2017 Report to Our Members
April 30, 2018
Read the 2017 Report to Our Members
The GS is pleased to present this report summarizing the annual activities of the society for 2017. It is designed to present important facts about the programs and finances of the society in a concise format. We welcome your comments on the report by contacting the business office.
Organic Geochemistry Division Announces Best Paper Award
March 31, 2018
The society's Organic Geochemistry Division recently restructured its Best Paper Award and accepted nominations for articles published in 2015. The OGD is now pleased to announce that the award will recognize the authors of, "Reappraisal of hydrocarbon biomarkers in Archean rocks" (PNAS May 12, 2015. 112 (19) 5915-5920). The meticulous work described in the paper was done by Katherine L. French, Christian Hallmann, Janet M. Hope, Petra L. Schoon, J. Alex Zumberge, Yosuke Hoshino, Carl A. Peters, Simon C. George, Gordon D. Love, Jochen J. Brocks, Roger Buick, and Roger E. Summons. In choosing the article, the selection committee commented that "There are few papers that have made such a profound contribution to this field."
The authors would like to acknowledge funding of this unique study by the Agouron Institute and, in particular, John Abelson and Mel Simon.
Position Opening: Executive Editor of GCA
February 19, 2018
The Geochemical Society and the Meteoritical Society are seeking qualified candidates to serve as Executive Editor (EE) of Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta (GCA). GCA publishes research papers that address fundamental aspects of geochemistry and cosmochemistry, and articles relating to key activities of the sponsoring societies.
The GCA EE is responsible for and has control over the scientific content of the journal, taking into account the aims and scope of the journal, the publisher's editorial policies, and guidance from the sponsoring societies. The duties of the EE are to oversee the editorial process, provide and defend final decisions on all manuscripts, establish editorial policies for the journal, and communicate with the scientific community both directly via authors and reviewers, and through the sponsoring societies and the publisher.
The EE works closely with a team of Associate Editors (AE) to evaluate the scientific content and perceived impact of submitted papers. An important responsibility of the EE is to identify, recruit, and nominate AEs as needed to sustain the editorial demands of the journal, for approval by the societies and the publisher. There are currently close to 90 AEs for GCA, all of whom receive complementary membership in the Geochemical Society. The EE is nominated by the societies to the journal's publisher, Elsevier. The EE manages GCA's editorial team, with assistance and support from Elsevier, in a scientifically sound, efficient and ethical way using Elsevier's online system for handling manuscript submissions, revisions, reviews, and communications with the authors. Duties include initial evaluation of manuscripts relative to the scope and standards of the journal, allocating manuscripts to Associate Editors, overseeing the review process, and providing final decisions regarding their acceptance or rejection. The journal receives over 1,000 new submissions per year, of which about half are accepted for publication.
The GCA EE is a leadership position in both of the sponsoring societies. The EE is a member of the Board of Directors of the Geochemical Society and is expected to participate in all activities of the Board. The EE also presents an overview of the state of the journal progress reports at the annual meetings and communications with members of both societies.
Financial support is available from the publisher. The appointment is for an initial 3-year term commencing 1 January 2019. Additional terms are possible by negotiation with the societies and the publisher.
To apply, please send a CV and letter of application to gca@geochemsoc.org. Questions about the selection process may also be sent to this address. All applications must be received by 15 April 2018.
GS Endorses Africa Initiative for Planetary and Space Sciences
June 15, 2017
Research groups in planetary and space sciences are now emerging in Africa, but remain scattered and underfunded. To elevate planetary and space science across the entire African continent, a group of researchers is developing the Africa Initiative for Planetary and Space Sciences. It will involve coordinated actions with international partners for training M.Sc. and Ph.D. students, for developing locally-based scientific facilities, and for the progressive integration of the fascinating discoveries about our solar system into university curricula.
The identified benefits of education and research programs in these fields and the call for endorsement of this initiative are presented in two articles published this week in EOS:
https://eos.org/opinions/africa-initiative-for-planetary-and-space-sciences
https://eos.org/features/the-state-of-planetary-and-space-sciences-in-africa
In May, the GS Board of Directors voted to endorse the initiative along with AGU, EAG, and many other societies. Learn more at https://africapss.org.
GS Joins the March for Science
March 22, 2017
One of the great strengths of the Geochemical Society is its diversity. This includes a diversity of topical interests, of geographic origin, of gender, but also of cultural values and of political perspectives. Nevertheless, we are united by a love of science, that is, by a profound curiosity and by the understanding that answers to our questions about how the physcial world functions can only be achieved through careful observations, analyses and experiments. The factual information provided by scientific research has provided solutions in areas ranging from healthcare to the food supply, from airplanes to cell phones to the exploration of our solar system and universe. A fact-based understanding of the physical world is thus critical to the welfare of humanity.
For this reason, we join numerous other scientific organizations, including the AGU, the AAAS and the EAG, in supporting the March for Science that will be held in Washington, DC, and also around the world, on Earth Day (April 22, 2017). The objective of the March is to underscore the importance of science to so many aspects of human life, and in consequence, to support the assertion that public policy should be informed by solid scientific evidence.
If you would like to find out how you can support the March for Science or join a local march, visit the organizers' website.
Goldschmidt 2020: Honolulu, Hawai'i
March 09, 2017
(image courtesy of Hawaii Tourism Authority)
The GS and EAG are excited to announce that the 2020 Goldschmidt Conference® will take place June 21-26 at the Hawai'i Convention Center in Honolulu, HI, USA. The geologically fascinating state of Hawai'i will provide a warm welcome to delegates from around the world. Mark your calendar for upcoming conferences and plan to participate in the world's premier meeting devoted to geochemistry!
Jill Banfield Named 2017 V.M. Goldschmidt Medalist
February 22, 2017
Jill Banfield, professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley, will receive the 2017 V. M. Goldschmidt Award this summer. The Goldschmidt Award recognizes major achievements in geochemistry or cosmochemistry consisting of either a single outstanding contribution or a series of publications that have had great influence on the field. Prof. Banfield studies the structure, metabolic potential and functioning of natural microbial communities in sediments, soil, water, biofilms and animals. She develops and applies new methods in molecular geomicrobiology and microbial ecology. She also studies nanoparticle formation and the behavior of nanoparticles and clay minerals in the natural environment (nanogeoscience). The award will be formally presented at the Goldschmidt 2017 conference in Paris, France this August.
Kai-Uwe Hinrichs Named 2017 C.C. Patterson Medalist
February 22, 2017
Kai-Uwe Hinrichs, professor of organic geochemistry in the Department of Geosciences/MARUM, University of Bremen, will receive the 2017 Clair C. Patterson Award this summer. The Patterson Award recognizes an innovative breakthrough of fundamental significance in environmental geochemistry, particularly in service of society, consisting of either a single outstanding contribution or a short series of papers published within the last decade. Prof. Dr. Hinrichs is recognized for his work on the interactions between microbial life and the carbon cycle on a range of spatial, temporal and molecular scales. The award will be formally presented at the Goldschmidt 2017 conference in Paris, France this August.
Francis McCubbin Named 2017 F.W. Clarke Medalist
February 22, 2017
Francis M. McCubbin, astromaterials curator in the NASA Johnson Space Center's Astromaterials Research and Exploration Science Division, will receive the 2017 F.W. Clarke Award this summer. The Clarke Award recognizes an early-career scientist for a single outstanding contribution to geochemistry or cosmochemistry published either as a single paper or a series of papers on a single topic. Dr. McCubbin is recognized for his work on water in apatite that changed our understanding of volatiles in the moon. The award will be formally presented at the Goldschmidt 2017 conference in Paris, France this August.
John Hayes (1940-2017)
February 10, 2017
(Image courtesy of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution)
John Michael Hayes, born September 6, 1940, passed away at his home in Berkeley, California, on February 3, 2017. John Hayes was a leader in the fields of organic geochemistry and biogeochemistry who opened these fields to stable isotopes with his pioneering work in compound specific isotopes (CSIA). The impact of CSIA in present day chemistry has been wide-reachin; it is used in drug analyses, forensic geochemistry, food processing, blood testing, and environmental geochemistry, and it has entered the popular culture via forensic science focused TV shows. His generosity of spirit and enthusiasm for bringing together the ideas and practitioners of geology, chemistry, and biology to inform each other, was at the core of his impact across disciplines. His ground-breaking work in CSIA and his legacy of an interdisciplinary approach to research was transformative and contributed profoundly to our understanding of the Earth's organic processes.