News Release

The American Geological Institute's Distinguished Service Award to be presented to Edward C. Roy Jr.

Grant and Award Announcement

American Geosciences Institute

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- The American Geological Institute (AGI) announces that Edward C. Roy Jr. will receive the William B. Heroy Jr. Award for Distinguished Service on Tuesday, November 4, at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), an affiliated member society. The Reception and Awards Ceremony takes place from 5:30-7:30 p.m. in the Metropolitan Ballroom of the Sheraton Seattle Hotel and Towers in Seattle, Washington. The Heroy Award is presented annually to a geoscientist in recognition of outstanding service to the Institute and to the geoscience profession.

"Ed has made, and continues to make, innumerable contributions to the Institute and our programs, and his guidance throughout the years has been invaluable," says Marcus E. Milling, AGI Executive Director. "Ed is also an ardent advocate for Earth science education who has devoted significant time to help students, academic administrators, and political leaders understand the importance of the geosciences in our daily lives here at home and around the world."

Roy is currently the Gertrude and Walter Pyron Distinguished Professor of Geology at Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, where he has held various academic and administrative positions during his tenure of more than 35 years, including Vice President for Academic Affairs; Dean of the Division of Sciences, Mathematics and Engineering; and Chair of the Department of Geology. In 2002, Roy was appointed by the Commissioner of the Texas Education Agency to chair the Texas Earth Science Task Force which is assessing Earth science as a core high-school science course. Roy began his career as a micropaleontolgist for Shell Oil Company. He earned a B.S. degree in geology, and his Ph.D. in geology from The Ohio State University.

Roy served as President of AGI in 1997 and as Secretary from 1988-1990. He is a Trustee and the former Secretary of the AGI Foundation. Active in many professional organizations, Roy was President of the South Texas Geological Society from 1977-1978 and President of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies from 1978-1979. He served twice as General Chairman of the annual meeting of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG), first in 1984 and again in 1999. Roy has also participated as a member of numerous committees of national science organizations, including the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the National Research Council, and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.

On Sunday, November 2, 2003, during the Geological Society of America Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony in the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington, Roy will be presented the 2003 AGI Medal in Memory of Ian Campbell for his many contributions as a geologist, educator, administrator, and public servant. Roy is also the recipient of other honors and awards, including Trinity University's Outstanding Professor Award in 1967 and the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies' Outstanding Educator Award in 1991. The Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies recognized Roy with the A.I. Levorsen Award in 1981 for the best scientific paper and he received the AAPG Distinguished Service Award in 1990. Roy is an Honorary Member of the South Texas Geological Society, the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

The Distinguished Service Award is presented in honor of one of the outstanding geologists of the 20th century, William B. Heroy Jr., who advanced the use of geophysics in petroleum exploration and in geologic research worldwide. Recipients of this award are measured against his exemplary career.

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The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 41 scientific and professional associations that represent more than 100,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other Earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources and interaction with the environment. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org. The Institute also provides a public-outreach web site, http://www.earthscienceworld.org.


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