VISITING GEOLOGIST PROGRAM
REPORT FOR COMMITTEE MEETING
MARCH 11, 2002
The 27th year of the Visiting Geologist Program (VGP, formerly Visiting Petroleum Geologist or VPG) is another one of substantial growth. Comparing 12 month periods ending 30 June, total visits were up 28% 2000/2001 over 1999/2000; and this year is projected to be up 31% over 2000/2001 in spite of the travel restrictions and other constraints caused by the 11 September 2001 terrorist attack.
It looks like this year (2001/2002) will be the best year ever for VGP with 100 total visits projected! In the USA we are still only visiting 8% to 10% of degree-granting geoscience departments. Internationally (43 visits + 7 projected), we are way ahead of previous years’ visits, but again we have lots of schools left to contact.
VGP was helped substantially by President Robbie Gries’ many visits (18 so far in eight months!). We now have 113 speakers (81% USA, 11% international, 8% both). VGP still needs new players with enough industry experience in relationship to their age to have a story to tell. Of course, it is also important to be able to communicate effectively and have the initiative to obtain invitations to visit schools. VGPers are expected to make a minimum of one visit every two years in order to stay in the program excepting extenuating circumstances. The committee voted (by e-mail) to formalize the "1-in-2" minimum and added allowing faculty with a minimum of 15 years industry experience to join the VG program (existing VGPers who become faculty are retained subject to the universal "1-in-2" minimum). Also please note that some VGs are "unadvertised" — that is, they have been approved as VGs and can make visits under the VGP umbrella, but are not listed in the brochure or on the VGP webpage.
Our increased number of speakers has allowed the program to fill or schedule every request since 1 July 2000, thereby correcting a common yearly problem in VGP. Generally, VGPers also carry materials for, and promote student chapters, grants-in-aid, student expos, mentoring, membership (including EMD and DEG), distinguished lectures, etc. This extra responsibility is currently receiving more attention through better coordination within AAPG.
The VGP Committee is proud of the VGPers who individually or through their company give time and pay travel expenses (generally visited schools provide only local lodging, food and transportation). Occasionally speakers visit school functions or geological groupings off campus. Please see attached a list of speakers and schools visited since 1 July 2001.
All active VGPers are appreciated, but special recognition is due Joe Lambiase who visited 13 schools (in Malaysia, Vietnam and Thailand) and David Weinberg who visited 6 schools (in Idaho, Washington and Arizona).
VGP is very well served by AAPG staff which acts as promoter of visits, receiver of requests, supplier of data and coordinator for visits. We are particularly pleased with Cammy McKnight who currently acts as VGP coordinator. She is counseled by long-time staffer Barbara Davis and retired staffer/consultant Bob Millspaugh, and I am assisted (and counseled) by Vice Chairs Bob Cowdery and Rich Green. Other committee members are: Chuck Caughey, Chris Heath, Susan Landon and Bayo Akinpelu (three-year term begins 1 July 2002). Special thanks are due Chris for his work on company-desired geoskills (and some other skills)!
Please note that for only the second year in VGP/VPG history (to the best of my knowledge) we have tried to calculate "total" costs of our program. Our projection is that in the 2001/2002 program year the VGP will have reached 4,564 people (approx. same as last year’s count) at an average cost of $22.59/person contacted. AAPG’s portion is approximately $7.25/person. (We consider every contact as one person, not knowing if a student, faculty member, etc. may have received several contacts.)
Check out the VGP webpage at: www.aapg.org, click on Education, click on Visiting Geologist Program. Please review your bio to be sure it’s up-to-date, as well as the "topic focus" and "talk/lecture titles". If you would like to make any changes, contact Cammy and she will be glad to have the AAPG web staff make them.
Cammy has updated 35mm slides of the salary survey and AAPG student chapter map, which she is sending to each VG as they make their first visit of the program year. She also has the slides in PowerPoint format, and can send them as e-mail attachments upon request.
If you would like to recommend someone to join VGP and believe they meet the general desired qualifications please contact Cammy at 918-560-2621 or cammy@aapg.org or call me at 214-744-3869.
Chair