ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is saddened to share the news that colleague and friend Dr. Jan van Sant passed away on October 26, 2023, at the age of 91. Dr. van Sant served as Executive Director of the AGI Foundation for many years, raising more than $20 million and overseeing support for numerous AGI education programs and initiatives benefiting the geoscience community. Prior to that, his career spanned decades with ExxonMobil and Penzoil. In 1999, Dr. van Sant received AGI's William B. Heroy Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to AGI.

"Jan was a generous, powerful force for geoscience education and philanthropy over the course of his long and impactful career," said AGI Executive Director Jonathan Arthur. "His effective leadership of the AGI Foundation for many years not only made possible a long list of important geoscience education initiatives, but also laid the groundwork for philanthropic efforts bolstering the geosciences for years to come."

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