Department of Geological Sciences Newsletter No. 27, September 1978
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Department of Geological Sciences 1978 No. 27, September AUSTIN. TEXAS Alumni Gather at AAPG AAPG in Oklahoma City— provided the setting for our graduate Student. Brian was born in Corpus Christi in annual alumni breakfast a time for socializing and 1956 and entered UT as a geology major in the fall of presenting awards to students and faculty. An enthusi- 1974. He was on the dean's list and participated in the astic group of 145 persons braved the early (for some) University Junior Fellows Program, completing his un- hour of 7:30 a.m. on Tuesday, April 11, to enjoy the dergraduateprogram with an impressive 3.8 grade-point festivities held in the Sheraton-Century Hotel. Several average. He was the recipient of a Robert H. Cuyler faculty presented brief highlights of the year's activities Memorial Scholarship for the senior field course (sum- at UT. Earle Mcßride outlined our "growth problems" in undergraduateclasses, identifying the special case of our field courses where the logistics of handling large groups interferes with teaching efficiency. Al Scott men- tioned that all of the large number of students who re- cently completed graduate degrees have jobs, however, he cautioned that we anticipate an evenlarger number of new graduate students this fall. Representing the Advisory Council, Mr. Ben Carsey spoke on the signifi- cant role the Geology Foundation plays in aiding De- partmental activities. He thanked the alumni for their interest in the Department and urged them to continue their fine support. The highlight of the program was the presentation of awards. Brian E. Richter was given a certificate and check for $100 as the Department's Outstanding Under- Earle McBride and Brian Richter display certifi- cate naming Brian the Outstanding Undergraduate Student mer, 1977) and the Carroll C. Miller Presidential En- dowed Scholarship (academic year 1977-78). Brian was also captain of the UT sailing team. Upon receipt of his degree in May 1978, Brian was employed by Energy Reserves Group in Houston. He anticipates attending graduate school and a career in the energy industries and aspires to being on the Olympic sailing team when it competes for the world title in Russia in 1980. The Petrography Award is presented annually to the student who demonstrates the best in under- Jan &Bill Blankenship,Ralph Kehle, ability Larry Brogdon, George Stanton, Walter Parrish, Ray Sorenson, standing all types of rocks, both in hand specimen and and Tom Curlee microscopic study. Each spring a group of faculty pre- 2 September 1978 perior knowledge of petrography will be of special value. Faculty were also included in the awards portion of the program. Drs. Leon Long and Bill Muehlberger were the recipients of Houston Oil & Minerals Corpora- tionFaculty Excellence Awards. Each Award includes a certificate and cash prize of $1000. Leon was cited "in recognition of special contributions in popularizing ge- ology in the Department through his efforts in develop- ing and faithfully conducting an outstanding course in introductory geology." Leon developed Geology 303 en- titled "Introduction to Geology" in1968 and has taught the course each semester since then. The course com- bines physical and historical geology in a three- semester-hour course and includes a full-day field trip into the Llano area. Each semester several hundred students enroll in this course which Leon has made especially popular because of his dynamic teaching style. Leon wrote a textbook, Geology, published in Petrography Award Garrisonaccepts winner Jim use in certificate from Steve Clabaugh 1974 by McGraw-Hill for this course. The book has also been adopted by other universities for similar courses. pare an examination which is open to geology majors at alllevels. James R. Garrison, Jr., excelled in the exam and won the Award which, in addition to the high prestige, includes a $1000 cash prize. Jim was born in Fort Worth in1952. He received the BS degree in geol- ogy from UT in summer 1976 and immediately began a graduate program leading to the PhD. He has al- ready passed his comprehensive exams for that degree working dissertation, a and is cs onhis which involves de- tailed field and geochemical study of the Coal Creek serpentine mass and the associated mafic and intermedi- ate intrusive rocks of that region. Jim hopes to utilize this information to reconstruct the petrochemical and tectonic history of the Llano uplift of central Texas in a manner consistent with the new global— tectonics. Jim looks forward to an academic career where his su- John Eidt, Berte R. Haigh,Kent Claypool, Rizer Everett, Richard A. Davis, Jr., John W. Wood, Don F. Reaser, John D. Cooper, Joel S. Watkins, and Don F. Mahaffey Bill Muehlberger was honored "in recognition of ex- ceptional service to the undergraduate teaching pro- gram in the Department and especially his dedication to developing and teaching a superior senior course in field geology." This was indeed a fitting tribute to Bill's 20 plus years of teaching Geology 660, first in the Mara- thon region and currently in Taos, New Mexico. (Bill taught there again this past summer.) Bill began his UT teaching career in 1954 and, with the exception of a few years when he was onleave from the University Dick Bennett, Will& Marianne Green, in training Ron Nordquist,Joe Brewton, Chuck Caughey, Jim Miller,Howard while involved astronauts for the Apollo and Marijo Gibson missions, has taught our senior course each summer. He Geological Sciences Newsletter 3 was instrumental inestablishing our camp in the Mara- thon regionof west Texas. He excels as ateacher in field geology as the students will readily declare. This course is especially significant as it serves to focus the class- room learning in a capstone course that usually comes at the end of the undergraduate training. Faculty colleagues of Leon and Bill arepleased that their dedication to teaching excellence of our under- graduate students has been recognized in this meaning- ful way. The faculty and undergraduate students (and many former students as well) share their pleasure in receiving these fine awards. The program concluded on a surprise note for Steve Hal & Sally Bybee, J. R. Jackson, Jr., Clabaugh. He attended the breakfast to present the Thomas F. Head,Earl H. Bescher, Jr., Phil Jones,Kelton Cloud, Virgil H. Roan, Judd H. Oualline, and James E. Peterson awards to Jim Garrison and Leon Long, so it wasn't until Al Scott's announcementthat Steve learned he had won the Carolyn G.and G.Moses Knebel Distinguished Teaching Award. This marks the second time Steve has been named for this high honor. (Balloting for the Knebel Award is done by undergraduate and graduate geology majors.) Steve received a cash prize of $1000 and a handsome engraved desk pen and pencil set citing the Award. The breakfast program was concluded on this happy note.But with areminder that we anticipatehaving our T. Dan W. Williams, — J. Worbington, biggest alumni breakfast ever next year on Tuesday, Reynaldo E. Macedo, Norma &Robert Sheldon,Bill W. Sharp, 3, at in an an- Roberto Garcia, Edgar H. Guevara, A. A. Hassam, and Rafik April 1979 AAPG Houston. Look for Salem nouncement of that eventinearly spring. See you there! Society (along with many wives) participated in seeing — that the convention was a huge success. A measure of GCAGS Meets in Austin this success is reflected in the attendance;— there was a Attend total of 2,043 paid registrants 1,412 scientists, 512 Alumni Luncheon spouses, 90 students and 29 exhibitors. Continuing a tradition, the Department hosted an alumni luncheon during the meetings. The turnout was The Austin Geological Society hosted its first annual spectacular as some 130 alumni joined faculty members convention of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological at Christie's Restaurant for a seafood luncheon and Societies inOctober 1977. Using "Earth-Energy-Environ- brief talks by several of the faculty. ment" as a theme for this 27th annual meeting of the GCAGS meets in New Orleans this October, 1978. GCAGS, the program included a Cretaceous symposium So, mark your calendar to attend the Department lun- in addition to a full array of papers in the GCAGS and cheon scheduled for 12 noon, Thursday, October 12, SEPM sessions. Bob Boyer served as GCAGS president at the Holiday Inn Superdome. Ken Martin (MA '61) for the year and Jerry Wermund, as general chairman, is our New Orleans representative in charge so we can handled the many tasks of overseeing the meetings. all be assured of a fine luncheon and entertaining pro- Essentially all the members of the Austin Geological gram. 4 — September 1978 Ernie Lundelius John A. Wilson VP Professor Dr. Ernest L.Lundelius,Jr. has been named the first Jack Wilson listens to Ernie Lundelius recipient of the Wilson Professorship in when establishment of the Professorship was first John A. Verte- announced brate Paleontology. Ernie, who was born and raised in Austin, attended UT and received a BS in geology in 1950. He enrolled at the University of Chicago, obtain- ing the PhD degree in paleozoology (in 1954), and furthered his training with a post-doctoral fellowship level course entitled "Life Through Time" to graduate at Caltech (1956-57). Twenty-one years ago Ernie re- seminars in the vertebrate paleontology of mammals turned to UT when he accepted a teaching position as and in biostatistics. He is a stalwart on committees, assistant professor. He was promoted to associate pro- contributing much effort to the ongoing needs of the fessor in 1983 and professor in 1969. Department and University in these time-consuming Ernie's research interests center on Pleistocene and duties. Holocene mammals, with emphasis on paleoenviron- This Professorship marks the sixth endowed position mental reconstructions and microevolutionary changes.