Dr. John Geissman, professor in the UT Dallas Department of Geosciences, has been named president of the Geological Society of America. He began his one-year term July 1.
Geissman joined UT Dallas last year. His research interests include paleomagnetism and tectonics.
“The opportunity for constructive cooperation among all professional geoscience organizations has never been greater,” Geissman said of his appointment. “GSA must continue to play a vibrant role in this mission, by first and foremost fostering a strong, energetic, and visible professional organization for its members and translating our importance to society.”
He will address the GSA annual meeting in Minneapolis, Minn., this fall. The organization, established in 1888, encourages earth scientists to share their findings about the study of the planet.
Geissman earned his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan.
After a post-doctoral research position at the University of Toronto, Geissman was an assistant professor at the Colorado School of Mines before moving to the University of New Mexico in 1984, where he built a distinguished career, serving as chair of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences for three years and the president of the Faculty Senate for two and a half years.
He retired from UNM in December and joined the faculty of UT Dallas, where he is building up a new research facility.
As a member of GSA, Geissman has been the chair of both the Geophysics and Structural Geology and Tectonics Divisions, chair of the GSA publications committee and editor of the GSA Bulletin.
Geissman received the GSA Distinguished Service Award in 2002. He is a GSA Fellow and also a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union. He is also active in the pre-science education movement and has been associate editor for the Reports of the National Center for Science Education for over 10 years and associate editor for Tectonics for seven years.