HISTORY OF GEOLOGY DIVISION AWARDS

THE MARY C. RABBITT HISTORY OF GEOLOGY AWARD

The Mary C. Rabbitt History of Geology Award is presented annually by the History of Geology Division/GSA to an individual for exceptional scholarly contributions of fundamental importance to our understanding of the history of the geological sciences. Achievements deserving of the award include, but may not be limited to, publication of papers or books that contribute new and profound insights into the history of geology based on original research or a synthesis of existing knowledge. Letters of nomination and supporting material should by submitted by February 1^st each year, and sent to the Division Secretary/Treasurer whose address is given below.

FORMER AWARDEES

THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

The Distinguished Service Award, established in 2005, may be presented, from time to time, to an individual or individuals for exceptional service in the advancement of our knowledge of the history of the geological sciences. Contributions deserving of this award may include, but are not limited to, the discovery, management and making available of rare source materials; promotion of meetings, symposia and scholarly organizations devoted to the history of geology; establishment and editing of scholarly journals in this field; and exceptional service to the Division or other organizations related to the history of geology.

This award may be given annually, but it is not the intent of the Division that it should necessarily be presented every year. The determination to present one award (or none) in any given year will be made by the current officers of the Division. However, the availability of the award is announced annually in the Division= s newsletter and on the web site. Letters of nomination and supporting documentation should be sent by February 1^st each year to the Division Secretary/Treasurer whose address is given below.

HISTORY OF GEOLOGY STUDENT AWARD

History of Geology Student Award – Each year the History of Geology Division/GSA requests applications for its Student Award, which consists of a cash prize of $500.00. The award is made possible by a bequest from the estate of Mary C. Rabbitt. The person whose paper is selected by a Division review committee will be invited to present that paper at the annual GSA national meeting, in the History of Geology discipline session. The annual deadline for proposals is May 1^st each year. We invite all faculty mentors to encourage their students to consider this award as they are preparing theses and dissertations. The award competition is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. While both oral and poster presentations are eligible, oral presentations are preferred. Faculty advisors may be listed as second author, but not as the lead author of the paper.

The proposed paper may be: (1) A paper in the history of geology; or (2) A historical literature review of ideas for a technical work or thesis/dissertation; or (3) Some new, imaginative aspect of the history of geology.

All students, regardless of discipline, are invited to apply, provided the proposed paper is related to the history of a geological idea/person/etc. After the applications have been received and reviewed by the Awards Committee, the winner will be notified. The winner should then officially submit the abstract for the annual GSA meeting, and present his or her paper at the History of Geology Division disciplinary session. The student will be recognized at the annual Division luncheon and the $500 award will be presented at that time. If there are multiple authors, the cash award will be presented to the senior author and further distribution is up to that person. All applicants are encouraged to submit their papers for the History of Geology discipline session at the annual meeting as well.

The History of Geology Division would like to hear from you! Division mentors are available to help you with this process, or you may work with your own university or college faculty and advisors. Applications and proposals should be sent to the Division Secretary-Treasurer:

Professor William Brice
Geology and Planetary Science, University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Johnstown PA 15904 wbrice@pitt.edu

Due date for proposals and application is May 1^st of each year so that the proposal content can be reviewed and the selection made for the award in time to meet the official GSA deadline. Also in this way, the GSA abstract, perhaps, can be refined. The Division award committee will make the selection.

Previous Awardees

2004 Michael C. Rygel                        2005 Lee J. Florea

PATH FOR THE STUDENT:

The student will prepare an application for his/her proposal to be sent to the award review committee. It shall consist of:

• The completed application form – at the end of this notice.
• A draft abstract prepared according to GSA guidelines; which can be modified later as needed before the final submission for the annual meeting.
• A sentence or two about how the projected paper fits into the student’s senior or master’s thesis, or his/her dissertation. It is expected (but not necessary) that this work may be fairly early in the research.
• A short statement about the department and field within which the student works.
• If successful in receiving the award, prepare and submit an abstract, according to GSA guidelines, to GSA for the annual meeting marked for the History of Geology Division.

APPLICATION FOR STUDENT AWARD, GSA HISTORY OF GEOLOGY DIVISION [pdf of form to print]
Deadline for submission: May 1^st each year. See below for contact information.

Name________________________________________________________________________

Address ______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

E-mail address_________________________ Telephone #_____________________________

School(s) Attended______________Year(s)_________________________Major____________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Advisor*______________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

Title of Paper: (Attach the abstract) ________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

What is the significance of the paper to your project/thesis?_____________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

*If you are working with an advisor who can help with the historical content of your paper, use his/her name. Or, you may indicate if you would like to work with someone from the History of Geology Division to help you explore the historical aspects of your topic.

Please send your application with the materials requested in the award announcement to:

Professor William Brice, HoG Sec.Treas.
Geology and Planetary Science Dept.
University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown
Schoolhouse Rd.
Johnstown PA 15904
U.S.A.