AAPG Foundation Update

Grotzinger chosen to be Michel T. Halbouty Lecturer

nadams — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:29:00 +0000

The Michel T. Halbouty Lecture Fund supports an annual lecture focusing on exploration to be given at the AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition in April. This year’s lecturer and recipient of this award is John Grotzinger, Professor of Geology, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA. The subject of the lecture is “Mars Science Laboratory Rover Mission.” and must deal with wildcat exploration, especially in areas where major discoveries might contribute significantly to petroleum reserves or space exploration where astrogeological knowledge would further mankind’s ability to develop resources on earth and in our solar system.

Grotzinger will receive his award at the AAPG Foundation Chairmen’s Reception at ACE in Long Beach.

The Michel T. Halbouty lecture series is in its twelfth year and is an ongoing special event at the AAPG Annual Convention & Exhibition. Previous winners include: Aubrey McClendon, Guilherme Estrella, Ray L. Hunt, Kurt Randolph, Harrison H. “Jack” Schmitt, John Robbins, Brian Maxted, Bill Barrett, Peter Dea, David Rainey and Carolyn Shoemaker.

Marathon Oil Endows Two AAPG Foundation’s GIS UDRIL Subscriptions

nadams — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 14:10:39 +0000

The AAPG Foundation is pleased to announce that Marathon Oil Corporation has endowed two GIS-UDRIL digital subscriptions:
University of Texas at Austin
University of Kansas
and pledged to endow eight more in the next four years.

For more information on sponsoring university subscriptions, visit the programs page on the Foundation website.

Welcome Pete Stark to the Trustee Associates

nadams — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 14:45:48 +0000

Pete Stark recently joined the AAPG Foundation Trustee Associates. He has been an AAPG member since 1958 and works closely with the Foundation on the Corporate Advisory Board. He is Vice President for IHS Energy Group in Englewood, CO.

Foundation Awards Announced

nadams — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:45:18 +0000

William J. Barrett is the 2012 recipient of the L. Austin Weeks Medal

Mr. Barrett has been a member of AAPG since 1961 and a Trustee Associate since 2002.

The L. Austin Weeks Memorial Medal is given in recognition for extraordinary philanthropy and service directed to advance the mission of the AAPG Foundation. The Foundation award honors the late L. Austin Weeks, whose philanthropic legacy set an exemplary standard. The award will be given at the AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition in April, held in Long Beach, CA.

Herbert G. Davis to be the 2012 Chairman’s Award Recipient

Mr. Davis has been a member of AAPG since 1956 and a Trustee Associate since 1978.

The AAPG Foundation Chairman’s Award is to be given to recognize persons who have made extraordinary contributions (monetary or service) to the AAPG Foundation, and also to call attention to the role and value of the Foundation. The award will be given at the 2012 Trustee Associate meeting at Scottsdale, AZ.

Teacher of the Year announced

nadams — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 21:43:13 +0000

Teacher of the Year-Jonna Gentry

Ms. Gentry is a 9th grade Earth Science Teacher at Green Mountain High School at Lakewood, CO.

The AAPG Foundation annual award of $5,000 is given to a K-12 teacher for Excellence in the Teaching of Natural Resources in the Earth Sciences. The award will be given at this year’s ACE Convention at Long Beach, CA.

Campaign Status (updated December 31, 2011)

Tamra Campbell — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 06:20:47 +0000

$35 Million Campaign Goal,

$35,677,547.43 Pledges & Contributions

To Friends and Colleagues of Gerald M. “Gerry” Friedman

nadams — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:15:57 +0000

We are sad to inform you that our friend and colleague Gerald M. “Gerry” Friedman passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning in New York City.
Services are scheduled tomorrow, November 30, in Queens, N.Y. at Parkside Memorial Chapel.
Receiving the Sidney Powers Medal in 2000, Gerry was a consummate geologist, researcher, and professor. He authored more than 600 papers and 19 books. He was also active in all three AAPG divisions and also served as AAPG vice president in 1984. In addition to being a Powers medalist, he was also honored by AAPG with Honorary Membership, the Distinguished Educator Award and the Distinguished Service Award. He was also a Trustee Associate of the AAPG Foundation.
Gerry had celebrated his 90th Birthday this past July. He is survived by Sue, his loving wife of 63 years, 5 children, 18 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any gifts in remembrance of Gerry be made in support of geological societies.
Our thoughts are with the family, his many friends and former students. He will be greatly missed.

Monahan and Mather Join Trustee Associates

nadams — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 22:59:05 +0000

The Trustee Associates would like to welcome Rita Monahan from Houston, Texas and Terry J. Mather from Centennial, Colorado to the membership. The AAPG Foundation Trustees officially recognized a distinguished group of contributors known as the AAPG Foundation Trustee Associates in 1978. This select group was organized for the purpose of supporting the AAPG Foundation, providing counsel and leadership to its Trustees, lending support to its fundraising efforts and guiding the scientific and educational agenda which it overwrites. Today, there are more than 275 Trustee Associates who play a stellar role in the development of the AAPG Foundation’s financial resources, thereby dramatically accelerating its ability to support scientific educational programs. There are more than 30 funds and programs supported by the Trustee Associates. To find out more, visit foundation.aapg.org.

Grants-In-Aid Abstracts Available to View

nadams — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 13:30:07 +0000

Click here to read the Grants-In-Aid abstracts on Search and Discovery!

AAPG Foundation 2011 Grants-in-Aid Projects, Abstracts, #90132 (2011).

2011 Foundation Chairman’s Report

nadams — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 21:19:29 +0000

As you know, the primary objectives of the AAPG Foundation are to provide funding for programs that encourage a better understanding and advancement of the geosciences to the general public. Through contributions and investment returns, the AAPG Foundation provides funding for dozens of programs that encourage a better understanding and advance geosciences to the general public through projects that support education, training, and career enhancement for earth scientists.

Included in this report is a summary of the Foundation’s activities and preliminary financial results for the past fiscal year, including the investment portfolio and program support.

Contributions and Program Support

Total contributions to the Foundation in FY 2011 were $2.14M. Eight percent of AAPG dues paying members made a contribution to the Foundation in the last 12 months. Contributions in FY2010 were $2.24M.

Total disbursements for grants and program services were $1.66M compared to $2.12M in FY 2010. The Foundation Trustees established a 4% spending rate for FY 2011 compared to a 4.5% spending rate the previous year. Also, payouts from the Bridge Fund were down considerably in FY 2011 as the film neared completion.

Some of the AAPG core programs which received funding by the Foundation during the past fiscal year included the following:

• Distinguished Lecture & Visiting Geoscientist programs, $235,200. The Foundation provided funding for eight North American and four international Distinguished Lecture tours.
• Grants-in-Aid, $186,200. The Grants-In-Aid program continues to grow with 81 Named/Memorial grants and six additional grants established but not yet fully funded. This year, one new named grant was endowed – the John and Colleen Silcox Named Grant. The minimum contribution to establish a Named/Memorial Grant was raised from $15,000 to $25,000 this year.
• Forty-two undergraduate students and their universities were the recipients of an L. Austin Weeks Undergraduate Grant this past year totaling $42,000.
• AAPG Bulletin, $231,240
• Digital Products University Subscriptions, $33,970. Five new Digital Products University Subscriptions were endowed at the $15,000 level.
• K-12 Programs, $88,400
• Bridge Fund, $365,856

Two new programs established were the Newly Released Publication Endowment Subscription and the GIS UDRIL University Subscription.

The AAPG Foundation Trustee Board entertained 22 proposals for funding and approved 15, totaling $480,015. Some of the major programs which received funding by the Foundation during the past year included:

• Support the AAPG Young Professionals Committee to attend the Leadership Summit, $10,000
• Continued funding for the GeoFORCE Texas program, $45,000
• AAPG Student Focus booth at GSA in Denver, $10,000
• Datapages, $43,150
• AGI Geoscience Workforce Program, $25,000
• Tulsa Geoscience Center, $5,000
• K-12 earth science teacher training through the Bookout initiative, $50,000
• AGI’s “Promoting Geoscience Careers” program, $25,000
• Bulletin Memorial Scans, $9,878
• Santa Barbara Museum/Diblee Geology Center, $32,500
• AGI’s Earth Science week, $35,000
• Indiana University for their field station in Montana, $100,000

Based on the approved spending rate, the Foundation expects support of programs to amount to approximately $1.6M in FY 2012.

AAPG Foundation Investment Portfolio

The Foundation portfolio is conservatively invested and well diversified and includes public and private mutual funds, international investments, natural resource funds and real estate.

As you know, the investment climate continues to be challenging and the Foundation Trustees meet regularly to review economic conditions, and monitor investment. I am pleased to report the AAPG Foundation had a very good year with the investment portfolio as the portfolio grew by 23% to $38.6M as of June 30, 2011.

Although the markets have continued to be volatile, we believe we have a properly managed and diverse portfolio, which had a market value of $37M as of August 31, 2011.

Operational Highlights

A few of this year’s highlights include:

• Jack Threet received the Weeks Medal at ACE in Houston, Texas in April.

• Bill Crain is the 13th recipient of the Chairman’s Award for his support to the Foundation.

• A new Trustee Associate Service Award was established this year.

Membership & Committees

The AAPG Foundation Trustee Associates membership totaled 275 as of June 30, 2011.

The Trustee Associates support has been and continues to be a critical and important factor in the growth and development of the Foundation. The minimum contribution to join was raised from $12,500 to $15,000 this year. Twenty-two Trustee Associates accepted AAPG Emeritus membership status.

At the annual meeting of the Members of the Corporation in Houston, Texas on April 11, Donald Lewis and Ed Heath were elected as members of the Corporation for five-year terms. Robert Gunn and Scotty Holland were re-elected.

The current Board of Trustees consists of me as Chairman, John Amoruso, Vice Chairman, Jim Gibbs as Secretary, Bill Gipson Treasurer, Paul Strunk and Ray Thomasson.

Each Trustee Associate’s support is essential to the growth and future of AAPG Foundation programs. We thank each of you for your dedication and commitment.

William L. Fisher, Chairman
Board of Trustees