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36490 UT Geofoun NL Rev.P65 John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Geological Sciences Building at Austin The University of Texas Department of Geological Sciences and Geology Foundation 2001 NEWSLETTER 2001 NEWSLETTER The University of Texas at Austin Department of Geological Sciences and Geology Foundation Volume 51 East Mall view of the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Geological Sciences Building Jackson Building Addition Provides for Expanded State-of-the-Art Instructional and Research Facilities An extraordinary gift from John A. and Katherine G. Jackson will fund a new 57,000 gross-square-foot addition to the present Geology Building. The new complex, consisting of the current building and the new addition, will be named the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Geological Sciences Building in honor of the donors. As a defining element on the East Mall of the main campus, the building addition will have an exterior design that conforms to the traditional guidelines of the Campus Master Plan while gracefully complementing the shellstone cladding on the exterior of the present building (see covers). A bottom story of cut limestone will underlie three stories of brick with window arrangements echoing those found on the present building. The top story will be limestone with large glass windows under a red tile roof. Interior finishes will highlight natural colors and textures: terrazzo flooring and natural limestone and granite will be set into color schemes centered on a variety of earth tones. Four general-purpose classrooms and three specialized laboratory classrooms will be the focus of instructional activities in the building. The larger general-purpose classrooms all use a tiered or slanted seating arrangement to optimize sight lines to the instructor, and all have been designed to incorporate the latest in instructional technology—dual rear- projection digital display systems. The largest classroom will seat 121 students behind table-like continuous writing surfaces. This will be complemented by a 93-seat presentation room with auditorium-style seating. Two smaller classrooms (47 and 39 seats) with continuous writing surfaces will allow smaller classes to enjoy the same benefits of up-to-date instructional technology. The laboratory classrooms have been designed to allow for maximum flexibility in arranging seating and equipment, facilitating a wide variety of different types of learning methods and activities. Scholarly activities of the Department will expand into a set of “research clusters,” modular arrangements of offices and workspaces that will allow faculty members and graduate students to be grouped together in proximity to others with overlapping interests and to share computer equipment and other common-use facilities. Office space will be provided for staff of the Bureau of Economic Geology and the Institute for Geophysics while they are involved in teaching activities. The addition provides nearly 2,000 square feet of expansion space for the Joseph C. Walter, Jr. and Elizabeth C. Walter Geology Library (see related story) and nearly 1,000 square feet of office space to serve as the administrative headquarters of the newly formed Environmental Sciences Institute. A job-placement complex with individual interview rooms will share the top floor with three conference rooms in various sizes and with new offices for the Geology Foundation. A centerpiece of the Geology Foundation space will be a set of large display areas, galleries, and workrooms to house notable personal effects and scientific data from the Jacksons’ collections. AnAn EditorialEditorial frfromom thethe AustinAustin American-StatesmanAmerican-Statesman Giving the World The study of how our planet came to be and what it will be like tomorrow is an increasingly intriguing and urgent discipline. Wise utilization of earthly resources such as land, water, petroleum, and minerals starts with understanding and scientific training. The conservation ethic needed to preserve the planet for future generations will begin in classrooms and laboratories. That’s one reason to rejoice in the impetus given geology studies by the $25 million gift of John A. Jackson of Dallas to The University of Texas at Austin. The remarkable gift, the third largest ever received by The University, will JOHN A. JACKSON establish on the Austin campus a school of PHOTO BY DEBORAH CANNON, AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN geosciences named for Jackson and his late wife, Katherine. The University’s geology department already enjoys national recognition for quality. Also well-regarded are the UT Institute for Geophysics and Bureau of Economic Geology. With research and fellowships made possible by Jackson’s generosity, the new school should contribute significantly to University prestige and evolving knowledge. In Texas, geology has traditionally been associated with the oil and gas industry. That’s where Jackson—petroleum geology, class of 1940—made his fortune. Energy needs will continue to fuel demand for well-trained geologists. But geologists are also called to confront problems such as climate change and preservation of water resources and to unlock useful secrets of the past. Knowledge of how the Earth was formed, and how it is changing, will guide the future. The recent gift to endow a new school augments a $15 million gift for geology studies made last fall by Jackson, 87. It brings UT closer to its goal of $1 billion in an ongoing capital campaign. And it brings us closer to the promise of a good future for planet Earth. Monday, July 16, 2001 • Austin American-Statesman • Reprinted by permission 2001 NEWSLETTER The University of Texas at Austin Department of Geological Sciences and Geology Foundation Gary A. Kocurek, Chairman Department of Geological Sciences William L. Fisher, Director Geology Foundation Mary E. Koch Managing Editor Amanda R. Masterson Editor Jamie H. Coggin Layout and Design No State-appropriated funds were used to publish this Newsletter. Front Cover: Architect’s rendition of the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Geological Sciences Building slated for completion in December 2002. Architects: O’Connell Robertson and Associates/Overland Partners. Back Cover: East Mall view of the John A. and Katherine G. Jackson Geological Sciences Building slated for completion in December 2002. Architects: O’Connell Robertson and Associates/Overland Partners. Photos by Joseph Jaworski except as noted. The University of Texas at Austin 2001 Department of Geological Sciences and Geology Foundation Newsletter Volume 51 Department of Geological Sciences News Report from the Chairman ......................................................................................................... 1 Jackson School of Geosciences Established ................................................................................ 2 Jacksons Fund New Building ....................................................................................................... 4 Walters Provide Major Gift for the Walter Library ....................................................................... 5 Faculty and Staff Listing ............................................................................................................. 6 Faculty Personal Notes ............................................................................................................... 8 Bullard Student Research Fund Established ............................................................................... 14 Seeking Anticlines..................................................................................................................... 15 R. L. Folk/E. F. McBride Petrography Fund Established............................................................ 15 Geological Sciences Helps Establish UTs Environmental Science Institute (ESI) ....................... 16 Exploration Geophysics Initiative2001 Update....................................................................... 17 UT in the United Kingdom ....................................................................................................... 20 Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies (GCAGS) Establishes Don R. Boyd Medal........ 21 Boyer and Jackson Inducted into College of Natural Sciences Hall of Honor ............................ 22 Peter T. Flawn Receives the Santa Rita Award ............................................................................ 23 Professors Backus, Fisher, Folk, and Wilson Receive Medals ...................................................... 24 James N. Connelly Receives Knebel Award ................................................................................ 26 In Memoriam: Don R. Boyd .................................................................................................... 28 In Memoriam: Katherine Elizabeth Graeter Jackson ................................................................. 29 In Memoriam: John Landrum Loftis, Jr. ................................................................................... 30 Faculty Awards and Honors ...................................................................................................... 30 Staff Awards and Honors ......................................................................................................... 32 Staff Retirements...................................................................................................................... 33 Endowed Lecturers................................................................................................................... 34 Visiting
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