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!

Walter A. Anderson, State Geologist of Maine from 1978 to 1995

Walter Anderson died on February 15, two weeks before his 96th birthday. He was born in Worcester MA in 1930, and studied geology at UMass and Rochester. In the 50s and 60s, he worked for Texaco in Houston. In 1968, he joined the Maine Geological Survey as Assistant State Geologist. He served as State Geologist from 1978 until his retirement in 1995. Walter worked with great integrity, as he built and broadened the Survey for the immense benefit of the people of Maine. He was very active in AASG, and led an active service in geology during retirement. He will be missed.

Mimi Garstang to receive Missouri State honorary doctorate

Missouri State University will grant its 25th honorary doctorate to alumna Mimi Garstang. “Mimi is deserving of this doctorate because she is the embodiment of Missouri State’s public affairs mission,” said the selection committee chair. “She has done so much for the field of geology and the state of Missouri.” In 1972, she graduated with a bachelor’s degree in geology from what was then Southwest Missouri State University. In 1978, she joined the Missouri Geological Survey. She rose through the ranks and made history as the first woman to serve as state geologist of Missouri and director of the Missouri Geological Survey in 2000 – a position she held until 2008. Congratulations, Mimi!

- Missouri State

Ed Murphy to complete his time as North Dakota State Geologist

Edward C. Murphy will soon complete his time as Director of the North Dakota Geological Survey, a position he has held since 2004, when he was successor to John  Bluemle. Ed earned his B.S. in 1979 and his M.S. in 1983 in Geology from the University of North Dakota. He has worked as a geologist for the North Dakota Geological Survey for 46 years. Ed grew up in Bismarck as the son of a petroleum geologist. The position has been advertised. Well done, Ed!

Phil Pearthree to complete his time as Arizona State Geologist

Philip A. Pearthree, Ph.D. will retire as Director of the Arizona Geological Survey in July 2026, having held the position since 2016 as successor to Lee Allison. The position has been advertised. Phil received his B.S. at Oberlin College, and M.S. and Ph.D. at the University of Arizona. He joined AZGS in 1988 and was chief of the Environmental Geology section for more than a decade. Phil is a Kirk Bryan Award co-winner, and authored or co-authored more than 100 geologic reports and maps in nearly four decades with the Survey. Phil was AASG Treasurer from 2020 to 2023. Well done, Phil!

State Geologist of Louisiana, Greg Upton

Dr. Gregory B. Upton is Acting Director of the Louisiana Geological Survey. Greg’s expertise is in energy and environmental economics, mainly oil and gas markets, and energy transition in Louisiana. Dr. Upton holds a B.S., M.A., and Ph.D., the latter in 2014, in Economics from Louisiana State University. Welcome, Greg!

Utah Geological Survey ROI

The Utah Geological Survey (UGS) is Utah’s “go-to” source for all geologic resources information. The data we collect has a wide variety of uses across entities ranging from all types of private industry to local, state, and federal government. Our research often forms the basis for important activity that drives the current and future economy of the state. As such, the information and data that we make readily accessible add significant value to the prosperity of the state of Utah, our industry, and our citizens. In this article, we provide insights from recent efforts to assess the value of geological data provided by state geological surveys.

Ohio launches new interactive geology map

The Ohio Geological Survey has launched a refreshed version of the Ohio Geology Interactive Map (OGIM). The update features new search and visualization tools, an improved user interface, and enhanced accessibility considerations. The application serves as the primary platform for public access to geological observations and inferences in the state. Included are well logs, aquifer details, and potentiometric surfaces, as well as earthquake epicenters, seismic stations, coastal erosion, aggregate extent and thickness, and groundwater vulnerability. The update is emblematic of the Survey’s commitment to fully up-to-date public service that is in tune with the needs and capabilities of the late 2020s. Well done!

Richard Berg, 2025 Career Achievement Award

Dick Berg has been honored upon his retirement this year after 50 years of service at the Illinois State Geological Survey. When he was named State Geologist in 2015, he had worked under seven of the 13 ISGS directors who preceded him since the survey’s founding in 1851. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University, a master’s degree from Eastern Michigan University, and a Ph.D. in soil geomorphology from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Berg is a pioneer in 3D geological mapping and groundwater protection. As part of a governor’s task force, he helped develop the State Groundwater Protection Act of 1985. He has since played immense roles on the state, national, and international scene in advancing the essential role that geological mapping plays in addressing the needs of society.

Keith Schilling to complete his time as State Geologist of Iowa

In coming months, Dr. Keith Schilling will complete his time as State Geologist of Iowa and Director of the Iowa Geological Survey at the University of Iowa. He has held the position since 2017. He also is a research engineer in Hydroscience at U of Iowa, and adjunct faculty at U of Iowa and Iowa State. Keith has focused on Iowa water-related issues, including groundwater flow and quality, surface water and groundwater interaction, nonpoint source pollution, and watershed and floodplain processes. He holds an M.S. in water resources from Iowa State and a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Iowa. He has performed superbly as AASG Water Chair. Well done, Keith!

The Texas Imperative

The Bureau of Economic Geology is the State Geological Survey of Texas. The Texas Imperative is comprised of a series of separate, project-based resource studies on water systems and drought, mineral resources, geothermal energy, and non-hydrocarbon gas. A majority of the research is applied and focuses on Texas issues, resources, and policy, ultimately increasing foundational and technical knowledge for the improved production and application of geoscience and the assessment of subsurface resources throughout the world.

https://youtu.be/4JgvVw0deC0?si=j_CnwEELz70G6diY

KGS expands research, lab space for core, critical materials analysis

Industry executives, state policymakers and University of Kansas leadership joined the Kansas Geological Survey Nov. 6 for a ceremonial ribbon-cutting of the newly renovated Watney CORELAB, which includes a 5,500-square-foot expansion of the existing laboratory space. Wow!

https://kgs.ku.edu/news/article/kgs-expands-research-laboratory-space-for-rock-core-critical-materials-analysis

Mankin Award to Nevada

The AASG Charles J. Mankin Award is given each year to the best recently-published, nominated state geological survey geological map, compilation, or report on regional, energy, or mineral resource geology. 

The award honors Charles Mankin (1932-2012), who as Director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey for forty years (1967-2007) was a tireless advocate for geologic mapping. 

The 2025 AASG Mankin Award has been presented to: 2025 - Jowitt, S.M., Henry, C.D., Crespo Mena, J., Lindsey, C.R., Darin, M.H., Saftner, D.M., Heintz, K.M., and Hershey, R.L., 2024, Lithium in Nevada - origins, extent, role in the energy transition, and implications for economic development and national security: Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology Special Publication 40, 48 p.

Congratulations! https://pubs.nbmg.unr.edu/Lithium-in-Nevada-p/sp040.htm

Frye Award to Delaware

The AASG/GSA John C. Frye Memorial Award recognizes the best recently-published, nominated state geological survey or GSA publication in environmental geology.

John C. Frye joined USGS in 1938, he went to the Kansas Geological Survey in 1942, he was its Director from 1945 to 1954, he was Chief of the Illinois State Geological Survey until 1974, and he was GSA Executive Director until his retirement in 1982, shortly before his death. John was active in AASG and on national committees, and was influential in the growth of environmental geology.

The 2025 Frye Award was at GSA to Delaware authors, for their publication: 2025 - P.P. McLaughlin, J.L. Tomlinson, and A.K. Lawson, Delaware Geological Survey Bulletin 22, Aquifers and Groundwater Withdrawals, Kent and Sussex Counties, Delaware, 2023. Congratulations! 

https://udspace.udel.edu/items/bfe0f69f-9caa-4ad3-8169-d6b8d1fb30c2

https://udspace.udel.edu/handle/19716/33550

John LaFave, State Geologist of Montana

John LaFave has been named interim Director of the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG) as successor to John Metesh. John has been part of the MBMG research staff since 1993; most recently, he served as the Research Division Chief. For many years, he served as the Program Manager for the Montana Ground Water Assessment Program. His research has focused on enhancing groundwater monitoring of Montana's principal aquifers and assessing regional groundwater quality. He has also served as an Associate Director of the Montana Water Center, a western-state representative to the National Groundwater Monitoring Network Board, and an Affiliate Faculty member of the Montana Tech Department of Geological Engineering. He holds an M.A. in geology from the University of Texas at Austin and a B.S. in geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Welcome, John!

Rodney Alan Combellick, 1951-2025

Rod Combellick passed away unexpectedly at the age of 74 due to a stroke on August 24th, 2025. After his youth in Littleton, Colorado, he completed a BS in geology at University of Washington in 1973, and an MS in geology at University of Southern California. He was employed by the Alaska state geological survey for 32 years, beginning in 1981. His specialties were Quaternary geology, engineering geology, as well as earthquake and tsunami hazards in Alaska. He became Deputy Director in 2002, and was acting State Geologist from 2003 to 2004, prior to his retirement in 2013. He was an accomplished classical organist, and also a pilot. He volunteered with AARP during retirement. He will be missed.

John D. Kiefer, 1940 - 2025

John Kiefer passed away at the age of 85 on September 13, 2025. John earned his Bachelor’s at St. Joseph’s College in Indiana, and his Masters and PhD in Geology from the University of Illinois. He served for three decades with Kentucky Geological Survey, having started in 1979 after brief employment with the Alabama survcey. He was assistant State Geologist most of this time, and in that role he was not known to miss an AASG Annual Meeting. AASG established the Associate and Honorary Associate recognitions with John and few others initially in mind. After retirement in 2009, in 2010, he was the first associate to receive the AASG Distinguished Service Award. He was active with GSA. His service to society was extensive. He will be missed.

John Metesh named Critical Materials Executive Director

On September 1st, John Metesh stepped down as State Geologist of Montana, a position he held since 2012, and was appointed Executive Director of the Montana Tech Critical Materials Initiatives. John was the 2023-2024 AASG President. He holds a Master’s degree in geological/geophysical engineering from Montana College of Mineral Science and Technology, and a Ph.D. in geology from University of Montana. John’s expertise is in geochemical modeling, hydrogeology, and hydrogeochemistry. Thanks for your service, and good luck, John!

Ranie Lynds is State Geologist of Wyoming

In August, Ranie Lynds was named Interim Director of the Wyoming State Geological Survey, upon the departure of Erin Campbell who served in the role since 2017. Ranie joined the survey in 2012 and has served as Energy and Mineral Resources Manager since 2017. She has focused on oil and gas, and led the Wyoming Statemap and EarthMRI programs. Ranie earned her Bachelors and Masters degrees from Stanford University and a PhD in fluvial sedimentology from the University of Wyoming. Welcome, Ranie!