 

B. Applicant must be enrolled as a student during the period of the award.

C. Proof of student status in the form of transcripts (official or unofficial) must be provided. 

D. Successful applicants will exhibit exceptional motivation, professional potential, outreach, and long-term commitment to goals. 

E. Students may receive the Undergraduate Paleontology Award only once during the tenure of their undergraduate careers. 

F. No prior AWG or PS membership is required.

G. National or international students are allowed to apply, with the exception of sanctioned countries.

For more information about application requirements, visit the AWG Awards and Scholarships web page at www.awg.org/awards and click on the AWG Undergraduate Excellence in Paleontology Award.

2018 student presentation award winners

It is our pleasure to announce the winners of the 2018 student presentation awards. As usual, we were all impressed with the quality and diversity of research conducted by our student members! Presentation feedback will be sent out in the next week or so (hopefully while everything is still fresh in your memory).

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to our members who judged this year's competition. Without your feedback and support, this endeavour would not be possible. We are also very grateful to our student representative Amanda Godbold and Dylan Wilmeth for coordinating everything.
There were many interesting talks and posters at this year's GSA Meeting, so thank you to everyone who participated. The many excellent entries always make it difficult to choose winners, but here are the presentations that rose to the top.

Oral presentation winners:

Kathryn Mudica - Bioaccumulation Of Legacy Pollutants Using Lontra Canadensis (North American River Otter) As A Bioindicator

Erynn Johnson - 3D Printing Reveals Strengths And Weaknesses Of Prey Shape During The Mesozoic Marine Revolution


Poster presentation winners:
Broc Kokesh - Phenotypic Trajectory Analysis Reveals Temporal Divergence Of Shell Shape In Bivalves From Adjacent Marine Lakes

Maggie Stephenson - From Palm Savannahs To Hardwood Hammocks And Back: Palynology Of The Paleocene-Eocene Manawianui Drive Section, Bastrop County, TX


Honourable Mention:
Alison Cribb - Ecosystem engineering in the Ediacaran Nama Group, Namibia as a test for biological driver extinction of the Ediacara biota


As with previous years, we'll be handing out prizes at GBGM awards luncheon next year (GSA 2019). 

We'd like to thank all of the students who contacted us and put their names forward for consideration; it was a real privilege to see and hear about the work you've been doing, and we encourage you to enter again next year. Recognizing the excellent work of our members is the most important aspect of the GBGM division, so please stay in touch. It is wonderful to see the faces of the student population of GSA GBGM and there is a bright future ahead for this group!

All the best,

Rowan, Vicky, David, Trinity, Lydia, Simon

GSA GBGM Division Executive Committee

2018 Division Awards for outstanding research

Every year the GBGM executive committee selects exceptional scholars to receive awards for their accomplishments in research, education/mentoring, and service in geobiology. This year we had an exceptional list of nominees so thanks to all those who nominated someone!

We are pleased to announce that the 2018 awards go to Paula Welander and Jim Schiffbauer (pre-tenure), Beth Orcutt (post-tenure), and Andy Knoll (distinguished career). Please checkout their brief biographies below.

Pre-Tenure Award Recipient: Paula Welander (Stanford University)

Paula Welander is a microbiologist with interests in understanding the biosynthesis and physiological function of “molecular fossils” or lipid biomarkers in extant microbes. Paula received her undergraduate degree in kinesiology from Occidental College in Los Angeles. She obtained her PhD in microbiology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where she studied methanogenesis with Prof. Bill Metcalf.  Paula then pursued postdoctoral studies on the biosynthesis of hopanoids, lipid produced by bacteria that also function as geological biomarkers, at MIT with Prof. Dianne Newman and Prof. Roger Summons. She joined the Stanford faculty in 2013 where she has continued her molecular work on lipid biomarkers in extant bacteria and archaea.

Pre-Tenure Award Recipient: James Schiffbauer (University of Missouri)

Dr. Schiffbauer is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences and Director of the X-ray Microanalysis Core at the University of Missouri. Schiffbauer’s academic background spans both biology and geology, and his research interests center on how accurately the history of life can be interpreted through the fossil record. Specifically targeting the taphonomy of complex multicellular fossils from the dawn of animal life at the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition, Schiffbauer uses advanced microscopy methods, including analytical scanning electron microscopy and tomographic x-ray microscopy, to help resolve which features of fossils represent true biological signal as opposed to those that are instead preservational noise.

Post-Tenure Award Recipient: Beth Orcutt (Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences)

Dr. Beth Orcutt is a Senior Research Scientist at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay, Maine. Orcutt’s research focuses on understanding microscopic life at and below the seafloor, to resolve the importance of microbes in global chemical cycling while also revealing how life can survive in extremes for future astrobiology investigations. Having spent over 560 days at sea on 35 different field missions, Orcutt is an expert in ocean exploration technology.

Distinguished Career Award Recipient: Andrew Knoll (Harvard University)

Andrew Knoll is the Fisher Professor of Natural History at Harvard University, where he has taught for the past 36 years.  Knoll has longstanding interests in life and environments on the Archean and Proterozoic Earth, but he has also worried about Phanerozoic plant, animal, and phytoplankton evolution.  Much of Knoll’s paleontological and biogeochemical research derives from careful fieldwork, including successions in the Arctic, Siberia, China, Australia, and – virtually, at least – Mars.

Please join us in congratulating these four exceptional scientists at the GSA Geobiology Division Award Presentation during the 2018 GSA in Indiana.

2018 Division nomination deadline extended

A huge thanks to all of you who have sent us nominations for the 2018 GBGM division awards - they're excellent, and much appreciated! Although we now have nominees in each ctaegory (pre-tenure, post-tenure, and distinguished career), we still feel that we would like a larger pool to choose from in a couple of the categories (because we know that there are more amazing people out there!).

As a result, we are extending our nominations deadline to April 15th.

If you know of someone who you feel is deserving, please nominate them. Please use this nomination form to identify exceptional researchers who you think should be recognized, along with a justification (max. 500 words). Final nominees will be selected by the GBGM committee from amongst this pool, and awarded based the nominee’s complete portfolio (i.e., research, mentoring, service, and leadership). 

You can find all the nomination information (plus past awardees) here: http://gsageobiology.blogspot.com/2018/03/help-us-choose-2018-awardees.html

Help us choose the 2018 Awardees

Dear GSA GBGM,

Every year the GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology division selects three exceptional researchers to receive pre-tenure, post-tenure, and distinguished career awards (for details on past awards, see the GBGM website, or see below). This year (2018), the division has decided that our members should play a more prominent role in choosing exceptional scientists for these awards. We are requesting nominations from our GSA GBGM members in order to create a more diverse and inclusive nominee pool, both in terms of academic fields, and demographics.

Please use this nomination form to identify exceptional researchers who you think should be recognized, along with a justification (max. 500 words). Final nominees will be selected by the GBGM committee from amongst this pool, and awarded based the nominee’s complete portfolio (i.e., research, mentoring, service, and leadership). Please submit your nominations by April 2nd, 2018.

We're grateful for your participation in this process - we know that your time is valuable, but this is one of the most important things the division does, and we think the community (not just us) should have a stronger say.

All the best, and we hope to being seeing your nominations soon!
Simon, Rowan, Vicky, Lydia, and Carie

Previous Award Winners:

Pre Tenure Award

2017: Christopher Reinhard
2016: Erik Sperling
2015: Arpita Bose
2014: Rob Sansom
2013: David Johnston
2012: Alexis Templeton
2011: David Fike

Post Tenure Award

2017: Susannah Porter
2016: Tanja Bosak
2015: Tim Lyons
2014: Sara Pruss
2013: Kurt Konhauser
2012: Barbara Sherwood-Lollar
2011: James Hagadorn

Distinguished Career Award

2017: Marilyn Fogel
2016: Dawn Sumner
2015: Elizabeth and Rudy Raff
2014: Shuhai Xiao
2013: Stan Awramik
2012: Jack Farmer
2011: Derek Briggs

Awards before career-stage differentiation

2010: John Grotzinger, Rich Lane, Nora Noffke;
2009: Anna Louise Reysenbach, Mary Droser, and Ken Eriksson

Awards for Best Student Presentations at the 2017 GSA

Hey everyone! We are pleased to announce the student presentation award winners from the 2017 GSA meeting.

For the best talk:

Jeffrey Osterhout: Stable Isotope Geochemistry Of A Late Archean Microbial Ecosystem: Diversity In The Pre-GOE Oceans

Jack Shaw: Planktonic Foraminiferal Bleaching During Early Eocene Hyperthermal Events

Honorable Mentions: 

Erynn Johnson: Shells And Marine Revolutions: Experimental Tests Of Theoretical Shell Shapes

Daniel Killam: Pollution, Growth Rates, And Conservation Of Red Sea Giant Clams Using Isotope Sclerochronology

 

For the best poster:

Camille Dwyer: δ18O Schlerochronology Of Late Cretaceous Bivalves And Preservation Of Seasonality Irrespective Of Alteration

Jana Meixnerova: Did Volcanism Cause The Whiff Of Oxygen 2.5 Billion Years Ago?

 

CONGRATULATIONS ALL!

Winners will be awarded a prize at the 2018 GSA meeting.

Thanks for a great GSA 2017

Hi Everyone,

The GSA Geobiology & Geomicrobiology Division Executive Committee would like to say a hearty "THANK YOU" for making this past GSA annual meeting in Seattle such a success. The number of GBGM talks skyrocketed this year and (as is often the case), it was standing room only for the awards luncheon.

Below are some photos of the awards lunch.

(Most of) the GBGM Executive Committee

(L to R): Carie Frantz, Simon Darroch, Vicky Petryshyn, Lydia Tackett

This year's Post-Tenure Award Recipient: Susannah Porter (UC Santa Barbara)

(L to R): Carie Frantz, Simon Darroch, Susannah Porter, Vicky Petryshyn, Lydia Tackett, Rowan Martindale

(L to R): Carie Frantz, Simon Darroch, Susannah Porter, Vicky Petryshyn, Lydia Tackett, Rowan Martindale

This year's Pre-Tenure Award Recipient: Chris Reinhard (Georgia Tech)

(L to R): Carie Frantz, Simon Darroch, Chris Reinhard, Vicky Petryshyn, Lydia Tackett, Rowan Martindale

 The winners of the best student talk and poster presentations from the 2016 GSA annual meeting

(Back row, L to R): Carie Frantz, Simon Darroch, Vicky Petryshyn, Lydia Tackett, Rowan Martindale. (Front row award winners, L to R): Dylan Wilmeth, Amanda Godbold, Ross Anderson (Natalia Bykova not present)

 

 

 

 

 And a few more shots of the room....

SEE YOU NEXT YEAR!

2017 Division Awards for outstanding research

Every year the GSA Geobiology and Geomicrobiology division selects three exceptional researchers to receive pre-tenure, post-tenure, and distinguished career awards. This year we had an exceptional list of nominees and we are pleased to announce that the 2017 awards go to Chris Reinhard, Susannah Porter, and Marilyn Fogel. Please checkout their brief biographies below.

Pre-Tenure Award Recipient: Chris Reinhard (Georgia Tech)

 
Chris studied ecology and evolutionary biology as an undergraduate at the University of Kansas and pursued graduate research in Earth Sciences at the University of California, Riverside. He is currently Assistant Professor at Georgia Institute of Technology, with research interests that revolve around characterizing the chemical evolution of Earth's ocean-atmosphere system, how this evolution has been shaped by major biotic and ecological innovations, and the ways in which this history can be used as a proxy for characterizing remotely detectable biosignatures.

Post-Tenure Award Recipient: Susannah Porter (UC Santa Barbara)

Susannah received her bachelor's degree in Mathematics from Yale University in 1995 and her Ph.D. in Biology at Harvard University in 2002. After completing a one-year NASA Astrobiology Post-Doctoral Fellowship at UCLA, she moved to the University of California at Santa Barbara, where she is Associate Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Earth Science. She studies the early fossil record of animals and their protistan relatives and has worked on problems relating to the evolution of skeletal biomineralization, the influence of snowball Earth glaciations on the biosphere, the early evolution of eukaryotes, and the Cambrian diversification of animals. She lives in Carpinteria, California, with her husband, Jamie, and her two sons, Willie and Sam.

Distinguished Career Award Recipient: Marilyn Fogel (UC Riverside)

Marilyn received her B.S. degree in Biology form Pennsylvania State University and her Ph.D. in Botany (Marine Sciences) from the University of Texas at Austin. She spent the majority of her career as a Staff Member at the Carnegie Institution of Washington’s Geophysical Laboratory (1977-2012). In 2013, Marilyn started her career as a Professor at the University of California, first in Merced, and  currently the Wilbur W. Mayhew Endowed Professor of Geoecology at the University of California, Riverside as well as the Director of the EDGE Institute. Marilyn's research concentrates on understanding the flow of elements through modern biogeochemical cycles using stable isotope compositions of organic and inorganic matter as tracers. She uses this knowledge of elemental cycling in modern ecosystems, to understanding how biogeochemical cycles functioned over Earth's history. Her work extends to the fields of paleontology and astrobiology.

Please join us in congratulating these three exceptional scientists at the GSA Geobiology Division Award Presentation during the 2017 GSA in Seattle.

Nominate your colleagues for an award

It’s that time of year! Please consider nominating someone for a Paleontological Society Award. Information about the awards, including criteria, a list of past awardees, and information about how to nominate, is available on the Society’s webpage. The requirements for nomination are not burdensome: a letter describing the nominee's achievements (in less than 3 pages), the nominee's CV, and no more than 5 letters supporting the nomination.

The deadline to submit a nomination is February 1, 2017.

Paleontological Society Medal: The Paleontological Society Medal is the most prestigious honor bestowed by the Society, reflecting the objectives and standards of the Society. It is awarded to a person whose eminence is based on advancement of knowledge in paleontology.

Schuchert Award: The Charles Schuchert Award is presented to a person no more than fifteen years past completion of his or her PhD whose work early in his or her career reflects excellence and promise in the science of paleontology, and thus reflects the objectives and standards of the Paleontological Society.

Strimple Award: The Strimple Award recognizes outstanding achievement in paleontology by amateurs (someone who does not make a living full-time from paleontology). Contributions may be an outstanding record of research and publication, making outstanding collections, safeguarding unique paleontological materials through public service, teaching activities in the area of paleontology, and collaborations with others working in paleontology. Anyone, including other amateurs, may make a nomination. Nominators do not have to be members of the Paleontological Society.

Pojeta Award: The Pojeta Award was established to recognize exceptional professional or public service by individuals or groups in the field of paleontology above and beyond that of existing formal roles or responsibilities.

The Society seeks to recognize the achievements of colleagues across the range of fields of paleontology (invertebrate, vertebrate, and micropaleontology, paleobotany, ichnology), and from a range of institutional affiliations. And we are an international organization, so nominees from outside the U.S. are quite appropriate.