26 U.S. States, 30 Countries Visited

VGP Records a Record Visit Year

I want to know more
about AAPG's Visiting Geologist Program.

What do Moscow State, William and Mary, Sultan Qaboos, Southern Methodist and King Faud universities have in common? Geoscience departments that received AAPG Visiting Geologists in the last 12 months!

AAPG's Visiting Geologists Program (VGP) is 27 years old and is stronger than ever. Although focused on the United States for most of its existence, VGP has pushed into the international arena with great effect lately.

VGPers visited 61 international geoscience departments last fiscal year -- only one less than visits to schools in the United States.

Then-president Robbie Gries' record 28 visits led the way, but Joe Lambiase logged 18 schools on his own ticket -- some kind of record! Lots of VGPers visited more than one school and carried the story of what it is like to get paid for having so much fun (practicing geology)!

VGP reached over 5,000 students, faculty, staff and other interested parties at a cost of about $6/person to AAPG, which is supported by the AAPG Foundation.

In addition to meeting with students and giving talks (scientific and/or professional), VGPers also "spread the word" about student chapters, grants-in-aid, student expos, mentoring, membership, distinguished lectures, etc.

The program is giving more emphasis to ethics and the business side of geology as current events underscore these topics. Thanks to committee member Chris Heath, VGPers will carry results of extensive surveys of company-desired "soft" and geo-skills for students and faculty consideration. Heath's study is the first one available to VGP that actually shows the ranked, wide variety of proficiencies wanted by employers.

For the second year the program filled every request -- and the "report cards" returned by geo-departments gave VGPers high grades.

Of course, records are made to be broken -- and you as members can help do that! If you possess enough industry experience to have a story to tell and can communicate effectively, the program needs you.

VGPers or their companies pay transportation costs to the schools, and schools ordinarily provide lodging, local transportation and meals. Visiting Geologists may put limits on their travel. All VGPers are expected to make at least one visit every two years in order to stay in the program.

Being a Visiting Geologist is a continuing terrific experience and a chance to reconnect to the scientific/professional starting point.

If interested please contact Cammy McKnight, AAPG coordinator for VGP, at (918) 560-2621 phone, or e-mail cammy@aapg.org.

Also, feel free to contact any committee member or VGPer listed below.

VGP committee members are: Adebayo Akinpelu, Chuck Caughey, Robert Cowdery, Patrick Gratton, Richard Green, Christopher Heath, John Hogg, Susan Landon and David Weinberg.

This year's Visiting Geologists are:

Eastern Region

Joseph L. Haberfeld, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Tallahassee, Fla.

Donald F. Oltz, Geological Survey of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Douglas G. Patchen, West Virginia Geological and Economic Survey, Morgantown, W.Va.

Kenneth D. Vogel, Leggette, Brashears & Graham Inc., St. Paul, Minn.

Jeffrey Warren, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, N.C.

Larry Wickstrom, Ohio Geological Survey, Columbus, Ohio.

Douglas E. Wyatt, Savannah River Site, S.C.

Central Region

Lyle F. Baie, Career Partnering, Tulsa.

James L. Bedford -- Borero Enterprises, Tyler, Texas.

George R. Bole -- consultant, Houston.

Lyle G. Bruce -- Group Environmental Management Co., Lisle, Ill.

Elizabeth B. "Betsy" Campen -- Campen Consultants, Billings, Mont.

Ben D. Hare -- Legends Exploration, Houston.

Jeanne E. Harris -- G&H Production, Denver.

Terry L. Hollrah -- Hollrah Exploration, Oklahoma City.

Naresh Kumar -- Growth Oil & Gas, Richardson, Texas.

Allen Lowrie -- oceanographer, U.S. Navy, Picayune, Miss.

Evelyn A. Medvin -- Core Laboratories, Houston.

Dwight "Clint" Moore -- Anadarko Petroleum, Houston.

Diana Morton-Thompson -- Earth Resources International, Kalamazoo, Mich.

Robert Olson -- consultant, Tulsa.

Rima Petrossian -- Texas Water Development Board, Austin, Texas.

W.C. "Rusty" Riese -- BP America Production, Houston.

Valary L. Schulz -- LaRoche Petroleum Consultants, Dallas.

Daniel J. Tearpock -- Subsurface Consulting & Associates, Houston.

Western Region

Wayne C. Ackerman -- Shell International E&P, Rijswijk, The Netherlands.

John M. Armentrout -- Cascade Stratigraphics, Clackmas, Ore.

Lee H. Fairchild -- Star Path Exploration, Houston.

Willard R. Green -- independent-consultant, Midland, Texas.

David K. Larue -- CPTC, San Ramon, Calif.

William J. LeMay -- consultant, Santa Fe, N.M.

Donald W. Lewis -- retired geologist, Lafayette, Calif.

Mantez McDonald -- Marathon Oil, Houston.

Harry J. "Jack" Meyer -- NW Natural Gas, Portland, Ore.

J. Michael Party -- Wagner & Brown, Midland, Texas.

Douglas C. Peters -- Peters Geosciences, Golden, Colo.

Michael M. Thacker -- LaMancha Co., Santa Fe, N.M.

David M. Weinberg -- Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Idaho Falls, Idaho.

Nationwide

Sunit K. Addy -- CGG Petrosystems, Houston.

Edith Allison -- U.S. Department of Energy, Rockville, Md.

William R. Almon -- ChevronTexaco, Houston.

J. Janine Barnard -- Marathon Oil, Houston.

Tim R. Carr -- University of Kansas Energy Research Center, Lawrence, Kan.

Robert D. Cowdery -- consultant, Wichita, Kan.

Rebecca L. Dodge -- State University of West Georgia, Carrollton, Ga.

Marlan W. Downey -- geologist, Dallas

Lee D. Entsminger -- ExxonMobil Exploration, Houston.

Lee C. Gerhard -- Kansas Geological Survey, Lawrence, Kan.

Richard I. Gibson -- Gibson Consulting, Cardwell, Mont.

Patrick J.F. Gratton -- independent Geologist, Dallas.

Richard G. Green -- LaRoche Petroleum Consultants, Dallas.

Robbie Gries -- Priority Oil & Gas, Denver.

Alberto A. Gutiérrez -- Geolex Inc., Albuquerque, N.M.

Alfredo E. Guzman -- Pemex Exploration and Production, Villahermosa, Mexico.

Jean L. Hamilton -- Marathon Oil, Houston.

Edward W. Heath -- independent geologist, Durango, Colo.

Donald A. Herron -- BP, Houston.

Debra Higley-Feldman -- U.S. Geological Survey, Lakewood, Colo.

Barry Katz -- ChevronTexaco, Houston.

Gerald J. Kuecher -- Baker Atlas Geoscience Consultants, Houston.

Susan M. Landon -- independent petroleum geologist, Denver.

Stephen E. Laubach -- Bureau of Economic Geology, University of Texas at Austin.

Louis Liro -- Veritas Exploration Services, Houston.

Marcus E. Milling -- American Geological Institute, Alexandria, Va.

H. Roice Nelson, Jr. -- Walden 3-D Inc., Barker, Texas.

Eric S. Pasternack -- Outsource Petrophysics, Mendota Heights, Minn.

Bonnie B. Robinson -- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C.

Dan L. Smith -- Sandalwood Oil & Gas, Houston.

Stephen A. Sonnenberg -- EnCana Energy Resources, Denver.

M. Ray Thomasson -- Thomasson Partner Associates, Denver.

Glen C. Ware -- geologist, The Woodlands, Texas.

Edith Newton Wilson -- Phillips Petroleum, Bartlesville, Okla.

Canada

Chris P.M. Heath -- independent researcher, Vancouver.

Debra Higley-Feldman -- U.S. Geological Survey, Lakewood, Colo.

John R. Hogg -- EnCana Corporation, Calgary.

International

Adebayo Akinpelu -- Chevron Overseas Petroleum, San Ramon, Calif.

Gustavo Castano -- Texaco, Aberdeen, Scotland.

Chuck Caughey -- Gulf Indonesia, Jakarta.

Herman Darman -- Shell Petroleum, Brunei, Darussalam.

Syed Tariq Hasany -- Pakistan Petroleum, Karachi, Pakistan.

John Kaldi) -- University of Adelaide, Australia.

Peter Lloyd -- NexT, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Bill Maloney -- New Ventures Texaco, London.

Javier J. Meneses-Rocha -- Pemex, Villahermosa, Mexico.

Joanne Perry -- Shell Expo, Aberdeen, Scotland.

James L. Pindell -- Tectonic Analysis, Billingshurst, England.

Stanley R. Wharton -- exploration geologist, Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies.