AGI Renames Legendary Geoscientist Award in Honor of Dr. Marcus E. Milling

Alexandria, VA — The American Geological Institute (AGI) and the AGI Foundation have renamed the Legendary Geoscientist Award in honor of former AGI Executive Director, Dr. Marcus E. Milling. The award will now be known as the Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal.

The Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal is given annually to a person who has contributed significant scientific achievement and sustained service to the geosciences throughout their career. This honor reflects Dr. Milling’s ambition of creating an environment that would foster opportunities to increase the public’s awareness of the contributions made by geoscientists to society.

Dr. Milling’s professional career began as a research geologist with Exxon in 1968 where he remained until 1980. From there he went to ARCO Oil and Gas as a general manager and left seven years later as Manager, Geological Exploration Staff. In 1987, he joined the University of Texas at Austin as the Associate Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology where he coordinated their oil and gas industry consortia programs and environmental and water resource investigations.

Dr. Milling served as AGI’s Executive Director from 1992 until July of 2006 when he became Senior Advisor. During his tenure with the Institute, he led AGI into a period of sustained financial stability and increased AGI membership from 19 to 44 societies. He was a champion for earth science education and outreach. Under his auspices, he increased the role of the geosciences in the political process with the creation of the Government Affairs Program.

Dr. Milling received numerous other honors during his career. These include the American Institute of Professional Geologists Ben H. Parker Memorial Medal (1997), the Association of American State Geologists Pick & Gavel Award (2005), and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Special Award (2007).

Dr. Milling was an exceptional geoscientist who made great strides in increasing geologic awareness for education, government, and the public throughout his career. The renaming of this award to the Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal recognizes this legacy and sets a stage for the broad scientific and professional commitments for which future recipients will be recognized.