The 2006-2007 Edition of the LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics Alumni Magazine

Geology & GeophysicsMagazine

The Department of Geology & Geophysics is proud to celebrate 80 years of the longest continually running field camp in the nation

1937 Field Camp Photo

Geology & GeophysicsMagazine

The LSU Geology & Geophysics Magazine is published annually for friends and alumni of the department. This publication reflects events occuring between July 1, 2006 and June 31, 2007. Future publications will be distributed late August.

CONTENTS2 FAREWELL FROM THE CHAIR

3 A YEAR OF DISCOVERY: LSU GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP 2007

5 LSU GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP PROGRAM NAMED FOR ALUMNUS CHARLES BARNEY

8 JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF FIELD CAMP TRADITION

15 ADG UPDATE

18 STUDENT NEWS

21 FACULTY UPDATES

24 ALUMNI NEWS

25 HALL OF DISTINCTION 2007

27 MEMORIALS

FAREWELL FROM THE

CHAIR

Dear Alumni and Friends,

It is with mixed feelings that I write my last Chair’s letter for the LSU Department of Geology and Geophysics’s newsletter. I am excited to devote more time to my research while I’m on sabbatical in 2007-08, but the last four years have been a tremendous learning experience for me, and I especially will miss meeting regularly with the department’s alumni and friends. Exciting times lay ahead for the department, with a search for an external chair to commence in Fall 2007. In the interim Kevin Carman, Dean of Basic Sciences, has appointed Louis Thibodeaux to serve as departmental chair. Dr. Thibodeaux is the Jesse Coates Professor of Engineering in

the Department of Chemical Engineering.

The most exciting news, which is outlined in detail in this newsletter, is the recent pledge of a $4.75 million gift by Charles Barney to endow the field camp. Mr. Barney attended the first session of summer camp in 1948, and had a successful career in the energy industry. Income from Mr. Barney’s gift will support field camp educational programs, maintenance and renovation of facilities, and staffing needs.

I am also happy to report the department’s advancements on several fronts. In the last five years the number of undergraduate majors has increased 67%, M.S. enrollments have increased 29% and Ph.D. enrollments increased 27%. The Applied Depositional Geosystems (ADG) and Geoscience Alliance to Enhance Minority Participation (GAEMP) programs have attracted a number of good students to our graduate programs. In addition, the amount of grant funding to our faculty has tripled in five years, and several have been recognized for their contributions. For example, we are proud of Arnold Bouma who was awarded the Sydney Powers Memorial Award from AAPG in April 2007. Two faculty members are serving as presidents of national organizations. Barbara Dutrow became president of the Mineralogical Society in January, and Ray Ferrell became president of the Clay Minerals Society in June.

Our alumni, friends, and corporate partners have shown tremendous support of the department over the last five years. The department has received more than $7.4 million from alumni and corporations. Much of this support has been directed toward the Geology Field Camp, two endowed chairs (Harrison and Franks Chairs), graduate fellowships (Houston Energy and Mary Jo Klosterman), and program support for the ADG program. We also received over $24 million in non-monetary donations that include software for the Subsurface Computer Lab, and equipment for field acquisition of seismic data, and scientific collections.

The G&G family was saddened by the loss of several alumni, former faculty, and friends. We all wish that John Wrenn, who retired last summer, had more time to enjoy his emeritus status. The loss of Robey Clark’s leadership on the College of Basic Sciences Development Council will not be easily replaced.

Thank you to all students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends for your support of the department during my tenure as department chair.

All the best,Laurie C. AndersonChair

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a year of discovery: lsu geology field camp 2007

Dr. Joe Lebold, Field Camp Director

Our geology majors got an experience of a lifetime this summer at Field Camp—and a collection of stories that will be retold for years to come. Amy Lasseigne, who earned the highest overall project grade this year, described her time at camp as “phenomenal.” Our students completed seven field-based projects in six field areas, three of which were new this year. The projects were designed to expose students to a wide variety of rock types, including clastic, chemical, carbonate sedimentary, meta-sedimentary, and plutonic and volcanic igneous rocks. The students mapped geological units that ranged from 1.76 billion years old to recent stream deposits—and everywhere in between.

The students also got a chance to walk in the shoes of a petroleum industry researcher, thanks to a unique project designed by one of LSU’s most versatile faculty researchers, Dr. Brooks Ellwood. Dr. Ellwood assigned a task that petroleum researchers confront everyday—comparing data from multiple sources to

produce a single interpretation. Through this assignment, Students gained real-world experience in one of geology’s most aggressive and lucrative job markets.

Dr Ellwood’s project highlights one of LSU Field Camp’s major objectives: to bridge the learning gap between the ideal and the real. While students get a basic understanding of the framework and terminology surrounding geological concepts in the classroom, limitations on time and resources require complex geologic features to be simplified and often don’t permit the introduction of potential complicating

factors inherent in the natural world. In the field, where students are completely immersed in geology, they are forced to confront incomplete, and often contrary, observations. This process can be very frustrating at first, but after the first few projects, the students begin a remarkable transformation. Not only do they become more confident in their ability to collect and interpret data, but they begin to design their own research paths to reach their interpretations.

Because this was my first time teaching LSU’s Field Camp, I had no idea what to expect from LSU students. I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the students developed the skills and the intuition necessary to interpret rock units in the field. This is a difficult task for students from across the country, let alone a group that has minimal exposure to rocks in the field before they arrive at camp (Thank you, Louisiana). I was also continually impressed by how motivated the students were and how much they wanted to improve. I feel privileged that I had the chance to help prepare these students for a lifetime of learning about the earth.

The 2007 freshmen edition of field camp was described by both our

geology and petroleum engineering students as a once in a lifetime experience. Each and every student admits a permanent

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effect that field camp has had on their lives. During week-long field trips to Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico, students were constantly voicing their amazement and gratitude for a chance to see and touch so much, to experience so many places and environments. These field trips are reinforced at camp with intense classroom and laboratory study that condenses two semesters of introductory course work into four weeks.

In addition to the geological experience gained during the six-week course, the freshmen also gain new friendships with their peers and instructors. Our freshmen instructor, Eric Kappus, states: “they leave having matured and grown as friends, and as scientists. They leave with a hungering curiosity that will be with them for the rest of their lives, helping them to question assumptions, and investigate mysteries, teaching them about all things, rock and mineral alike”.

All 17 GEOL 3666 students who began the six-week course completed it, and everyone improved the quality and accuracy of their work. Our seniors and graduates really finished strong this year. Congratulations to Elizabeth Meir and John “Buddy” Jordon for earning their B.S. However, no year at field camp would be complete without some interesting adventures.

The weather, wildlife, and strange personality quirks that only pop up under the unique conditions like those at camp kept everyone on their toes. We had a very stormy season in Colorado this year—while that was good for the camp water supply, the lightening and hail kept things a bit too interesting out in the field. At least two pesky and stubborn bears visited the camp in search of an easy meal, and a mountain lion roamed the camp road at night. As for the special personality quirks—I’ll withhold official documentation at the risk of embarrassing anyone (including myself), and just say this: What happens at camp stays at camp.

FRIENDS OF BILLY TIDWELL NAME CABIN IN HIS HONOR

Alumni Randy Limbacher (B.S. ENGR, 1980), Jeff Hughes (B.S. ENGR, 1976), Joe Reid (B.S. ENGR, 1951) and Maj. General Harry Conrad (B.S. CHEM, 1952), have donated $55,000 to renovate and name a cabin at the Geology Field Camp in Colorado in honor of Billy Tidwell (B.S. GEOL, 1950). Tidwell has been a volunteer leader at LSU for decades and is currently the co-chair of the Geology Field Camp Campaign. All five attended Field Camp while at LSU.

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LSU GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP PROGRAM NAMED FOR ALUMNUS CHARLES BARNEY

Scott Madere, Director of Public Relations LSU Foundation

Representatives of Louisiana State University have announced the naming of LSU’s Geology Field Camp Program after one of its most distinguished alumni supporters. Charles Barney, a 1949 LSU engineering

graduate, recently pledged $4.75 million to the LSU Foundation to permanently fund the camp, which is the oldest continuously-operating field camp in U.S.

history. In recognition of his extraordinary generosity and many decades of leadership in the petroleum industry, LSU has re-named the program the “LSU Charles Barney Geology Field Camp.”

The LSU Geology Field Camp opened in 1928 and serves a vital role within the College of Basic Sciences and the College of Engineering. The field camp gives Geology & Geophysics students, as well as Petroleum Engineering students, the opportunity to take their learning experience beyond the classroom; to explore the complex natural structures and mechanisms which form the blueprint for planet earth. In addition to its priceless quality as a teaching environment, the field camp also serves as a critical recruiting tool for LSU’s science and engineering programs.

Thanks to Charles Barney’s recent gift, the field camp will have a perpetual source of funding for the future. All $4.7 million of the gift will be managed by the LSU Foundation through endowed accounts, which will generate a yearly return on the $4.7 million principle.

This return will be used each year by the Charles Barney Geology Field Camp Program to pay for operating expenses, facility improvement and staff salaries for faculty who work at the camp.

“The gift is unprecedented,” says Dr. Laurie Anderson, head of LSU’s Geology & Geophysics Department. “It’s the largest gift in the Department of Geology & Geophysics or the College of Basic Sciences. The endowments that are going to be created are going to not only ensure the future of the camp, long after we’re all gone, but also help us advance the programs and the facility here. It’s really an amazing opportunity.”

Barney’s $4.7 million pledge is his second major gift for the benefit of LSU students. In 2005, Barney made headlines with a $1.3 million gift to LSU’s STRIPES program. STRIPES is LSU’s expanded orientation program for incoming freshman students, aimed at increasing freshman retention and academic performance in the crucial first year at LSU. “It has been a unique pleasure to work closely with Mr. Barney on both gifts, which total nearly $6 million in permanent endowment” states Dr. Jeff Hale, Senior Director of Corporate and Foundation Relations with the LSU Foundation. “Future generations of LSU students will benefit tremendously from Charles Barney’s visionary philanthropy.”

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Barney says one of the benefits he receives from giving is seeing the direct effect his actions are having on LSU’s students, particularly at the field camp. “I’ve had a wonderful, lucky life,” says Barney. “And it’s not hard to see the merit of contributions to this camp. It’s just a beautiful place and what you learn here you retain your entire life, and it will be with you forever. And I think that those who attend this camp in the future will feel that way. It’s just a wonderful feeling.”

Barney is a former LSU football player who played on some of LSU’s most successful teams of the 1940’s. He is also a United States Navy veteran of World War II’s Pacific Theatre. Following the war, Barney

made a mark in the petroleum industry, serving as a key figure in the Mobil and Superior Oil corporations for several decades. Barney now runs his own business based in Houston, Mark I Enterprises, which invests in oil and gas as well as real estate.

The Harrison family has a long tradition of leadership and giving to the LSU Department of Geology and Geophysics. Recent gifts to the Geology Field Camp have been a key to the Field Camp Campaign’s overall success. Frank W. Harrison, Jr. (B.S. 1950), co-chair of the Field Camp Campaign Committee, and his son, Frank W. “Billy” Harrison III (B.S. 1976, M.S. 1979), have recently brought the Harrison Field Camp Professorship to the new $300,000 Distinguished Professorship level. The professorship will support faculty and teaching during the summer field camp. Billy Harrison and his wife, Ann Harrison, established a $50,000 endowed scholarship fund to benefit upperclassmen in geology attending the camp. The Billy and Ann Harrison Field Camp Scholarship will benefit those students needing financial assistance in order to complete the GEOL3666 field camp summer course requirement.

HARRISON FAMILY CONTINUES TRADITION OF GIVING

3 generations of Harrisons have attended the LSU Geology Field Camp. [L to R]: Andy, Frank, and Billy Harrison.

Billy and his wife, Ann, pose at the Camp Barney Celebration.

CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF FIELD CAMP

HISTORY

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JOIN US IN CELEBRATING 80 YEARS OF FIELD CAMP TRADITION

Come relive the memories as we celebrate 80 years as the longest continually running field camp in the country! The LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics is proud to announce the 80th Field Camp Anniversary Celebration. This event will take place at the LSU Field Camp near Colorado Springs, Colorado on Thursday, June 26th and Friday, June 27th, 2008. All alumni and friends are invited to attend. The celebration will include camp tours, filed camp memories, outings to Garden of the Gods and Canon City, and a dedication of the new dining hall facility.

The cost is $125 per person (covers food, transportation between the field camp and select hotels, and the event itself). Space is limited, so please RSVP by May 5th. Checks should be made payable to LSU Foundation Geology Dept. Fund and mail to:Stacey HalphenLSU Dept. of Geology & GeophysicsE-235 Howe-Russell Geoscience ComplexBaton Rouge, LA 70803

Blocks of hotel rooms have been reserved under “LSU Field Camp” at a discounted rate for the dates of Wednesday, June 25th- Sunday, June 29th at the nearby Doubletree Colorado Springs. In order to receive the discounted rate, reservations must be made no later than May 26th.

Doubletree Colorado Springs (719) 576-8900The Broadmoor (866) 837-9520Cheyenne Mountain Resort (800) 428-8886

For more information on this event, please contact Stacey Halphen, Coordinator of Alumni and Corporate Relations.slebl23@lsu.edu225-578-3426

GEOLOGY FIELD CAMP NEEDS UPDATE

The Geology Field Camp Campaign has raised more than $6 million to support the urgent and future needs of the camp near Colorado Springs. Thanks to the generosity of alumni, friends, and corporations, the dining hall has been reconstructed, the water system replaced, the shower house has been renovated, a new caretaker’s home was built, the bridges were replaced, a water well was purchased, steps to the shower facility were rebuilt, utility poles were installed through the entire camp, and the lower camp was rewired. Endowments recently committed by Charles Barney will provide secure funding for the operations, educational programs, maintenance and renovations in perpetuity.

Over the next two years, the camp will need $75,000 in bridge funds for immediate facility improvements, field costs and to maintain operations while

the endowments grow. The final goal will be to secure $500,000 in endowed scholarships for freshman and senior participants. Donors can name an award or contribute to a general endowed scholarship fund. Each award will provide for camp tuition, travel to and from camp, and supplement lost wages students would have earned in a summer job.

For more information on the Geology Field camp Campaign and how to donate, please contact: Ann Marie Marmande 225-578-4906 annmarie@lsu.edu

New field camp dining hall south exterior

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FOND MEMORIES: FIELD CAMP 1982

Don Marlin and Sandy Felps Marlin, Field Camp Alumnus 1982

Field camp is to a career in geology like water is essential to a duck. Field camp, field trips, and field reconnaissance are the highlighting factors into what makes a geologist pursue his or her career. It is all about the rocks. Unlike other sciences such as physics or chemistry, geology must be experienced outdoors to come alive to the student. Studying geology at LSU was a fascinating experience because there were so many opportunities to take classroom education and have hands-on experiences with what was learned. To both of us, Field Camp was the culmination of classroom geology, physics, math, chemistry, and biology. Add to that the Louisiana field trips with Dr. Rovik and Dr. Roberts, and the regional field trip studies with Dr. Ferrell’s Geology of the Grand Canyon course and Dr. Hart’s Big Bend Study Trip. Wrap all of this up in a summer experience that triumphed - “Hey, this is really cool to see what we’ve learned about and now can apply it.” Field camp brought together the classroom and the lab work into the real world. The mapping projects were so exciting; we were finally starting to feel like real geologists. Applying geologic theories and seeing the relationships of outcrops in the field was so satisfying. The experience cemented our feeling that this was what we wanted to do the rest of our lives. Field camp was

also a place where classmates became friends for life, and in our case best friends through marriage. It was a place where our memories will always linger about friends who are no longer with us. I think everyone who attended LSU Geology Field Camp shares a special bond with each other regardless of what year one graduated. The reunion in 2006 illustrated that clearly. Our first and most fond camp memory is that we met and fell in love while building two new cabins just prior to Field Camp in 1982. Our first dates were watching bears at the dump and climbing up to the saddle to watch the sunset. It must seem that Field Camp is an odd place to find love, but it happened and still remains. Not that everyone will share our kind of experience, but we also found a love for study of the earth and applying it in the Rocky Mountains. Our second fondest memories are of our good friends John Bellis and John Mestayer, both of whom have now passed away. It seems like just last week we were re-enforcing the Honeymoon Suite deck next to the old showers for the 60th time in camp history for a post-construction party. It seems like just yesterday both of them were standing as groomsmen in our wedding. We took a picture at camp of everyone who attended that year and there is a story or character that each of the 55 tell us in the blink of an eye when glancing at the picture that sits on

my office desk: Carolyn Peddy who couldn’t swing a hammer, but could cook up a storm; James Hart who wasn’t attending, but had just as much knowledge as anyone else due to his Dad tossing rocks at him since birth; Chris Cotter who could eat literally anything and was never full; Dr. Ferrell “tossing his cookies” and claiming food poisoning but we all knew it was from Scotch-brand beer; and the myriad of other images and stories that fly out of that one Field Camp photo from looking at individual faces.

So many memories. We remember going to a Chinese restaurant in Colorado Springs with Danny Odem after our week long field trip. When they brought us little warm towels before our meal, we loved it. We washed our hands, our faces, our arms. By the time we gave them back, they were brown with dirt. A warm washcloth just felt so good! Another time the concrete block showers left Cindy McMullen and Sandy longing for real bathtubs. One day they borrowed someone’s truck and went to a home supply store and bought a huge plastic garbage can. They brought it back, made a little wooden ladder for it, and set it up under one of the shower heads. Instant bath! Sandy will never forget first seeing Cindy’s head popping up out of the garbage can full of bubbles. Another time Sandy, Debra DeBraum, and I were working on a project at Bear Creek. Eager to have a little time alone, we sent Debra off in

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search of a contact, and we climbed up to a small cave for some independent study. Imagine our surprise when we walked in a few feet to see a mattress and a battery operated radio. As we ran out, we had visions of some demented mountain man running after us. We all stuck together after that.

Some of our favorite camp memories are from when we were building new cabins just before camp began. Ah, to be young and naïve again! The group of us building cabins all left for Colorado in an LSU bus in mid-May. It was already sweltering in Louisiana, and we just didn’t think about needing any warm clothes. It snowed the first week and we begged Dr. Ferrell to drive us to town on the bus for warm clothes. He took us to the Salvation Army resale shop and we all bought wonderful wool sweaters for a quarter a piece! A few dollars later, we were all set with plenty of warm clothes. The price just fit our budget. Also, when we were building the cabins with Dr. Ferrell, he naturally tried to instill a bit of order and structure to our work day. He requested that we begin at 7:00 am each day. I’m sure he wasn’t real surprised when no one showed up at 7:00 to begin work.

He devised a great plan. Each morning at about 6:45 he would turn on the buzz saw, with even some pretence of cutting a piece of wood. That horribly loud, unmistakable, dentist-drill sound would get us up and moving every time. To this day, when I hear an electric saw, I think of him. Dr. Ferrell will always have a special place in our heart.

Field camp is special, magical, and once completed, marks the emergence from student to geologist. Field Camp certainly affected our careers, because all universities who have departments with a camp for geology students all share a bond of learning hands-on for a few weeks. Individuals that we have met throughout our careers breathe a heavy, reflective sigh and smile when asked “Where did you go to camp”? It’s the type of question that only begs the response “Where do I start?” We have always felt sorry for students from other colleges that didn’t have a camp, silently thinking to ourselves, “Well then they can’t be a REAL geologist.” A camp connection is an immaterial bond that opens up conversations and smoothes business relations knowing that one has shared such an experience. Like a secret handshake, it cuts through location, age,

gender, experience level, and geologic specialty.

Our story is not unique. We’re certain that it has happened to many more students at camps of different years. Field camp is more than an experience, it is life changing. The Reunion proved that to us. If you have read this diatribe to this end, and have experienced LSU field camp or other university field camps, we feel confident that you now have a particular image and story in your mind at this moment and you are now saying “I remember when...” Long live LSU Geology Field Camp!

FIELD CAMP REUNION 2006

Don and Sandy Marlin

Frank Harrison and Kirby Cockerham 2006 Field Camp Reunion attendees Greg Hinds

World-class institutions like LSU need world-class endowments. Our goal is to raise $750 million by 2010. Please visit www.foreverlsu.org today. Because, now more than ever, forever depends �� ���.

The Campaign forLouisiana State University

Honoring the Past Embracing the Present Securing Forever

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LSU ONE OF 42 SCHOOLS NATIONWIDE SELECTED AS HP TECHNOLOGY GRANT RECIPIENT

$68,000 grant includes HP wireless equipment and faculty stipend to improve student achievement. LSU Department of Geology and Geophysics was selected as one of 42 two- and four-year colleges and universities in the United States and Puerto Rico to receive a 2007 HP Technology for Teaching grant, which is designed to transform teaching and improve learning in the classroom through innovative uses of technology.

During the 2007-2008 academic year, HP Technology for Teaching grant projects will impact more than 6,000 higher education students. LSU (G&G) will receive an award package of HP products and a faculty stipend valued at more than $68,000.

Each of the HP Technology for Teaching grant recipients will use HP wireless Tablet PCs to enhance learning in engineering, math, science, or computer science.

In 2007, HP is awarding 172 K-12 public schools and two-

and four-year colleges and universities in the United States and Puerto Rico more than $7 million in mobile technology, cash and professional development as part of its 2007 HP Technology for Teaching grant program. Since 2004, HP has contributed a total of $36 million in HP Technology for teaching grants to more than 650 schools worldwide. During the past 20 years, HP has contributed more than $1 billion in cash and equipment to schools, universities, community organizations and other nonprofit organizations around the world.

“HP empowers students and teachers to succeed through innovative uses of technology and training,” said Sidney Espinosa, director, Philanthropy Program, HP. “We invest in schools to increase educational attainment and contribute to the development of a skilled, diverse workforce in the future.”

More information about the 2007 HP Technology for Teaching program and grant recipients is available at www.hp.com/go/hpteach.

In 1993, friends and members of the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists, Inc. (AASP) established the Center for Excellence in Palynology (CENEX) to promote research and training in stratigraphic palynology. AASP initiated this collaborative effort as a result of their concern for the availability of trained palynologists in the United States. To support these efforts, AASP members and other industry leaders have been raising funds to establish the AASP Endowed Chair in Paleopalynology. This year the $600,000 goal was reached to endow the chair. LSU is currently applying to the Louisiana Board of Regents for $400,000 in matching funds. Once a match is received, the LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics will be able to conduct a national search for an eminent scholar to fill the chair position. We are grateful to all the donors and corporate partners who contributed to this chair.

There are also funds in CENEX created to support students and research. If you have an interest in stratigraphic palynology and would like to contribute and support funds in CENEX, please contact:

Ann Marie Marmande225-578-4906annmarie@lsu.edu

AASP ESTABLISHES ENDOWED CHAIR IN GEOLOGY

ALUMNUS SUPPORTS SCHOLARSHIP IN HONOR OF

DR. SANDBERG

Former students and friends of Dr. A.E. “Sandy” Sandberg have created a scholarship in his honor. Jim Raymond (B.S. 1952, M.S. 1956) initiated the scholarship fund by contributing its first gift in 1998. Since then in September 2006, the scholarship has reached the level for endowment thanks in part to another generous contribution by Jim Raymond.

The goal for this scholarship is to reach $40,000. If you are interested in contributing to this scholarship fund, please contact:

Emi Gilbert225-578-2321egilbe2@lsu.edu

Jim Raymond

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SHELL HELPS GEOLOGY GROW UNDERGRAD RECRUITING

NUMBERS

Shell Oil Company donated $25,000 to the Department of Geology & Geophysics in 2006 to support a new initiative, LSU Shell Undergraduate Recruitment and Geoscience Education (LSU SURGE). LSU SURGE is addressing the growing need for geology undergraduates by exposing Louisiana high school students to the geosciences through their natural sciences courses. Shell’s gift is providing support for teaching assistants, a faculty advisor, equipment, and curricular resources to develop teaching modules that use the geologic examples to illustrate basic principles of physics, chemistry, and biology.

This past June, Jeff Nunn led the first 3-day SURGE workshop for high school biology teachers. The workshop consisted of classroom lessons on geologic time, fossils, evolution, and geochemical cycles, as well as, a field trip to a fossil site near Jackson, MS. The teachers were given a collection of shark teeth, rock samples, and tree rings to be used in teaching a variety of lesson plans. There are plans to hold two workshops in 2008, one in Baton Rouge and one in North Louisiana.

Shell is a long time supporter of Geology & Geophysics and is an ADG corporate partner. If you would like more information on contributing to the SURGE initiative, please contact:

Emi Gilbert225-578-2321 egilbe2@lsu.edu

Scott Madere, LSU Foundation

Texas-based Houston Energy, LP has created a new Distinguished Professorship in the College of Basic Sciences with a gift of $180,000. The professorship, which will reside in the Department of Geology & Geophysics, will be matched with $120,000 in funds from the Board of Regents Support Fund.

The fund will allow a faculty member to carry the Houston Energy Distinguished Professorship name and earnings from the professorship to contribute to the research efforts of the department, such as supplementing stipends of graduate students in the Geology & Geophysics.

Alumni Ron Neal and Billy Harrison, who are partners in Houston Energy, created the gift through the LSU Foundation. Houston Energy, L.P. is a privately held independent oil and gas company exploring the Offshore Gulf of Mexico, South Louisiana, Texas Gulf Coast, and West Texas/Southeastern New Mexico.

“This gift from Houston Energy is extremely important because of the much needed support it provides in an area that has not been available to us before,” said Dean Kevin Carman. “The Houston Energy Professorship will be a vital resource for Geology & Geophysics that will allow the department to attract and retain outstanding graduate students who are extremely important to the research programs of our faculty.”

Ron Neal graduated from LSU with a bachelor’s degree in zoology in 1974 and a master’s degree in geology in 1977. He is married to LSU graduate, Dr. Mary E. Neal, and they previously created the Ernest & Alice Neal Professorship in Geology & Geophysics in honor of Ron’s parents.

Billy Harrison received is bachelor’s and master’s degrees from LSU in geology in 1976 and 1979. His wife, Ann, is an LSU

HOUSTON ENERGY CREATES $300K DISTINGUISHED PROFESSORSHIP IN

THE COLLEGE OF BASIC

Ron Neal, Ann Marie Marmande, and Billy Harrison

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graduate and they have previously funded the Billy and Ann Harrison Chair in Sedimentology, the Harrison Family Field Camp Professorship and an Alumni Association Top 100 Scholarship in honor of Billy’s parents.

Geology & Geophysics chair, Laurie Anderson, stated, “Billy and Ron are among the department’s most loyal and generous supporters, and we are tremendously grateful for their ongoing support.”

$1,000,000 and aboveCharles L. Barney

$50,000-$199,999Frank and Patricia HarrisonBilly and Ann HarrisonDominionHouston Energy, LP

$10,000-$49,999ExxonMobilChevronMarathon Oil CorporationJoseph E. ReidHalliburtonMichael R. StamatedesJeff HughesCampanile Charities, Inc.Joanne J. ClarkShellBaker Hughes, Inc.Adolphe G. GueymardRandy L. LimbacherArmour C. Winslow

$5,000-$9,999George Belchic, Jr.James H. PainterStewart L. HenryJim RaymondBill and Connie StoneFidelityClyde and Carol CrouchJoanne ClarkWestern Gas Resources, Inc.ConocoPhillips

$1,000-$4,999Judith E. Justus-EvansAthalie G. MacGowan

John SuterImagine Resources, LLCJohn B. Brock, IIIWes FiandtFred M. Haston, Jr.Carlo C. ChristinaFreeport McMoranHardtner L. CoonHessDaisy W. GaudinWalter A. NavoyMax R. FuglerNewfield Exploration CompanyH.V. Watkins, Jr.EntergyNew Century Exploration, Inc.Schlumberger

$500-$999Noel D. RietmanJerry WermundDevon Energy CorporationRoy C. WaltherEdward B. Picou, Jr.Leonard E. JordanR. W. Boebel

$250-$499Kenneth R. DiceKirby L. CockerhamPamela J. McKinley

$100-$249Jimmy Sol ClevelandMark WalkerPasley FarmsLaurie C. AndersonStacy A. SmithW. L. TidwellHuiming Bao

NexenDelos R. TuckerHarry ConradJudith K. StorerSidney F. RiversJonathan B. MarcantelJerome G. MayPatrick O’Toole

Up to $99Roxanne TubbHarriett PoolerRobert S. PicardRoberne W. ForanJohn M. WaltersMargaret RettenmaierAdair M. BucknerJoyce M. ThuesenJoyce H. ColvertRobert G. Lawton, Jr.Harold R. Bicknell, Sr.Laura DaileyClara RatliffPearla T. DespotDavid Y. CollinsPattie P. IveyPhilip J. GenslerMitchell JonesW. Larry CollinsCheryl A. LandryHealth Associates, LLCSugar WoodsGregory S. Hinds

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORTIf there is an error, please let us know. Names listed below reflect donations given to the LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics through the LSU Foundation from July 1, 2006-June 30, 2007. Every effort is made to be accurate in reporting donors.

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LSU’s Program in Applied Depositional Geosystems (ADG) has entered its fourth year of operation. ADG has had a significant positive impact on both the quantity and quality of our graduate students because of the funding provided by our alumni and corporate partners. The program’s success has exceeded our expectations in terms of the quality of students participating in the program and the growing levels of cooperation and coordination between the Departments of Geology & Geophysics and Petroleum Engineering. In 2007, we officially established the ADG Advisory Council, and we look forward to working with our partners to further enhance and grow this program. The challenge is to maintain funding and to secure new commitments from corporations not currently participating. Even though enrollment will go up as potential students become more aware of the opportunities, our primary goal will always be to recruit and support the best students who have the most potential to make an impact in the profession.

Almost all of our graduate students receive some sort of financial support; therefore, the number of graduate students in the program is strongly tied to the amount of money available for student support. ADG funds have allowed us to increase the number of offers of support we made to graduate applicants in the last three years. In addition, there is stiff competition

among universities for the very best students, and attractive packages that include significant stipends and research opportunities are critical to our recruiting success. ADG has been a great help in recruiting excellent students. The average undergraduate GPA of the seven ADG stipend recipients is 3.64 out of 4.0, and the average undergraduate GPA of all students in the ADG program is 3.58 out of 4.0.

Since its inception in 2004, $390,000 has been donated from alumni and industry partners, and additional $130,000 has been pledged for the 2007-2008 academic year. While the majority of the money has been used to support M.S. students as ADG assistants, funds have also been used for student travel and speaker programs. Current ADG sponsors

are Chevron, Dominion, Marathon, and Shell.

Several new courses have been developed as part of the ADG curriculum. Brooks Ellwood developed a new course in stratigraphy, which was first taught in Fall 2004. Jeff Nunn of Geology & Geophysics and Steve Sears of Petroleum Engineering developed a new graduate course in Reservoir Characterization, which was first offered in the Fall Semester of 2005. This class had 7 petroleum engineering students and 8 geology students. Student evaluations were generally favorable but it was clear that we have additional work to do in order to make this class appeal to both geologists and engineers. Zaki Bassinoui, Dean of the College of Engineering, is teaching Formation Evaluation this fall especially for ADG students. Phil Bart offered a graduate class in Subsurface Mapping in the spring semester 2007. Finally, while it is not directly related to ADG, the greater cooperation between Geology & Geophysics and Petroleum Engineering has been extended to the undergraduate level. Petroleum Engineering students currently take the same sedimentology and structural geology courses as geology majors.

The ADG program has brought in guest speakers to the department that in 2006-07 have included Mike Liebelt & Scott Szalkowski (Marathon), Mark Rowan (Rowan and Associates), Charles Oliver (Devon), Rebecca Latimer (Chevron), Eric Zimmerman (Dominion), and Chester Young (BakerHughes). Training on Landmark also has been offered to all faculty and students through the ADG program.

ADG UPDATE

ADG students on a field trip to the Army Corps of Engineers

Eric Prokocki and Matt Garvin taking a vibra-core sediment sample in Bolivar Island, TX

Eric Prokocki takes a sediment core in a late Holocene meander channel of the Mississippi River near Money, MS

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ADG held its first Advisory Council meeting on January 10, 2007. Comments were overall very positive in terms of the appropriateness of the curriculum and the quality of the research being conducted by students. The Council recommended that ADG be expanded to 24 students if additional funding can be acquired. The Council also asked that the Advisory Council meeting be expanded to allow more time for students to present and discuss their research. Finally, the Council recommended that ADG and industry sponsors develop greater research collaborations in terms of soliciting potential thesis projects from within their companies.

ADG will hold its second advisory council meeting in 2008 to allow sponsors to meet ADG students and hear about their research. We also would like to hear comments about the ADG program and discuss plans for the future.

AAPG UPDATESam Gray, AAPG President

After welcoming the incoming class in August 2006, AAPG started off the year in typical fashion. Once again fall found dress clothes hanging in student’s offices eagerly awaiting the onslaught of free dinner and company recruiters. Despite the chaos, the club found time to continue the time honored and much needed tradition of TGIF. AAPG was given the opportunity to participate in Ocean Commotion 2007, a Sea Grant sponsored program that brings 3400 elementary students and teacher into the PMAC to learn about science. With a booth entitled “Geology, Sand, Mud, and Beyond” we took the event by storm and managed to teach the wonders of the rock cycle. Club activities ramped up again in the spring. The highlights included sending delegates to the AAPG annual meeting in Long Beach, California and a field trip to the Old River Control Structure and the Army Corps of Engineers research lab in Vicksburg, MS. The annual crawfish boil took place on April 28th. The event was a great success, and everyone who attended appeared to leave satisfied. Finals left students anxious for the summer and a chance to work in a summer internship or on their research. In August 2007 we welcomed in a new class of graduate students, as the cycle began again.

Eric Zimmerman, Domion Exploartion, present a check to Darrell Henry for the ADG program

Bob Colosimo (L) and Randy McQueen (R) from Marathon Oil Company present a check to Laurie Anderson for Marathon’s first installment in support of ADG

Ann Bellanger presents her research at the poster session during the 2007 AAPG Conference in Long Beach, CA

Students, faculty, and staff enjoy crawfish at the 2007 AAGP Craw-fish Boil sponsored by Devon Energy

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HALLIBURTON AND EXXONMOBIL GIVE SUPPORT TO GAEMP PROGRAM

In 2003, the Department of Geology and Geophysics at LSU received a $1.2 million grant from the National Science Foundation’s Opportunities for Enhancing Diversity in the Geosciences program. Last year both Halliburton and ExxonMobil joined in on the effort to ensure this program’s success, with donations of $9,000 and $7,000 respectively. The LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics and nine regional minority serving institutions (MSIs) are linked in this 5-year research and education venture to increase under-represented minority participation in geoscience through the Geoscience Alliance to Enhance Minority Participation (GAEMP) program. Collaborating MSIs include seven

Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Southern University Baton Rouge, Southern University New Orleans, Dillard University, Xavier University, Grambling State University, Jackson State University, and Texas Southern University), and two Hispanic Serving Institutions (University of Houston Downtown, and University of Texas San Antonio [UTSA]).

GAEMP targets junior-year degree candidates in science, technological, engineering, and mathematical disciplines and provides an advanced, content-rich, field- and research-oriented introduction to geoscience during a six-week summer course. In the summer course the students participate in a series of modules taught by LSU and UTSA faculty members. The modules involve a combination of lecture, lab research, and field work.

After the summer course, students can define individual research projects to conduct during their senior year at their home institution with support from LSU faculty and local mentors. In GAEMP workshops, participants learn about geoscience career opportunities through interactions with academic, government, and industry representatives, and present their research results. A structured, highly personal mentoring program emphasizes individual and collaborative development of academic and research skills, and guides students through admission into a graduate program in geoscience.

FALL RECRUITING 2006The beginning of the fall 2006 semester signified the beginning of another recruiting season. With fifteen companies lined up on the schedule, this would prove to be the busiest recruiting season yet at the LSU Geology Department. Students’ calendars were filled with Information Sessions and Interviews, leaving hardly anytime for classes and homework. In the end, it all paid off.

Internships 2006 Full-Time Positions

Jennifer Castle- Devon Jill Womack- Marathon Swati Ghoshal- BP

Corine Armstrong- Devon Amy Lasseigne- Hess Anna Bellanger- ConocoPhillips

Mike Blevins- BP Mark Caponegro- Cabot Clint Edrington- Dominion

Matt Garvin- ExxonMobil Samuel Gray- Dominion

Cherie Lee- BP Julie Hill- EnCana

Chad Phillips- Chevron Angela Pell- Devon

Eric Prokocki- Chevron Jay Smith- EnCana

Rhonika Robinson- Conoco

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Jessica Mumphrey, Geology Club President

Now entering our third year as an official club, we at the Geology club are excited and anxious to begin our term as officers. The newly elected officers for the Fall 2007 to Spring 2008 year are as follows: Jessica Mumphrey, President; Amy Lasseigne, Vice President; Erin Walden, Secretary; Patrick Piche, Treasurer; and Corine Armstrong as Graduate liaison. At the present time, there are a few goals that our new officers have already agreed upon. Major points include: passing on the Geology passion to future members, establishing an excellent tutoring program, and creating a club website.

As a recent graduate of a Baton Rouge high school, I noticed that students are rarely exposed to the study of Geology. I was not even truly exposed to this wonderful subject until I entered LSU. The Geology Club hopes to change this. In the next year, one goal of ours is to start working together with elementary, junior, and high school students so we are able to pass on our love of Geology. Even if our passion is not contagious, at least we will be giving them a new perspective.

Around campus, finding a tutoring lab for Physics, Chemistry, or Math is not a difficult task. For entry level Geology labs, it is another story. Many students who take these introductory labs are often blindsided by their difficulty and many times need extra help. This is where the Geology Club will come into play. Higher level Geology students from the club will offer their time for these students and hopefully make a difference. If there is enough need, the tutoring could become a valuable resource for students especially during finals week.

Our final hope for next year is to start a club website. The idea for the website came from our newly elected secretary, Erin Walden. Currently, we see the website as a way for club members to keep up with events, students to check for tutoring times, and to display photos from all the fun field trips we have taken. Contact information for the officers would also be available for those who need it. Next year is going to be a great year for the Geology Club!

Katie Howell (M.S., Advisor Huiming Bao), whose thesis is entitled “Caliche as a Geologic Repository for Atmospheric Sulfate,” graduated Spring 2006 and is employed by Eni Petroleum in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Maria Antonieta Pacheco (M.S., Advisor Jeff Hanor), whose thesis is entitled “Diagenesis of Mudstones, Offshore Texas, Western Gulf of Mexico and Southwestern Louisiana,” graduated Spring 2006 and is employed by Occidental Petroleum Corporation in Houston, Texas.

Angela Pell (M.S., Advisor Jeff Nunn), whose thesis is entitled “Evolution of an Allochthonous Salt System, Southern Mars-Ursa Basin, Northern Gulf of Mexico,” graduated Spring 2007 and is employed by Devon Energy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

GEOLOGY CLUB UPDATE

STUDENT NEWS

Students stop and pose for a picture at the 2007 annual Big Bend field trip

Katie Howell

Maria Pacheco

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Kelli Randall (M.S., Advisor Annette Engel), whose thesis is entitled “Assessing the Potential Impact of Microbes in the Edwards and Trinity Aquifiers of Central Texas,” graduated Spring 2006 and is employed by Marathon Oil in Houston, Texas.

Adeniyi Saanumi (M.S., Advisor Juan Lorenzo), whose thesis is entitled “Ice Sheet Grounding Zone Deposits on Ross Sea Continental Shelf (Antarctica): Seismic Facies Analysis and P-Wave Reflectivity Attributes,” graduated Spring 2006 and is employed by Marathon Oil in Houston, Texas.

Judith Stoute (M.S., Advisor Gary Byerly), whose thesis is entitled “Carbonate from Komatiite Flow-Top Alteration Zones in the Barberton Greenstone Belt, South Africa,” graduated Spring 2007 and is working as an environmental geologist at Conestoga-Rovers & Associates in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Jennifer Whittington (M.S., Advisor Barb Dutrow), whose thesis is entitled “Muscovite Pseudomorphs after Staurolite as a Record of Fluid Infiltration during Prograde Metamorphism,” graduated Summer 2006 and is employed by EnCana Oil & Gas in Dallas, Texas.

Russell Willis (M.S., Advisor Mike Blum), whose thesis is entitled “Genetic Stratigraphy and Geochronology of Last Interglacial Shorelines on the Central Coast of South Carolina,” graduated Spring 2006.

Jill Womack (M.S., Advisor Mike Blum), whose thesis is entitled “Empirical Modeling of Late Quaternary Sediment Supply to the Gulf of Mexico Shelf Margin in a Cool Lowstand World,” graduated Spring 2007 and is employed by Marathon Oil in Houston, Texas.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING STUDENTS WHO HAVE RECEIVED SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS:

ADG FellowshipAngela B. PellChad PhillipsMatthew Garvin

American Association of Petroleum GeologyMatthew Garvin

CENEX Palynology Endowed ScholarshipRebecca Tedford

Chevron Texaco Scholarship for best TAAnna M. BelangerJulie L. HillJoseph E. Smith

Chevron Texaco Field Camp ScholarshipKathleen BrannenBrendan M. DonnellyLee FoersterlingJeffrey RowlandSamuel Bahlinger

Matthew Billeaud

Chevron Texaco Graduate ScholarshipCorine ArmstrongMark D. HaggeEric Prokocki

ConocoPhillips ScholarshipKathleen BrannenBrendan M. Donnelly

Devon Student Book ProjectAnna M. BelangerSamuel W. GrayChad PhillipsCorine Armstrong

GAEMP ExxonMobil ScholarshipVincent Adams

George N. May Memorial ScholarshipBrendan M. Donnelly

Kelli Randall

Russell Willis

Jill Womack

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(scholarships and awards continued) George N. May Memorial Scholarship for best SophomoreMatthew A. Clark

Harriet Belchic Memorial Field Camp ScholarshipAmy LasseigneElizabeth MierMarion SikoraErin WaldenChristine ThomasMarianne Halphen

Henry V. Howe Memorial ScholarshipDanielle Duhe

Dr. and Mrs. H.V. Howe Memorial Scholarship for best Junior Amy E. Lasseigne

Laurice Sistrunk ScholarshipMichael Massengale

Leo W. Hough Scholarship for best SeniorJonathan N. Hotstream

Mary Jo Klosterman Endowed ScholarshipRhonika M. RobinsonAnna M. Belanger

Patrick F. Taylor ScholarshipJessica MumphreyMatthew A. Clark

Schlumberger Field Camp ScholarshipChristine L. Thomas

Shell ScholarshipMark D. HaggeSamuel W. GrayClint EdringtonSamuel Bahlinger

Shell Field Camp ScholarshipKathleen Brannen

Sigma XiAngela Green-Garcia

PATRICK F. TAYLOR FOUNDATION SUPPORTS

TWO GEOLOGY SCHOLARSHIPS

The Patrick F. Taylor Foundation supports two scholarships in the Department of Geology and Geophysics to award those undergraduate students who demonstrate academic excellence and commitment to geology. Both the Patrick F. Taylor Scholarship in Geology & Geophysics and Charles L. Jones Scholarship in Geology & Geophysics, are a $3,000 scholarship award that are awarded annually to the deserving students chosen by the Department and College of Basic Sciences. Last year the first two recipients were named: Jessica Mumphrey and Matthew Clark.

The late Mr. Taylor (B.S. 1962) is a graduate of the LSU petroleum engineering program. Upon graduating, he worked for an independent oilman, John W. Mecom, Sr. Along with Mecom, he founded the Circle Bar Drilling Company, and in 1979 Mr. Taylor founded Taylor Energy Company, LLC. In addition to his major role in the energy industry of Louisiana, Mr. Taylor had a strong interest in education and humanitarian causes. He contributed significantly to the State education system by initiating TOPS, the state-funded program that provides college tuition assistance to undergraduate students in state institutions of higher education.

Jessica Mumphrey, Phyllis Taylor, Matthew Clark, and Gary Byerly

Laurie Anderson (H.V. Howe Associate Professor) was able to spend time doing fieldwork in 2006 for a collaborative project with Audrey Aronowsky (LSU Geology & Geophysics) and Mike Hellberg (LSU Biological Sciences). The field research is part of a project to examine the evolutionary

relationships in a family of bivalves that show a fossil and modern history of invading new ecosystems. The fieldwork took Dr. Anderson and her colleagues to Panama, Guyana, and Trinidad. She will be on sabbatical in 2007-2008 and will spend time at various museums in the US and Europe, working on various projects that include a systematic revision of the Corbulidae for the upcoming revision of the Bivalvia Treatise of Invertebrate Paleontology.

Darrell Henry (Campanile Charities Professor) has served as the co-editor of a special volume of the American Mineralogist in honor of Charles V. Guidotti. The special volume is currently scheduled to appear in February 2008. Dr. Henry also has been named as an associate editor of the Handbook of

Mineralogy. In addition, he was the 2007 Five-college Geoscience speaker with the presentation of two talks for the geosciences faculty and students at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Smith, Mt. Holyoke, Hampshire College and Amherst College. Dr. Henry also took a trip to Kobe, Japan to present a paper for the International Mineralogical Society. He and Barb Dutrow were co-leaders of a field conference of the New England Intercollegiate Geological Conference (NEIGC) in Rangeley, Maine.

Huiming Bao (Associate Professor) over the last six year in Baton Rouge has built a unique stable isotope laboratory, Oxy-anion Stable Isotope Center (OASIC), at the Department of Geology & Geophysics. OASIC addresses geological, atmospheric, environmental, and biological problems by specializing in

measuring multiple isotope ratios of the same element as well as multiple elemental isotope ratios in the same anion species. Dr. Bao and his students

have developed many new analytical techniques. Most of the research they have conducted has been supported by NSF, Petroleum Research Fund, and LSU. OASIC is currently collaborating with DOE, NASA, and more than a dozen universities around the world.

Brooks Ellwood (Robey Clark Professor) was awarded the Harrison Family Field Camp Distinguished Professorship.

William Blanford (Assistant Professor) and Richard Keim (LSU School of Renewable Resources) wrote an editorial about the management of deltas and wetlands in the March-April 2006 issue of the journal Groundwater, a publication of the National Groundwater Association. This editorial prompted

Blackwell Press to issue a press release in response to problems brought about by the hurricanes. Dr. Blanford also has two international projects investigating Riverbank Filtration. The first is in Jordan funded by NATO and the second is in Egypt funded by the UD State Department. He has recently added a third project in India funded by the World Bank. In this project, Dr. Blanford is assisting Dr. Thomas Boving of the University of Rhode Island.

Annette Engel (Assistant Professor) and colleagues were featured in the June 2007 issue of Environmental Microbiology. Meisinger, D.B., Zimmermann, J., Ludwig, L., Schleifer, K.-H., Wanner, G. Schmid, M. Bennett, P.C., Engel, A.S., Lee, N.M., 2007, “In situ detection of novel Acidobacteria in microbial mats

from a chemolithoautotrophically-based cave ecosystem,” (Lower Kane Cave, WY, USA). Environmental Microbiology. 9(6): 1523-1534. doi:10.1111/j.1462-2920.2007.01271.x The abstract is available at blackwell-synergy.com.

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FACULTY UPDATES

Arnold Bouma (McCord Chair Emeritus) was named the AAPG 2007 recipient of the Sidney Powers Memorial Award, the Association’s highest honor. AAPG awards, approved by the Executive Committee, are presented annually to recognize individuals for service to the profession, the science, the Association, and the public.

Juan Lorenzo (Associate Professor) recently received $110,000 from the national Chilean copper company to conduct a seismic imaging experiment in the Atacama Desert during July 2007. Dr. Lorenzo will also collaborate with the University of Chile later this year to conduct a seismic transverse of the Andes Mountains close to Santiago.

Jeff Hanor (LSU Alumni Professor) was a keynote speaker at the Geofluids V Conference, which was held in the summer of 2006 in Windsor, Ontario. The title of his address was “Are secular variations in the composition of seawater reflected in the composition of basinal brines?” This has been subsequently published as a paper with his coauthor, Jennifer McIntosh at the University of

Arizona. Dr. Hanor also has two major grant-funded projects going at the present time. The first is an NSF funded project with Jeff Nunn on hydrodynamic and geochemical interactions between formation waters of varying salinity. The other project is funded by the Minerals Management Service and is part of their Gulf of Mexico gas hydrate assessment project.

Barb Dutrow (Adolphe G. Gueymard Professor) was elected as the 2007 President of the Mineralogical society of America (MSA). MSA is the largest international organization of mineralogists, petrologists and geochemists in the world with over 43% foreign membership. Dr.

Dutrow served as the Vice-President for 2006 prior to taking the reigns as the 2007 President in October at the 2006 National GSA meeting in Philadelphia. She oversees the $2 million endowment, publication of their professional journal and series of short course volumes, their national and international meetings and the number of working committees. She is only the second female elected to President in the societies 93 year history.

Jeff Nunn (Ernest and Alice Neal Professor) received the Tiger Athletic Foundation Undergraduate Teaching Award for the Honors College in May 2007. He recently agreed to be North American Editor for the Blackwell journal Basin Research. Dr. Nunn is also the principal investigator on a new three

year NSF grant.

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Darrell Henry leads g

8 YEAR OLD TAKES HISTORICAL GEOLOGY CLASS

This past Spring Semester Dr. Jeff Hanor found the face of a much younger student in his class audience. Eight year old John Bernard and his mother Connie sat in on Dr. Hanor’s Historical Geology class. “John is very bright and very interested in mineralogy, said Dr. Hanor. “He is also the youngest student I have ever taught!”

Darrell Henry and Barb Dutrow co-lead a field conference for the NEIGC in Rangeley, Maine

Joan Payne is pictured here receiving her award from LSU Systems President, William Jenkins (L) and Chancellor Sean O’Keefe (R)

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Emilia (Emi) Gilbert (Associate Director of Development) joined the College o Basic Sciences Office of Alumni & Donor Relations from the LSU Foundation and will raise funds for the Departments of

Computer Science, Geology & Geophysics, and Physics & Astronomy.

Stacey LeBlanc Halphen (Coordinator of Alumni and Corporate Relations) joined the department in January 2007. She is responsible for maintaining alumni records, organizing alumni receptions and events, and production of the alumni newsletter. She is also in charge of directing all aspects of corporate recruiting, along with organizing student recruiting events.

Joe Lebold (Field Camp Director) joined the department in March 2007. He is responsible for the oversight and operation of the 6-week summer field camp programs near Colorado Springs, CO. In addition, Joe teaches introductory courses in geology and supervises graduate students in the teaching of introductory physical and historical geology laboratories.

Louis Thibodeaux (Department Chair) joined the department in July 2007. Dr. Louis Thibodeaux is the Jesse Coates Professor of Chemical Engineering. He joined the ChemE faculty in 1984, and was recruited to LSU to serve as the director of the EPA Hazardous Substance Center; he served in that capacity for 11 years. His research interests concern the transport and fate of anthropogenic contaminants, particularly in aquatic sediments. He is the author of a widely used textbook Environmental Chemodynamics and has published over 130 book chapters and peer-reviewed articles. Dr. Thibodeaux has served on advisory panels for the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, and

the National Academy of Sciences. He has served on the editorial boards of five journals, and as editor and chief of CHEMOSPHERE-Environmental Chemistry. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, a Diplomate Environmental Engineer in the American Academy of Environmental Engineers, and was named Distinguished Research Master at LSU in 1994. Dr. Thibodeaux is enthusiastic about assuming his new role as chair.

JOAN PAYNE RECOGNIZED FOR HER COMMITMENT AND SERVICE

Joan Payne, Assistant to the Chair for the Department of Geology and Geophysics, was recognized at the 38th Annual LSU Foundation Outstanding Staff Service Awards Ceremony. The ceremony took place at the LSU Faculty Club on November 14, 2006, where Major General W. G. Bowdon (President & CEO, LSU Foundation) presided. Other distinguished guest included William L. Jenkins (President, LSU System) and Sean O’Keefe (Chancellor, LSU). Joan was one of only eight LSU staff members recognized for their commitment and service to the university.

SPOTLIGHT ON NEW FACULTY & STAFF

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For information on upcoming alumni events or to view pictures from past alumni events, please visit the alumni link at www.geol.lsu.edu or contact Stacey L. Halphen 225-578-3426, slebl23@lsu.edu.

Marta L. Calvache (M.S. 1990) was recently elected to serve on the Executive Committee of the International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior (IAVCEI).

Clarence P. Cazalot, Jr. (B.S. 1972) president and CEO of Marathon Oil Corporation, received an honorary doctorate degree from LSU at the May 2007 commencement ceremonies.

Phil Martin, Jr. (B.S. 1972) is the president and CEO of New Century Exploration in Houston, Texas.

Grover E. Murray (M.A. 1939, Ph.D. 1942) was inducted into the LSU College of Basic Sciences Hall of Distinction in April 2007. His wife, Sally Murray, was present to accept the award in her late husband’s honor.

Edward B. Picou, Jr. (B.S. 1955) is an honorary Life Member of the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies (GCAGS). He was honored by the New Orleans Geological Society and officers

of 2005 GCAGS by having the Transactions Volume of the 55th annual convention dedicated to him. He was also inducted into the LSU College of Basic Sciences Hall of Distinction in April 2007.

Harry H. Roberts (M.S. 1966, Ph.D. 1969) was recognized with 1st and 3rd place for two papers at the 2006 GCAGS/GCPE meeting for the 2005 GCSSEPM/GCAGS Grover E. Murray Best Published Paper in ‘Transactions’ award.

T. Porter Trimble (B.S. 1984) is the executive vice president of Merit Energy Company in Dallas. Merit is a private firm specializing in direct investments in oil and gas assets.

ALUMNI NEWS

CLARENCE CAZELOT RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE DEGREE

Clarence Cazelot (Center) receives his honorary degree on stage at the May 2007 Commencement Ceremony

Chancellor Sean O’Keefe, Clarence Cazelot, Laurie Anderson, and Dean Kevin Carman

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On April 27, 2007, the College of Basic Sciences inducted five outstanding individuals into the Hall of Distinction, including two alumni from the Department of Geology and Geophysics. The ceremony took place at the Lod Cook Alumni Center, where Dean Kevin Carman presided over the ceremony. Among the inductees were Arthur R. Choppin, Sr., Grover E. Murray, Edward B. Picou, Jr., James G. Traynham, and Philip W. West. These individuals were all selected for their contributions to science, industry, medicine, education, and technology.

Grover Elmer Murray (1916-2003), Boyd Professor of geology and LSU vice president of academic affairs, had a

distinguished career that encompassed University leadership and administration at LSU, membership in various national organizations, and culminated as President of Texas Tech. Professor Murray began his association with LSU in 1937 as a geology graduate teaching fellow. He received his master’s degree in 1939 and a Ph.D. in 1942. He would

spend the first part of his career working for Magnolia Petroleum Company, but returned to LSU, and quickly rose to important positions that included departmental chair and director of the state geological survey. During the course of his career, he served as president of four of geology’s major national organizations: the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, the Society of Sedimentary Geology, the American Institute of Professional Geology, and the American Geological Institute. He received three international science prizes: the Powers Medal, the Twenhofel Medal, and the US Antarctic Science Medal. He served as senior editor for two major journals: Paleontology and the AAPG Bulletin. His book Geology of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Province of North America is still regarded as an authoritative reference in stratigraphy. Two American presidents, Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon, asked Dr. Murray to serve on successive National Science

Boards. Indeed, he influenced national science policy for more than a dozen years on various committees and boards for Antarctica, the global oceans, large-scale scientific drilling, and large-scale seismic surveys.

Edward B. Picou, Jr., alumnus of the Department of Geology and Geophysics, has had a distinguished career as a geologist in the petroleum industry, though even this is perhaps eclipsed by his outstanding record of service to LSU and to the geology profession. Mr. Picou graduated from LSU with a B.S. in geology in 1955 and was immediately commissioned into the Army for a tour of duty that included 18 months in Korea. Much of his career was spent with Shell Oil Co., in New Orleans, retiring as Exploration Consultant, Shell’s highest scientific rank. He has published a number of major papers and the influential book Gulf of Mexico Basin Biostratigraphic Index Fossils, which a colleague refers to as the “Rosetta stone” for scientists trying to understand the last 60 million years of sedimentation in the southern US. He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and holds the Distinguished Service Medal from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He has served as a national officer for numerous professional organizations, notably as vice president of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, and treasurer of the society of Sedimentary Geologists. Mr. Picou is a charter member of the LSU Geology alumni Advisory Council, and was chair of that group for more than 10 years, helping to raise funds for scholarships and the Colorado Field Camp. He has served for a number of years on the College of Basic Sciences Development Council, for the past two years as chair of the Executive Committee.

Hall of Distinction 2007

Sally Murray accepts HOD award in honor of her late husband, Grover Murray

Ed Picou speaks to HOD guests prior to accept-ing his award

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GEOLOGY ALUMNI ENDOW FELLOWSHIP

IN HONOR OF MARY JO KLOSTERMAN

Mike and Carol Stamatedes of Katy, Texas, have completed funding for a $100,000 endowed fellowship in honor of their dear friend and fellow alumna, Mary Jo Klosterman. The three were great friends at LSU and after graduation. Following Mary Jo’s death in 1994, the Stamatedes wanted to honor their classmate, and created the Mary Jo Klosterman Endowed Fellowship in Geology in her memory.

This year, the first two recipients have been named: Anna Belanger and Rhonika Robinson are both M.S. students in geology. Mike Stamatedes said, “We are thrilled that the Mary Jo Klosterman Endowed Fellowship is now a reality for two LSU geology students. Although this is a geology scholarship, our friendship with Mary Jo and her husband, Jim, transcended geology. Mary Jo was all about her family, her friends, and her neighborhood. Mary Jo, Jim, Carol, and I really loved our time together at LSU, and the LSU experience ultimately opened the doors to opportunities that have allowed us to create this fellowship. We consider ourselves very lucky to be able to honor the memory of our dear friend in this way.”

Mike earned a master’s in geology in 1982, Carol earned a bachelor’s in education in 1980, and Mary Jo received a master’s in geology 1981.

PICOU ENDOWS OFFICE OF THE DEAN

Ed Picou, 1955 geology alumnus and chair of the College of Basic Sciences’ Development Council and Executive Committee, recently made a leadership gift in the Forever LSU Campaign to the college’s unrestricted endowment. Picou will leverage his gift of $25,000 with matching gift from Shell Oil Company bringing his total donation to $50,000. In honor of this gift, the dean’s suite has been permanently named ‘The Edward B. Picou, Jr. Office of the Dean of the College of Basic Sciences.’

“It gives me great pleasure to support the College of Basic Sciences philanthropically. This donation is a way that I can give something back to the institution that has meant so much to me over the years. I hope other LSU alumni will generously support our alma mater in the Forever LSU Campaign” Picou said.

The gift creating the endowment for the Dean’s Office is an investment in the future of the College and in its students and faculty. A portion of the donations were used to renovate the actual office, and the remaining funds placed into the College’s endowment.

“Ed Picou has been a long time supporter and friend to the College of Basic Sciences,” said Kevin Carman, Dean of Basic Sciences. “Ed’s gift represents the first major gift to the College’s endowment fund, and we are extremely grateful for his generosity. This is a major step for Basic Sciences, considering that two years ago there was no unrestricted college endowment in place.”

He added, “LSU’s collective and individual college endowments are significantly less than its peers. Endowments create a solid foundation that assures LSU can maintain its programs at a nationally competitive level. No other private asset contributes as much to building and sustaining quality as an endowment. Gifts made to an endowment are invested, and only a portion of the earnings is used each year.” Mike and Carol Stamatedes

Ed Picou and Dean Kevin Carman

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MEMORIALSLui-Heung Chan, a resident of Baton Rouge, passed away due to a stroke on Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2007, at her home. She was 68. Dr. Chan, the Charles L. Jones Professor of Geology and Geophysics at LSU, led a distinguished career meticulously investigating the geochemistry and trace elements of the Earth’s crust and oceans. She authored numerous scholarly publications and was honored as an LSU Distinguished Faculty and as a Trailblazer and Top Minority in Science by Spectrum Magazine. A native of Hong Kong, she immigrated to the United States in 1961 to attend graduate school at Harvard University, where she received a Ph.D. in chemistry. Dr. Chan was preceded in

death by her father and is survived by her husband, Lai-Him; her daughter, Clara; her son, Emory; her mother, Cecilia; and her brothers,

Lu and Lui-Sin. The funeral service was held on Saturday, Nov. 17, at the University Presbyterian Church.

Robey Harned Clark (B.S. 1943) died Sunday, July 23, 2006. Robey was born October 2, 1921, at Hope Plantation in Mound, Louisiana, to Margaret Harned and Alexander Clark. Robey attended elementary school in Mound, and graduated from Tallulah High School in Tallulah, Louisiana, in 1938. He graduated from Louisiana State University with a degree in geology in 1943. He enlisted in the Navy during World War II and served as an ensign and lieutenant in the Pacific aboard several Navy LSTs. After the war, Robey worked for Magnolia Oil Company in Oklahoma City and then took a leave of absence to obtain a M.S.

degree in Geology at the University of Wisconsin before returning to work for Magnolia Oil which later became part of the Mobil Oil Company. While attending the University of Wisconsin he met his bride of 57 years, Joanne Justus of Beloit, Wisconsin. They were married in 1948 and started their life together in Lake Charles, Louisiana with transfers to New Orleans, Denver and Houston. In 1971, Robey joined Diamond Shamrock Corporation as its VP of Exploration and Production in Amarillo. He retired from Diamond Shamrock in 1982 while continuing his work as a consulting geologist in Amarillo. Robey’s exploration expertise covered the Gulf Coast States, the Gulf of Mexico, the Mid Continent, the Rock Mountain Region, Alaska, the North Sea, Australia, and New Zealand. Robey also believed that it was the duty of every geologist to support the science and practice of geology through its scientific and professional organizations. He was an active member of the AAPG and served terms as its secretary in 1976 and its President in 1980. He was also very active with LSU in the College of Basic Sciences and was inducted into its “Hall of Distinction” in April of 2003 and also served on its Advisory Board for many years.

David K. Davies (M.S. 1964) died August 3, 2006, after being diagnosed in December 2004 with pancreatic cancer. David was born on October 10, 1940, in Barry, Wales and, encouraged in his youth by his grandmother, rose from humble origins to achieve

recognition in both academia and the petroleum industry. He was the first member of his family to obtain a university degree. David graduated from the University of Wales at Swansea, magnum cum laude, with a degree in geology. After graduation, he obtained a Fulbright Scholarship to attend LSU, where he obtained a master’s degree in 1964. At LSU, his thesis research, directed by John Ferm, involved a qualitative and quantitative investigation of sedimentary structures on a Mississippi river point bar. He then returned to the University of Wales, where he earned a Ph.D. in 1966 under direction of Gilbert Kelling. His dissertation research involved a study of the petrology and depositional environments of lower Jurassic shelf sediments of southern England. Upon completion of his Ph.D., David married his childhood sweetheart, Ruth Gilbertson, and the couple moved to College Station, Texas, where he had accepted a position as an assistant professor of geology in the Geology & Geophysics Department at Texas A&M University. In 1970, David accepted a position as professor of geology at the University of Missouri, Columbia, where he became engaged in research on diagenesis in siliciclastic rocks and coauthored a number of seminal papers on clay-mineral diagenesis in sandstones. In 1977, he accepted the position of chairman of the Department of Geology at Texas Tech University. Contacts with the petroleum industry while at Tech focused David’s interest in depositional environments, sandstone diagenesis, and clay mineralogy into research related to oil and gas exploration and development including the areas of petrophysics, reservoir characterization, and formation damage. David’s longtime fascination with the petroleum industry resulted in a decision to leave the academia community in 1980 when

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he and Ruth established a Houston-based consulting firm, David K. Davies and Associates, that ended in December 2000. During this period, he continued to publish research papers on diagenesis, reservoir properties, and reservoir behavior and management. He continued to contribute to science through his partnership in GeoSystems LLP. Later in life, David demonstrated his passion for teaching by instructing several courses for OGCI. During his distinguished career, David received numerous awards, including the A.I. Leverson Award from AAPG in 1980, a Distinguished Lectureship for the Society of Petroleum Engineers in 1983, and a D.Sc. from the University of Wales in 1991 for his significant contributions to petroleum geology. He published some 176 papers and abstracts, most as coauthor with present or former students and colleagues. He was an active member of the AAPG, Society of Petroleum Engineers, SEPM, International Association of Sedimentologists, and the American Society of Professional Geologists.

Charles L. Jones (B.S.1957, M.S. 1961) born July 30, 1931 in Lake Providence Louisiana passed away on May 19, 2007. He is survived by his wife, Jean Jones; son, Randall and wife, Kathy Jones; three grandchildren: Carson, Sydney and Amanda Jones; and faithful companion, Stella. Charles graduated from Baton Rouge High in 1948 and completed Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Geology from LSU. After a distinguished career in petroleum exploration and management at Humble Oil and Exxon, Charles established the Charles L. Jones Endowed Professorship in Geology and Geophysics, and the Charles L. Jones Top 100 Scholarship at LSU. At the time of passing Charles was employed as Vice President of Exploration at Taylor Energy Company LLC. where he also served on the board of directors.

Rufus Joseph LeBlanc, Sr. (B.S. 1939, M.S. 1941), a loving husband, father, “Gramps”, uncle, friend and storied

geologist passed away on Tuesday, June 19, 2007. Rufus was born the son of Aurore and Aladain LeBlanc on a sugar cane farm in the “Heart of Cajun Country” Erath, LA (Pleistocene terrace) on October 12, 1917. He was predeceased by his son, Paul Maurice (age 4 months) and his daughter, Denise Marie (age 18), Siblings: C.B. Gladus & Annie. Rufus met the love of his life, Alva Mae “Bede” Broussard in 2nd grade and they continued their education together through high school. Bede’s scholarship to LSU was relinquished to Rufus as she went on to attend Dominican College. Funding an education during the Depression years was tough, but Rufus found his way to the President’s office at LSU and asked him for a job to supplement the scholarship. He successfully secured a job on the AG Co-op. A required course taught by Dr. Harold Fisk excited Rufe’s interest in earth science and geology as a career. Rufe received a bachelor’s degree in 1939 and a master’s degree in 1941, both in geology. Under the dynamic influence of Fisk, Rufe’s teacher, early mentor and thesis advisor, Rufe developed his life-long interest in Gulf Coast stratigraphy and sedimentation, an interest he actively pursued all of his life. His first professional job was with Fisk working on the geology of the Mississippi river alluvial and deltaic deposits for the Mississippi River Commission. Rufe began to develop concepts and an understanding of clastic sedimentation and stratigraphy that he so carefully documented, applied and communicated during his entire career. After 7 years, both professor and assistant moved to Houston in 1948 with Fisk becoming Chief Geologist for Humble Oil Co., and Rufe joining Shell Oil Co.’s Exploration & Research Division where

he organized a research team to study Holocene clastic sediments. In 1953, Rufus was appointed Manager of Shell’s Geologic Research Department. In this capacity, he organized and managed an expanded research effort on the study of clastic and carbonate stratigraphy and sedimentation. Although Rufe was a prodigious creator of new research ideas, this modest man always shifted a great deal of the credit to his associates. Through his teaching and field trips, he has contributed to the education and advancement of literally thousands of geologists, geophysicists and engineers. Many ideas leading to significant discoveries by his students were sown in his lectures, talks and field seminars. Rufe’s down to earth approach and manner of speaking enabled him to communicate effectively at all levels. He received many awards, including honorary memberships in AAPG, HGS and SEPM. His most distinguished honor was to be the AAPG’s 1988 Sidney Powers Memorial Award winner. He was selected over some 40,000 geologists.

Ira Newton Patterson, Jr. (M.S.) 75, died on Thursday, May 18, 2006, at Ochsner Hospital in Metairie, Louisiana, due to complications from pancreatic cancer. Beloved husband of Mary Abraham Patterson. Loving father of Debbie P. Holtzman, Michael D. Patterson of Charlotte, NC, Damon M. Patterson and Scott D. Patterson of Seattle, WA., Mr. Patterson was a retired geologist. He received his master’s degree from LSU and served in the US Airforce during the Korean War. He was an avid reader and traveler and a wonderful cook and storyteller. He was a native of Amory, Mississippi and a resident of Metairie, Louisiana for the past 43 years.

Robert W. Sabate (M.S. 1957) 75, died on November 4, 2006, after a hard-fought battle with cancer. Bob was born in Los Angeles and raised in New Orleans, where he moved with his family in 1940 and where he was educated in parochial schools. Bob

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earned his B.S. in geology from Tulane University in 1952. He then served in the U.S. Navy as an officer before receiving his M.S. in geology from LSU in 1957. Bob began his career with Shell Oil Company, where he spent 15 years, first in Baton Rouge and then in New Orleans, working on various geological assignments in the Gulf Coast onshore and offshore. During this period, Bob somehow found time to continue his schooling at night. He received a Certificate in General Commerce from Tulane in 1963, an M.B.A. from Loyola University of the South in 1967, and a J.D. from Loyola in 1972. In 1969, Bob married Judith Kennedy. He and Judy have two sons, Pierre and Etienne. Bob left Shell in 1972 to join Koch Exploration Company and eventually became Vice President-Exploration, Gulf Coast. In 1986, he left Koch and practiced as an independent geologist until late 1987 when he became co-founder and President of the San’Doil Company. At the time of his death he was President of Energetix Petroleum L.C., a company he co-founded in 1998. Since the late 1960’s Bob tirelessly contributed his many talents to geological professional organizations. He served the New Orleans Geological Society as President, Vice President, and Secretary. He chaired numerous NOGS committees and contributed a paper to a NOGS publication. In 1989, he was awarded an Honorary Life Membership by NOGS. He also received two President’s Awards. Bob was ever active in the AAPG from whom he received three Certificates of Merit. He served two terms in the House of Delegates, was Chairman of its Constitution and Bylaws Committee, and served twice on the Advisory Council, for his first term having been chosen by the GCAGS as its representative. He was General Chairman of the National Convention in 1993. Bob was a DEG member, was past President of the DPA, and was Chairman of the joint SIPES-DPA Model Forms committee. Bob drafted its Confidentiality and Consulting agreements. His GCAGS

activities were many. He was secretary in 1987-88, Vice Chairman of the 1988 Convention, Co-Chairman of the Levorsen Award Committee, Co-Chairman of the Tectonic Map of the Gulf Coast Committee for which he received a 1972 GCAGS Outstanding Service Award, twice contributed to the Transactions, and in 1990 received its Distinguished Service Award. In 2002 he was presented Honorary Membership by GCAGS. Bob’s professional affiliations included SIPES National (Noble Service Award) and New Orleans Chapter (Vice Chairman and Chairman), Gulf Coast Section of SEPM, PLANO, SGS, and the Louisiana State Bar Association.

Fredrick Lee Stricklin, Jr. (B.S. 1948, M.S. 1950, Ph.D. 1953) was born April 30, 1925, in Ruston, Louisiana. He completed State High School in 1943, and served in the U.S. Navy as an officer and airplane pilot during World War II. Upon the war ending, he served on several military posts along the U.S. Gulf Coast Region. Fred completed university studies at LSU in Geology, obtaining a B.S., a M.S., and a Ph.D. He obtained a 4.0 GPA resulting in his admission into Sigma Xi and Delta Kappa Pi. Dr. Stricklin was an instructor at Baylor University in 1951 and 1952. He then joined Shell Exploration and Production Research Company in Houston. While with Shell he worked in the Head Office and later inside the Houston Division as a Staff Geologist and Division Geologist until 1972. After that, Dr. Stricklin worked briefly with Banner Petroleum as a Partner, and Kirby Exploration Gulf Coast Exploration as a Manager. Finally, Dr. Stricklin independently created “Wilcox Exploration Enterprises” where he thoroughly correlated the subsurface Wilcox section in the greater Texas Gulf Coast Areas. He also lectured to scientific societies and authored numerous scientific and technical papers on South and East Texas. Dr. Stricklin’s business operations were conducted from his company office in The Woodland,

Texas until 2005, whereupon he retired. He passed away on December 25, 2006.

John Harry Wyckoff Wrenn (Ph.D. 1982) after a courageous six-year battle with pancreatic cancer, Dr. John H. Wrenn passed away peacefully on Tuesday, Nov. 28, 2006, at Our Lady of the

Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge. Professor Wrenn retired this past August from LSU after 13 years of distinguished service as the director of the Center for Excellence in Palynology. Before joining the LSU faculty, John worked with Amoco Production Co., first as a research scientist in Tulsa, Okla., and then as staff geologist/paleontologist in Houston. A resident of Baton Rouge, John was a native of Jackson, Mich., but grew up in Arlington Heights, Ill. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps at Camp Pendleton in California from 1962-65, receiving both the Good Conduct Medal and a Rifle Expert badge. John holds a B.S. and an M.S. from Northern Illinois University and a Ph.D. from LSU. He pursued his research as a palynologist in just about every corner of the globe, including Antarctica, Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, South America and the Gulf Coast. John had published numerous articles on marine palynomorphs and served as president of the American Association of Stratigraphic Palynologists, earning the society’s Distinguished Service Award in 1998. He was also editor of the society’s newsletter for four years and a member of the AASP board of directors. Other professional awards and honors include: Antarctic Service Medal of the United States of America, National Science Foundation, LSU Athletic Foundation Undergraduate

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Teaching Award and Division of Environmental Geosciences Research Award, American Association of Petroleum Geologists. In the midst of a very busy career, John also found time to pursue his interest in stamp collecting, military history, archaeology and art, displaying one of his numerous watercolors at the LSU Folks’ Art Show in 2003. He is survived by his loving wife, Allison K. Wrenn; beloved daughters, Lora Lee Margaret Wrenn of Hoffman Estates, Ill., and Margaret Kathryn Wrenn of Baton Rouge. He was preceded in death by his beloved father, Webster Blazo Wrenn; his dear sister, Lucille Wrenn Bjorgo; and his son, Zachary William Wrenn.

News of Other Lost Alumni & Friends

At the printing of this newsletter, we had only minimal information on the passing of the following alumni:

Edward Wilson Thorp (B.S. 1949), died in Houston Texas on Monday, July 16, 2007.

WE WANT TO KNOW…Please fill out the form below, so we may keep you informed of alumni events in the LSU Department of Geology & Geophysics. Forms may be mailed to Louisiana State University, Department of Geology & Geophysics, E-235 Howe-Russell Geoscience Complex, Baton Rouge, LA, 70810 or you may e-mail the information to slebl23@lsu.edu.

Contact InformationName:____________________________________________________ (First) (Last) (Middle)

Street Address Line 1:________________________________________Street Address Line 2:________________________________________City:___________________ State:___________ Zip:_______________

Home Phone:_________________________ E-mail:______________________________

Employer:___________________ Position/Title:____________________Spouse/Partner Name:_______________________________________

Undergraduate Degree InformationDegree:_____________________________ Institution:___________________________Year:___________ Major:_______________ Minor: _______________

Graduate Degree InformationDegree:_____________________________ Institution:___________________________Year:___________ Major:_______________ Minor: _______________

Biographical Information UpdatePlease tell us what you have been up to including accomplishments, awards, and major life changes. We will include this information in our next newsletter.________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sally Murray pictured above speaks about the life of her late husband, Grover Murray, in a ceremony at the USS KIDD. The ceremony was held to uphold Dr. Murray’s wishes to have his ashes disperesed in Baton Rouge along the Mississippi River.

COLLEGE OFBASIC SCIENCES

Department of Geology and GeophysicsLouisiana State UniversityE-235 Howe-Russell Geoscience • Baton Rouge, LA 70803