Luncheons
For descriptions click on hyperlink.
All-Convention Luncheon
Taking Geoscience to Greater Heights — American Geoscientists in Space
Date: Monday, 11 April
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
Location: Grand Ballroom
Fee: $50
Speakers: Scott Carpenter, Dr. Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt, Dr. James F. Reilly ll
and Dr. Andrew J. Feustel, NASA Astronauts
Energy Minerals Division (EMD) Luncheon
Hydrocarbon Opportunities Must Trump Their Challenges
Date: Tuesday, 12 April
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 310
Fee: $45
Speaker: John Hofmeister, Citizens for Affordable Energy, Washington, D.C.
Division of Professional Affairs (DPA) and AAPG Professional Women in Earth Sciences (PROWESS) Luncheon
America’s Energy Realities and Opportunities
Date: Tuesday, 12 April
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 320
Fee: $45
Speaker: Karen Alderman Harbert, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy (Energy Institute), Washington, D.C.
Division of Environmental Geosciences (DEG) Luncheon
The Deepwater Horizon/Macondo Well Oil Spill: Understanding the Impact
Date: Wednesday, 13 April
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 320
Fee: $40
Speaker: Dr. Edward B. Overton, Professor Emeritus, Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
All-Convention Luncheon
Taking Geoscience to Greater Heights — American Geoscientists in Space
Date: Monday, 11 April
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:15 p.m.
Location: Grand Ballroom
Fee: $50
Speakers: Scott Carpenter, Dr. Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt, Dr. James F. Reilly ll
and Dr. Andrew J. Feustel, NASA Astronauts
The All-Convention Luncheon promises to be an out-of-this-world event and a highlight of this year’s annual convention. What better way is there to celebrate the 50th anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s famous “Man on the Moon” speech than to feature a visit by four astronauts. The theme of this year’s Annual Convention & Exhibition — Making the Next Giant Leap in Geosciences — is a tribute to the pioneering efforts of the geoscientist-astronauts of the National Aeronautic and Space Association (NASA) program.
Our special guests (pictured above, from left to right) include Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter, Apollo astronaut Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt, and space shuttle astronauts James F. Reilly II and Andrew J. Feustel. These scientists together represent a near-uninterrupted timeline of the entire NASA manned space program, initiating in 1962 with the Mercury orbital flight, to the latest space shuttle mission scheduled for early 2011.
Each astronaut will describe his or her own compelling story of an early interest in science, astronaut selection and training, mission accomplishments, post-mission experiences and ventures, and perhaps a few thoughts on the future of the space program.
Mercury astronaut Scott Carpenter flew the second American manned orbital flight on May 24, 1962. He piloted his Aurora 7 spacecraft through three revolutions of the earth, reaching a maximum altitude of 164 miles. In 1965, Carpenter participated in the Navy SEALAB deep sea diving habitat, setting a record of 30 days on the ocean floor.
Apollo astronaut Dr. Harrison "Jack" Schmitt organized the lunar training for other Apollo astronauts. He later became a lunar module pilot for Apollo 17 , the last manned Apollo mission to the moon in December, 1972. He and fellow astronaut Eugene Cernan collected 244 lbs. of lunar rock samples during their 75 hours on the lunar surface. Dr. Schmitt later served as a US Senator of New Mexico.
Dr. James F. Reilly ll was employed as a petroleum geologist for 17 years before his selection by NASA in 1994. Reilly flew on 3 space shutle missions, STS-89 "Endeavour" in 1998, STS-104 "Atlantis" in 2001, and SS-117 "Atlantis" in 2007. He logged over 853 hours in space, incuding five spacewalks totaling 31 hours.
Dr. Andrew J. Feustel was employed as a geophysicist for ExxonMobil Exploration before being accepted as a mission specialist for NASA in 2000. He was a member of he STS-125 "Atlantis" mission to perform the final repair on the Hubble Space Telescope in 2009. Due to his upcoming launch of the STS-134 scheduled for April 19, his comments will be videorecorded as the shuttle crew will be in a pre-launch quarantine.
Energy Minerals Division (EMD) Luncheon
Hydrocarbon Opportunities Must Trump Their Challenges
Date: Tuesday, 12 April
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 310
Fee: $45
Speaker: John Hofmeister, Citizens for Affordable Energy, Washington, D.C.
The politics of energy frustrate the solutions for energy. Short-term election-cycle dynamics and dysfunctional partisanship should not determine the nation’s future energy security. The nation has more energy than it will ever need. What is required is a short-, medium- and long-term plan for the future supplies of energy, more efficient use of energy through technology, clean solutions for land, water and air pollution that is caused by production or consumption of energy, and sufficient infrastructure to move energy from where it is produced to where it is consumed. Unfortunately the federal government, led by short-term-thinking elected or appointed officials, has failed to adequately govern energy through its three branches, Hofmeister believes. The Executive, Legislative and Judicial Branches each attempt to govern energy and the environment and they have grown their structures and processes beyond what can effectively or efficiently decide what is in the nation’s best interests. Hofmeister will share his vision for a different governance model to ensure that energy and the environment are managed in the best interests of the nation’s security, economic competitiveness, environmental sustainability and life style freedoms of choice.
Upon retirement from Shell Oil Company in 2008, he founded and heads the not-forprofit 501(c) (3), nationwide membership association, Citizens for Affordable Energy. This Washington, D.C.-registered, public policy education firm promotes sound U.S. energy security solutions for the nation, including a range of affordable energy supplies, efficiency improvements, essential infrastructure, sustainable environmental policies and public education on energy issues.
Hofmeister serves as the Chairman of the National Urban League and is a member of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee. He serves as non-executive Director of the Hunting PLC, London, UK, Lufkin Industries Inc., CAMAC Energy, Inc., and the Sodexo North America Business Advisory Board. He is Senior Advisor to two energy start-ups: Liberty Power of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and NewEarth Technologies of Seattle, Washington. Hofmeister also serves on the boards of the Foreign Policy Association, Strategic Partners, LLC, the Gas Technology Institute and the Center for Houston’s Future. Hofmeister is a Fellow of the National Academy of Human Resources. John Hofmeister is the author of Why We Hate the Oil Companies: Straight Talk from an Energy Insider (Palgrave Macmillan, 2010).
Division of Professional Affairs (DPA) and AAPG Professional Women in Earth Sciences (PROWESS) Luncheon
America’s Energy Realities and Opportunities
Date: Tuesday, 12 April
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 320
Fee: $45
Speaker: Karen Alderman Harbert, President and Chief Executive Officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Institute for 21st Century Energy (Energy Institute), Washington, D.C.
With energy constantly in the headlines, Karen Alderman Harbert will discuss the realities of America’s energy challenges and the solutions that will make our nation more secure and prosperous.
Harbert leads the Energy Institute’s efforts to build support for meaningful energy action nationally and internationally through policy development, education and advocacy. Under Harbert’s leadership, the Energy Institute has evolved into a premier national and increasingly international organization truly dedicated to advancing a constructive energy agenda and transforming the energy and environmental debate into a widely supported plan of action. At the Institute, she was instrumental in formulating 88 specific policy recommendations that were presented to President Obama and the members of the 111th Congress. Harbert frequently testifies in front of Congress and provides analysis to the media, policymakers and industry leaders.
Division of Environmental Geosciences (DEG) Luncheon
The Deepwater Horizon/Macondo Well Oil Spill: Understanding the Impact
Date: Wednesday, 13 April
Time: 11:30 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Location: Room 320
Fee: $40
Speaker: Dr. Edward B. Overton, Professor Emeritus, Department of Environmental Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
The world’s attention was focused on the Gulf of Mexico after the Deepwater Horizon accident on 20 April 2010. Pictures and television coverage of oil spewing from the Macondo wellhead, slicks on the Gulf surface, and befouled shorelines showed what many considered to be the worst environmental disaster of our time. One year later, do we have a better understanding of the oil spill impact on the Gulf of Mexico environment?
The DEG Awards Luncheon is pleased to have as its distinguished speaker internationally renowned chemist and toxicologist Dr. Ed Overton. Dr. Overton has assisted hundreds of journalists from around the world with his expertise on the scientific aspects of the spill and his ability to explain complex details and concepts to the public. He has been interviewed by nearly every major media outlet including ABC, NBC, CBS, Fox, MSNBC, the New York Times, NPR and CNN. He brought the aura of an assured, calm scientist with amiable wit to media coverage, including his appearances on The Rachel Maddow Show and the Late Show with David Letterman.
Come join DEG for an exciting luncheon talk where Dr. Overton will give the audience his scientific interpretation of the circumstances surrounding the Deepwater Horizon/Macondo oil spill, the impacts expected from oil spills in general, and the cleanup options. He will also discuss what happens when oil is weathered in the environment.
The Division of Environmental Geosciences awards will be presented after Dr. Overton’s talk. A special technical session and forum concerning the oil spill follows the luncheon.
