Dr. Robert Goldstein, Associate Dean for the Natural Sciences and Mathematics at the University of Kansas, has been named the winner of this year’s AAPG Foundation Professorial Award.

The honor, determined by the AAPG Academic Liaison Committee and presented annually to a professor for “Excellence in the Teaching of Natural Resources in the Earth Sciences,” comes with a $1,000 prize from the AAPG Foundation.

Goldstein is the Haas Distinguished Professor in the school’s Department of Geology, where he has been a faculty member since 1985.

“I greatly appreciate receiving this award from the AAPG Foundation,” Goldstein said. “The nomination from my students and recommendation of my colleagues means a great deal. This honor is even more meaningful because it comes from an organization that truly represents my interests and those of the students I teach.”

Goldstein’s research has focused on carbonate rocks – the group of sedimentary rocks that contain more than half of the world’s oil. His work addresses fundamental scientific questions as well as research that directly applies to oil and gas exploration.

“I truly love teaching at all levels, from Introduction to Geology to AAPG Field Seminars,” Goldstein said. “For me, teaching in the geosciences is all about helping students to think and see; it is incredibly rewarding work.

Goldstein will receive recognition and a commemorative plaque from AAPG Foundation Trustee Chairman, Jim Gibbs, at the Chairman’s Reception at ACE in Houston on April, 8 2014.

The AAPG Foundation, established in 1967, aims to provide a source of funding for educational, charitable and scientific objectives, which directly and indirectly benefit the geologic profession and the general public. The Professorial Award honors that intention by presenting this honor to a pillar of geoscience education – university geoscience professors. The Professorial Award is one of two Excellence in Teaching awards offered by the Foundation.