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Senator Hickenlooper Helps Kick Off AGI Special Session at GSA Connects 2022

Colorado Senator John Hickenlooper will be among the featured speakers at “The American Geosciences Institute at 75: Implementing a Vision of Sustainability as a Unifying Geoscience Framework”, a Special Session of the Geological Society of America’s GSA Connects 2022 National Conference, 8 a.m.-5:30 p.m. MDT, Monday, October 10, 2022, in the Mile High Ballroom 2C, Colorado Convention Center, Denver, Colorado.

Conference attendees are invited to join past and present leaders of the American Geosciences Institute (AGI) and prominent geoscientists from across the geoscience community in recognizing the 75th Anniversary of the Institute. Speakers will recall motivations that led to the emergence of AGI, reflect on its impacts on the geosciences and society, and look ahead as the profession faces unprecedented transitions in the scope and imperative of the geosciences.

AGI was founded to foster the geosciences to support society, including the challenges of the Cold War, expanding the sciences globally, and recognizing and supporting the health of the discipline. This session will scan the horizon of the sciences in context of past responses to stress points, the challenges of today, and the opportunity of sustainability serving as a unifying framework for the future of the geosciences.

The day will end with an engaging panel discussion and lengthy Q&A focusing on the vital role of geoscience in sustainability and climate change, filling the K-12 education gap, the future of the workforce, and public geoscience literacy. Panelists will include:

  • Karen Berry, State Geologist, Colorado Geological Survey
  • David Curtiss, Executive Director, American Association of Petroleum Geologists
  • Deborah Glickson, Board Director, National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
  • Jakob Lindaas, Professional Staff, Select Committee on the Climate Crisis, U.S. House of Representatives
  • Naomi Oreskes, Professor and Author, Harvard University
  • Eric Pyle, Professor, James Madison University
  • Barbara Ransom, Program Director, National Science Foundation

The closing panel will be co-moderated by Texas State Geologist Scott Tinker and AGI Executive Director Jonathan Arthur.

For more information on the AGI Special Session and more, see Special Sessions.