Alexandria, VA – The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) announces the release of its publication, “The Consumer’s Guide to Minerals.” The importance of minerals in our everyday lives cannot be underestimated. “The Consumer’s Guide to Minerals” is a different take on them. Rather than focusing on visual and physical properties, this book explores minerals’ myriad uses in scientific research, manufacturing, medicine, and many commercial applications—some of which may even shock you. This digital exclusive is an important reference for students of applied science, geology, and economics; practicing engineers and professional geoscientists in government service, environment and sustainability; and those professionals working in the minerals industry or those serving the minerals industry. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — A persistent stalemate over ownership and resource allocation, of everything from beluga caviar to energy resources, has hung over the Caspian Sea ever since the breakup of the Soviet Union. That stalemate has put the countries surrounding the sea — Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan — at odds. The conflict is a unique multinational mash-up of economic, political, energy resource and environmental concerns that has attracted attention of researchers outside the usual crowd of policy analysts and political scientists. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — Following the 2013 National Geoscience Student Exit survey, which collected over 400 responses from 71 geoscience departments nationwide, Currents #80 examines the answers of students that articulated plans following graduation. At the time of the survey, the majority of doctoral candidates had found jobs within the geosciences (79%), and 43% of master’s candidates were similarly employed. The majority of bachelor’s candidates were still looking for employment or indicated plans to attend graduate school. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA — The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to welcome the 2013-2014 President, Dr. Berry H. (Nick) Tew, Jr. He will be inducted at the Friends of AGI Reception held during the Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado on October 28, 2013. Dr. Tew has served as Alabama’s State Geologist and Oil and Gas Supervisor since 2002. In these capacities, he is the Director of the Geological Survey of Alabama and the State Oil & Gas Board of Alabama. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - Few people have impacted the public understanding of geoscience as much as Dr. Scott Tinker. His documentary Switch, co-produced with Harry Lynch as part of the Switch Energy Project, has screened at over 350 universities, and reached an estimated 3 million people globally. In 2013, it will be distributed in thousands of Earth Science Week kits to students worldwide. For this, and many other esteemed accomplishments, Tinker has been presented the American Geosciences Institute award for Outstanding Contributions to the Understanding of Geoscience. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The Center for Geoscience Education and Public Understanding at the American Geosciences Institute has released a landmark report on the status of Earth Science education in U.S. middle and high schools. The report, “Earth and Space Sciences Education in U.S. Secondary Schools: Key Indicators and Trends,” offers baseline data on indicators of the subject’s status since the release of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in April 2013. [Read More]

Today, a national center focused on the geosciences launches the world’s most comprehensive and up-to-date online clearinghouse for Earth and space science information and educational resources. The Center for Geoscience Education and Public Understanding’s searchable web site (www.geocntr.org) provides the geoscience community, schools, and the general public with an extensive collection of resources and research from reliable science and education organizations. “Teachers, media, families, and policy-makers should bookmark this site as the starting point for research about Earth and space science education,” said Ann Benbow, director of the Center. [Read More]

Alexandria, VA - The majority of bachelor’s and doctoral graduates did not participate in an internship experience during their postsecondary career. In contrast, the majority of master’s graduates did have at least one internship experience. Most of these bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral students that held an internship considered their internship experiences to be “very important.” Of these master’s candidates, 48% were employed within the geosciences at a company they had previously interned at the time. [Read More]

The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) would like to thank Mr. Lewis (Stan) Pittman for his continued service to the AGI community by honoring him with the William B Heroy Jr. Award. Pittman has served on AGI committees for over a decade, serving in financial roles, including the AGI Executive Committee treasurer. AGI is grateful for Pittman’s service helping shape AGI’s financial goals. Along with his leadership roles with AGI, Pittman is also recognized for his educational and industry contributions. [Read More]

The Executive Committee of the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is proud to announce that Dr. Peter Scholle has been awarded the AGI Medal in memory of Ian Campbell honoring his contributions to the geoscientific community. When measured against the career of the medal’s namesake, Scholle’s colleagues lauded his accomplishments and underscored his leadership both as a scientist and educator. Scholle has conducted research on carbonate sedimentology and petroleum geology in nearly 30 countries and has written, coauthored, or edited eight books, more than 250 papers and abstracts, and 28 CD-ROMs and other computer or audio visual products. [Read More]