AASG President Matt Morgan presents Presidential Awards

It is AASG tradition for the outgoing President to have the option to present AASG Presidential Awards, to recognize extraordinary service to the objectives of AASG by one or more active member(s) of the AASG community during recent time, or by friends of AASG over the long term. At the 2026 AASG Annual Meeting in Virginia, AASG President Matt Morgan of CO therefore presented the AASG Presidential Award to Claudio Berti of ID, who performed superbly as AASG Treasurer, to Harley Means of FL who performed superbly as AASG Secretary, and to our good friend Mike Marketti of USGS, who has for many years done an incredibly good job on geological mapping programs. Thank-you for your service, Harley, Claudio, and Mike!

AASG Distinguished Service Award to John Yellich

At the 2026 AASG Annual Meeting in Virginia, AASG President Matt Morgan of CO presented the AASG Distinguished Service Award to John Yellich of MI. The DSA goes to particularly deserving, living, retired or retiring AASG people other than current officers who deserve to be recognized for the excellence of their efforts over the long term, in particular through AASG. John was State Geologist of Michigan from 2013-2024; AASG President, 2020-2021; President Elect, 2019-2020; and Vice President, 2018-2019. Thanks for your service, John!

AASG Distinguished Service Award to David Wunsch

At the 2026 AASG Annual Meeting in Virginia, AASG President Matt Morgan of CO presented the AASG Distinguished Service Award to David Wunsch of DE. The DSA goes to particularly deserving, living, retired or retiring AASG people other than current officers who deserve to be recognized for the excellence of their efforts over the long term, in particular through AASG. David was State Geologist of Delaware from 2011-2025, and State Geologist of New Hampshire from 2000-2010; AASG President, 2009-2010; President Elect, 2008-2009; Vice President, 2006-2008; Statistician, 2002-2004; and Annual Meeting Host, 2018. Thanks for your service, David!

New AASG Officers elected

At the 2026 AASG Annual Meeting in Virginia, AASG Members elected their 2026-2027 Officers who will take office on July 1st. The Past President will be Matt Morgan of CO, Ruarri Day-Stirrat of OR will move up from President Elect to President, and Nick Hayman of OK will transition from Vice President to President Elect. The new Vice President – pictured here – will be Simon Jowitt of NV. A new slate of junior Executive members will be Treasurer Matt Heller of VA and Secretary Dwain Veach of NC. New non-Executive Officers will be Scott Ausbrooks of AR as Editor, and Stephen VanRyswyck of MD as Statistician, while Scott Howard of SC is returning as Historian. Thanks to all for your willingness to serve and to lead!

Ruarri Day-Stirrat, 2026-2027 AASG President

On July 1st, Ruarri Day-Stirrat will commence his term as President of the Association of American State Geologists (AASG). He was appointed State Geologist of Oregon in 2022. Ruarri received degrees in geology from Cardiff and Newcastle University in the UK. He was with the Bureau of Economic Geology in Texas from 2006 until 2011, and was then with Shell Research in Houston. Dr. Day-Stirrat has expertise in clay minerals, rock properties, mineralogy, and diagenesis. We anticipate a highly successful year, Ruarri!

Matthew Johnson, State Geologist of Indiana

On August 1st, Matt Johnson will be acting State Geologist of Indiana and Director of the Indiana Geological and Water Survey. Matt has been Assistant Director for Information Services since 2021. According to the IGWS web site, Matt has worked as a professional cartographer for nearly two decades. He joined IGWS in 2012, and has overseen the production of both printed and interactive web maps, publications, collections, outreach, project archiving, and provided support to the IGWS scientist and researchers with data visualization and techniques. In 2003, Matt obtained a Bachelor of Science in Geography with a concentration in GIS from Appalachian State University. Welcome, Matt!

Todd Thompson to retire as Indiana State Geologist

Dr. Todd Thompson will retire as Indiana Geological and Water Survey Director and State Geologist at the end of July. Todd has held the position since 2015. His successor in an acting capacity will be IGWS assistant director for information services Matt Johnson. A graduate of Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, Todd moved to Indiana in 1981 and completed master’s and doctoral degrees from Indiana University – he was named Outstanding Associate Instructor at IU in 1984. In his PhD, Todd conducted highly influential research on lake-level and the southeastern shore of Lake Michigan, with much reliance on the vibracorer. He also has done much work on carbonate rocks. As a team-oriented former football player, Todd has for almost four decades been active and influential in leadership roles at the Survey and leaves a legacy of many innovations and improvements in the Survey. Well done, Todd!

2026 AASG Annual Meeting underway

The 118th annual meeting of the Association of American State Geologists (AASG) is being held from June 6th to 11th in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The meeting is featuring strong participation by USGS leadership, continued focus on Earth MRI, critical minerals, and geologic mapping, discussions on workforce development and ADA compliance, and excellent field trips hosted by Virginia and West Virginia. There is much work to be done!

Funding to state geological surveys continues positive trend

The 2026 Report of AASG Statistician Matt Heller of VA indicates that FY25 revenue to state geological surveys was $315.8M, down from $327.7M in FY24, mainly due to a change in CA, with total staff of 2082 FTE; current estimates are for a bounceback in FY26 to $334.7M and 2117 staff. Funding had peaked at $237M in FY12, due to the federal stimulus, and as federal funds fell by $45M, and total funding bottomed out at $216M in FY14, surveys raised diverse funds to achieve stability, although states vary. Adjusted for inflation, state surveys have been financially stable since the early 80s, although staffing has fallen in that time by a third. FY25 funding was over half state-derived, and 21.8% federal, with the remainder in other categories. State funds are mostly recurring rather than non-recurring; whereas recurring state funds were over 90% of budgets in 1960, this fell to 40% in 2010 and has since stabilized. An upswing in federal funding has occurred, from $51M in FY21 to $68.8M in FY25. However, several states have seen an even stronger surge in state funding. Percent female among science staff has risen steadily over a decade from 24% to 34%; the % for all staff is 41%. Publication sales have dwindled and stabilized as publications are offered for free online.

Clint Boyd, State Geologist of North Dakota

On July 1st, Clint Boyd will be State Geologist of North Dakota, as successor to Ed Murphy who held the position since 2004. Clint is from Wisconsin, and he has had a passion for paleontology since high school. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and studied both biology and geology. He volunteered in fossil preparation at the university’s Geology Museum and joined field expeditions to Montana, Wyoming, and British Columbia. His graduate work at UT Austin was on dinosaurs, and in the summers, he worked on Eocene and Oligocene mammals at Badlands National Park in South Dakota. After his PhD in 2012, he was a Postdoc at the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology. In 2015, he joined the North Dakota Geological Survey as the Paleontology Section Manager. We wish you well, Clint!

Ed Murphy honored by his Governor

Pending his retirement as State Geologist at the end of June, North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong has commended Ed Murphy for his leadership, professionalism, and commitment to serving the people of North Dakota. As State Geologist since 2004 and more, Ed has made major contributions to the study of North Dakota’s geochemical and mineralogical resources, stratigraphy, geohazards, and other key geological fields. Anyone who worked with Ed can likely remember a time when he paused over a 35mm slide to share a story from his early days in the field. The knowledge and experience he gained over his nearly five-decade career helped establish North Dakota as a leader in geoscience and energy research. Well deserved, Ed! Congratulations on a successful career and your upcoming retirement!

- North Dakota Department of Mineral Resources

Brian Gootee, State Geologist of Arizona

On July 6, 2026, Brian Gootee will be State Geologist and Director of the Arizona Geological Survey, as successor to Phil Pearthree who has held the post since 2016. Brian has been with the AZGS for 19 years, after working as a consulting geologist in Arizona for 5 years. Brian has contributed extensively regarding geologic mapping, sedimentology, stratigraphy, water resources, landslide, floodings, fault hazards, and in recent years, geothermal, hydrogen gas storage, and carbon sequestration. Originally from Texas, he received his BS and MS degree at Arizona State University. Best of luck, Brian!

David Wunsch receives Emeritus honors at University of Delaware

Following his retirement in 2025, University of Delaware has appointed David Wunsch as an Emeritus Professor of Earth Sciences and Officer of the Delaware Geological Survey. He was State Geologist and Director of the Delaware Geological Survey from 2011 to 2025. The UD President and Provost recognized David’s long history of contributions and honors, many prior to his Delaware service, and noted that Emeritus status recognizes meritorious service and distinguished contributions to the university and the field. They stated their anticipation that David's legacy of excellence will continue to inspire and impact their academic community. Congratulations David!

Katie Sweeney JD, AASG Pick and Gavel Award 2026 recipient

The 2026 AASG Pick and Gavel Award has been presented to Katie Sweeney, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the National Mining Association, by AASG President and Colorado State Geologist Matt Morgan. Katie has been a respected advocate for the essential role of mining, and a good friend of AASG, for many years. The award honors people who have made significant contributions to advancing the role of geoscience in public policy and who have supported AASG’s goals in government affairs. Thank you for your ongoing service, Katie!