ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Dr. Kevin Bohacs, a trailblazing sedimentologist and stratigrapher who is now retired from ExxonMobil in Houston, Texas, has been awarded the American Geosciences Institute's (AGI) 2024 Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal in recognition of his lifetime of notable achievements in the geosciences and global impact across disciplines.

Dr. Bohacs has contributed significantly to the geosciences in several areas, including sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology of mudstones and lacustrine systems, source rock stratigraphy and unconventional plays, and sequence stratigraphic controls related to coal. He is also known for teaching and promoting discussions on field safety, co-authoring the American Association of Petroleum Geologists' (AAPG) bestselling field manual Field Safety in Uncontrolled Environments: A Process-Based Guidebook, and conducting over 40 Field Safety Leadership courses internationally. He has volunteered to lead short courses and field trips for AAPG, the Geological Society of America (GSA), and SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology).

Dr. Bohacs is also an American Red Cross Trainer Instructor in emergency response, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and automated external defibrillator use, and wilderness first aid. He has served as a firefighter, paramedic, disaster response leader, lifeguard, water safety instructor, and camp director. Dr. Bohacs is an Eagle Scout and Scoutmaster.

From 1981 to 2018, Dr. Bohacs worked for Exxon Production Research and later ExxonMobil (XOM) Upstream Research. He collaborated with exploration teams in assessing oil, gas, and water systems; led field schools in sequence stratigraphy, sedimentology, and basin analysis; and conducted field research for exploration. He holds three patents in the geosciences.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree (honors) in Geology from the University of Connecticut and a Sc.D. in Experimental Sedimentology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Bohacs is an honorary member of AAPG and a fellow of GSA, the Royal Geographical Society, and the Explorers Club.

"In his long career, Dr. Bohacs has distinguished himself as an original thinker in sedimentary geology and has applied his innovations in ways that have helped to educate the wider geoscience community," said AGI President Keri Nutter. "He has served the geosciences not only as a research pioneer in a number of fields, but also as an inspirational educator and mentor for geoscientists all over the world."

"I am truly humbled and grateful for this award, which I accept as the product of a long line of people working together: my family, teachers, mentors and colleagues across industry, government, and academia, and fellow volunteers in scouting and emergency services," said Dr. Bohacs. "Most of all I am thankful for my amazing wife Susan for her constant love, support, fossil-finding abilities, and tolerance of my disappearances into the field. Truly, I never worked a day in my life - I always love the science that I am doing. That's the great thing about geoscience - you get to learn and apply all the sciences to help understand our mother Earth, and Mars, and lots of other places."

The Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal will be given at the Awards Ceremony at the American Association of Petroleum Geologists/Society of Exploration Geophysicists annual meeting (IMAGE 2024) taking place August 26-29, 2024, in Houston, Texas. The medal is a lifetime achievement award given in recognition of an individual's high-quality basic and applied science achievements in the Earth sciences. The award, established in 1999, was named in late 2006. Dr. Marcus Milling was an ardent and tireless champion of geoscience education, policy, and information services who served as AGI's Executive Director from 1992 until July of 2006, when he transitioned to a Senior Advisor role.

AGI directly, or in cooperation with its Member Societies, bestows serveral awards each year to recognize particular excellence in the geosciences. In addition, AGI works with its Member Societies to foster nominations of deserving geoscientists for consideration in a number of National Science Awards. To learn more about AGI awards such as the Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal, visit https://www.americangeosciences.org/awards

About AGI
The American Geosciences Institute (AGI), a federation of scientific and professional organizations representing over a quarter-million geoscientists, is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to serving the geoscience community and addressing the needs of society. AGI headquarters are in Alexandria, Virginia.
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AGI Contact:
Geoff Camphire, Communications
gac@americangeosciences.org