Mark G. Rowan received a B.S. in biology from CalTech in 1976, an M.S. in geology from Berkeley in 1982, and a Ph.D. in structural geology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 1991. He was previously an exploration geologist with Sohio, a consultant with Geo-Logic Systems and Alastair Beach Associates, and a research professor at University of Colorado. Mark founded his own company in 1998, where he consults and teaches for the petroleum industry worldwide and conducts research sponsored by industry. Although Mark’s background includes many types of tectonic environments, his primary interests are focused on the styles and processes of salt tectonics, salt-sediment interaction, the geometry and kinematics of passive margins, and the applications to petroleum exploration. He is the author or coauthor of over 65 papers and 150 abstracts, is the instructor for AAPG’s Practical Salt Tectonics course, was an AAPG Distinguished Lecturer and an AAPG International Distinguished Instructor.