2007-2008 Dean’s Desk
May 1, 2008
Welcome to the Dean’s Desk, which celebrates accomplishments of members of the Jackson School community. To keep up with the many awards our faculty, staff and students receive, we are now listing honors annually for the calendar year. With this many honors, there is always a risk of overlooking some. Please accept the editors’ apologies and send along any omitted material, which we will place on the Web site. You can send information to J.B. Bird in the Dean’s Office. Enjoy reading about these distinctions and keep them coming.
| Recipient | Award | Division/Organization |
| Bill Ambrose | 2nd place EMD oral presentation | American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Energy Minerals Divison |
| Jamie Austin | Dean’s List | University of Rhode Island, 2007 |
| Milo Backus | Best Paper in the Leading Edge, 2006 (co-recipient) | Society of Exploration Geophysicists |
| Flo Bonnaffé | Top 10 Oral Presentation 2007 (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Frank Brown | 2008 AAPG Pioneer Award | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Frank Brown | 2007 Doris Malkin Curtis Medal | Society for Sedimentary Geology, Gulf Coast Section |
| CEE/“Africa Partnerships” | Best Outreach Program (Finalist) | World Oil Awards |
| Patricia Dickerson | Exceptional Public Service Medal | NASA |
| Tim Dooley | Jules Braunstein Memorial Award for best poster at the AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Peter Flemings | Distinguished Lecturer (2007-2008) | Consortium for Ocean Leadership |
| Sergey Fomel | Best Poster Presented at the 2006 SEG Annual Meeting | Society of Exploration Geophysicists |
| Cliff Frohlich | 2008 IRIS-SSA Distinguished Lecturer | Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology & Seismological Society of America |
| Julia Gale | President’s Certificate for Excellence in Presentation (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Energy Minerals Division |
| Beatriz Garcia-Fresca (co-author) | 2008 SEPM Excellence of Poster Presentation | SEPM |
| James Gibbs | Michel T. Halbouty Outstanding Leadership Award | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| GRACE Satellite Mission | William T. Pecora Award (Group) | NASA and U.S. Dept. of Interior |
| Sean Gulick | Distinguished Lecturer (2007-2008) | Consortium for Ocean Leadership |
| Robert Graebner | Best Paper in the Leading Edge, 2006 (co-recipient) | Society of Exploration Geophysicists |
| Ursula (Uschi) Hammes | 2007 Thomas A. Philpott Excellence of Presentation Award, 2nd place | Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies/ Gulf Coast Section of SEPM |
| Bob Hardage | Best Paper in the Leading Edge, 2006 (co-recipient) | Society of Exploration Geophysicists |
| Bob Hardage | Honorary Member | Society of Exploration Geophysicists |
| Sue Hovorka | One of “35 People Who Will Shape Our Future” | Texas Monthly, Feb 2008 |
| Mike Hudec | Top 25 “Hottest Articles” (co-recipient) | Science Direct |
| Mike Hudec | 2006–07 Distinguished Lecturer | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Mike Hudec | Jules Braunstein Memorial Award for best poster at the AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Charlie Kerans (co-author) | 2008 SEPM Excellence of Poster Presentation | SEPM |
| Martin Jackson | Jules Braunstein Memorial Award for best poster at the AAPG Annual Conference and Exhibition | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Martin Jackson | Top 25 “Hottest Articles” (co-recipient) | Science Direct |
| Jackson School Communications Team | First Place, Medical/Scientific News Writing | Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Southwest District |
| Jackson School Communications Team | Second Place, Medical/Scientific Feature Writing | Council for the Advancement and Support of Education, Southwest District |
| Xavier Janson | 2007 Best Poster Presentations for SEPM at the AAPG meeting, “Holocene Cyanobacterial Mats and Lime Muds: Links to Middle East Carbonate Source Rock Potential | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Dave Jennette | Top 10 Oral Presentation 2007 (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Xiangyun Jiang | Top 10 Poster Presentation 2008 (co-recipient with Mann) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Wann Langston | Romer-Simpson Medal | Society of Vertebrate Paleontology |
| Steve Laubach | Award of Excellence “Top 10” Oral Presentation | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Steve Laubach | Outstanding Service Award | Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2007 |
| Steve Laubach | Elected to the Petroleum Group Committee | Geological Society of London |
| Larry Lawver | Most Cited Paper 2003-2007 | Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology (journal) |
| Bob Loucks | Best Poster Award (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Energy Minerals Division |
| Jerry Lucia (co-author) | 2008 SEPM Excellence of Poster Presentation | SEPM |
| Paul Mann | APEX Grand Award | Communications Concepts, 2007 |
| Paul Mann | Top 10 Poster Presentation 2008 (co-recipient with Jiang) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Angela McDonnell | A.I. Levorsen Memorial Award for Best Oral Presentation | Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies, 2007 |
| Paul Murray | Best Paper in the Leading Edge, 2006 (co-recipient) | Society of Exploration Geophysicists |
| David Pyles | Top 10 Oral Presentation 2007 (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Doug Ratcliff | Public Service Award | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Robert M. Reed | Best Poster Award (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Energy Minerals Division |
| Robert M. Reed | President’s Certificate for Excellence in Presentation (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Energy Minerals Division |
| Bridget Scanlon | 2007 Birdsall-Dreiss Distinguished Lecturer | GSA |
| Ron Steel | Honorable Mention Paper | Journal of Sedimentary Research, 2006 |
| Scott Tinker | Don C. Haney Distinguished Lecturer | University of Kentucky |
| Mark Tomasso | Top 10 Oral Presentation 2007 (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Clark Wilson | William T. Pecora Award (Group) as member of team for GRACE Satellite Mission | NASA and U.S. Dept. of Interior |
| Wayne Wright | 2007 Best Poster Presentations for SEPM at the AAPG meeting | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
| Hongliu Zeng | 2007 Gordon Atwater Best Poster Award | Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies / GCSSEPM |
| Recipient | Award | Division/Organization |
| Jamie Austin | Jackson School Service Award | Institute for Geophysics |
| Chris Bell | Outstanding Teaching Award | Chancellor’s Council, Jan. 2008 |
| Mark Cloos | Teaching Award (Professor) | Texas Exes, 2008 |
| Jay Banner | Award for Excellence in Teaching, 2007 | Division of Instructional Innovation and Assessment |
| Bill Carlson | Jackson School Teaching Award | Department of Geological Sciences |
| Sigrid Clift | 2008 Staff Excellence Award | University of Texas |
| Jamie H. Coggin | 2007 Staff Excellence Award | University of Texas |
| Sheree Courney | 2007 Staff Excellence Award | Jackson School Dean’s Office |
| Lauren Darcy | 2008 Staff Excellence Award | Dean’s Office |
| Shirley Dutton | 2007 Joseph C. Walter Jr. Excellence Award | Jackson School |
| William Fisher | Marcus Milling Legendary Geoscientist Medal | AGI |
| William Fisher | Distinguished Service Award | Association of American State Geologists |
| Chip Groat | Faculty Appreciation Award for Best Managed Policy Research Project | LBJ School of Public Affairs Graduate Public Affairs Council |
| Steve Grand | Jackson School Research Award | Department of Geological Sciences and the Institute for Geophysics |
| Tinley Hald | 2008 Staff Excellence Award | Department of Geological Sciences |
| Brian Horton | Research Fellowship | Alexander von Humboldt Foundation |
| Brian Horton | 2007 Exceptional Review Recognition | GSA Bulletin |
| Martin Jackson | Jackson School Service Award | Bureau of Economic Geology |
| Wanda LaPlante | 2008 Staff Excellence Award | Bureau of Economic Geology |
| Charlie Kerans | Grover E. Murray Best Published Paper Award for 2007 | GCAGS Transitions |
| Bob Loucks | Jackson School Research Award | Bureau of Economic Geology |
| Paul Mann | Jackson School Research Award | Institute for Geophysics |
| Randy McDonald | 2008 Staff Excellence Award | University of Texas |
| Kitty Milliken | 2008 Innovative Instructional Technology Award | University of Texas |
| Doug Ratcliff | Public Service Award | AAPG |
| Judy Sansom | 2008 Staff Excellence Award | Institute for Geophysics |
| Ron Steel | Best Paper honorable mention, 2007 | SEPM |
| Estibalitz Ukar | 2008 Teaching Award | Texas Exes |
| Joseph Yeh | 2008 Staff Excellence Award | University of Texas |
| James Austin | Chair | American Geophysical Union Development Board (2004-Present) |
| James Austin | Chair, Fellowship Committee | UTIG |
| Eric Barron | Chair, Board of Trustees | Consortium for Ocean Leadership |
| Eric Barron | Chair, Board of Trustees | University Corporation for Atmospheric Research |
| Michelle Foss | Emeritus Chair | U.S. Association for Energy Economics |
| Craig Fulthorpe | Chair | Jackson School of Geosciences Endowment Committee |
| John Goff | Chair | JSG Strategic Planning Council |
| John Goff | Chair | JSG Rapid Response Committee |
| Chip Groat | President, Division of Environmental Geosciences | AAPG |
| Sharon Mosher | Chair | GeoScienceWorld |
| Terrence M. Quinn | Chair | System Science Search Committee |
| Jack Sharp | President | Geological Society of America, 2008 |
| Scott Tinker | President-Elect | American Association of Petroleum Geologists (2008-2009) |
| Student | Award | Division/Organization |
| Sasha Carter | Outstanding Student Paper, Cryosphere Section | American Geophysical Union, 2007 |
| Nysha Chaderton | Outstanding Student Presentation | Geological Society of Trinidad and Tobago |
| David Contreras | Best Student Poster | American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 2008 Annual Meeting |
| Ned Frost | Best Poster Presentation of 2006 | American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Perth ICE |
| Ned Frost | Best Oral Presentation at 2007 Long Beach Annual Convention | Shell |
| Stacy Loewy | One of 50 Most Cited Papers of Last 5 Years | Tectonophysics (journal), Dec. 2007 |
| Aysen Ozkan | SPIRIT Scholar | ConocoPhillips |
| Ted Playton | Second Best Oral Presentation | American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 2007 |
| Estibalitz Ukar | Teaching Award (T.A.) | Texas Exes, 2008 |
| Bryce Wagner | SPIRIT Scholar | ConocoPhillips |
| Bryce Wagner | Michael Bruce Duchin Endowed Presidential Scholarship | UT Austin |
| Bryce Wagner | SEG Foundation Scholarship | Society of Exploration Geophysicists |
| Meghan Ward | Award of Excellence “Top 10” Oral Presentation (co-recipient) | American Association of Petroleum Geologists |
These students earned external grants and those that applied also received matching funds from the Jackson School to complement their external grants. If this list is incomplete, please email additions. Thanks.
| Student | Title of Research | External Agency | Award | JSG Match |
| Enzo S. Aconcha | Integrated Geological & Geophysical modeling of Albian Patch Reefs, Maverick Basin, South Texas | Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies | $2,000 | $1,000 |
| Divya Balakrishnan | he Oldest Fossil Box Turtle in the World? High Resolution Computer Tomography of New Fossil Specimens from West Texas | Co-op Undergraduate Research Fellowship | $1,000 | – |
| Bhart-Anjan S. Bhullar | Phylogeny and Variation within Anguioidea | Society of Systematic Biologists | $1,400 | $1,000 |
| Margaret Cagle | Characterizing physical and chemical groundwater system at a lignite mine. Determine causes of hydrocehmical variations using statistics, XTD, and hydrochemical analysis. | TXU Environmental Research Program | $30,000 | $1,000 |
| Kerin Claeson | Ontogeny & Systematics of Batoids | Deep-fin Student Exchange Program | $2,500 | $1,000 |
| Gareth Cross | Deformation Kinematics in the Evaporite Decollement of the Sierra Madre Oriental, NE Mexico | American Association of Petroleum Geologists | $750 | $750 |
| Magdalena Ellis | Structural Diagenesis Research | GDL Foundation | $6,000 | – |
| Peter Hargrove | Structural Diagenesis Research | GDL Foundation | $6,000 | – |
| Juan F. Inigo | Bolivian and Argentiean Devonian Basin Structural Model and Fracture Analyses in a Major Gas Emplacement | GDL Foundation | $6,000 | $1,000 |
| Xiaoyan Jiang | NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship | NASA | $24,000 | – |
| Brian Kiel | NSF Graduate Research Fellowship | National Science Foundation (NSF) | $30,000 per yr, 3 yrs | – |
| Brandon McElroy | Deformation and Dynamics of Fluvial Sand Bed Topography | National Science Foundation | $5,000 | $1,000 |
| Jennifer Olori | Ontogeny of Microsaws and Implications for Microsaw Intra Relationships and Lissamphibian Origins | Society of Vertebrate Paleontology | $1,000 | $1,000 |
| Aysen Ozkan | Fracture Opening Histories in a Sandstone | AAPG | $2,000 | $1,000 |
| Aysen Ozkan | Research in Structural Diagenesis | GDL Foundation | $10,000 | – |
| Ryan Phelps | Morphologic and Temporal Characterization of Oolitic Tidal Shoals, Northern Exuma Cays, Bahamas | ConocoPhillips | $15,000 | $1,000 |
| Enrique Rosero | Graduate Fellowship | NOAA/National Weather Service Office of Hydrologic Development | $50,000/year | – |
| Carlos Uroza | Processes and Architectures of the Deltas in Shelfbreak and Ramp Platforms | American Association of Petroleum Geologists | $1,600 | $1,000 |
| Corrine Wong | EPA Fellowship | Environmental Protection Agency | $20,000 | – |
| Corrine Wong | Graduate Research Grant: “Evaluating the Impacts of Brush Clearing on Recharge of a Karst Aquifer” | Geological Society of America | $3,500 | $1,000 |
| Corrine Wong | Jones-Ambury Research Grant | South Texas Geological Society | $1,000 | – |
| Corrine Wong | Evaluating the Impacts of Brush Clearing on Recharge of a Karst Aquifer | Texas Water Resources Institute & U.S. Geological Survey | $5,000 | – |