The Curtis-Hedberg Petroleum Career Achievement Award will be considered annually in accordance with the bylaws of the Society. The award will be made for outstanding contributions in the field of petroleum geology. Petroleum geology is defined as the field of knowledge concerning the origin, occurrence, relationships and geologic characteristics of petroleum reserves, resources, and exploration, including economic implications and petroleum technology.
The award honors two former GSA presidents with outstanding contributions to petroleum geoscience, Dr. Doris Malkins Curtis and Dr. Hollis Hedberg. Doris Malkin Curtis was a pioneer in the field of petroleum geology and coauthored the book "How to Try to Find an Oil Field" in 1981. Her publications on petroleum geology included attempts to marry the Gulf Coast Tertiary geology with geochemistry to produce a realistic workable model for predicting the distribution of undiscovered oil and gas and provide an analogue in unexplored offshore basins with similar histories. Doris Curtis was the consummate devotee/contributor to geologic associations and her hard work resulted in many milestones including being the first female President of GSA (1991). Hollis Hedberg was not only an oil-finder, he was a consummate scientist and developed an international reputation both in the petroleum industry and academia. He received the Sidney Powers Award from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (1963), both the William Smith Lecture and Wollaston Medal from the Geological Society of London, the National Academy of Sciences Mary Clark Thompson Award, the University of Kansas Distinguished Service Award (1963), the Medalia de Honor de la Instruccion Publica from the Venezuelan government in 1941, and many others. Hedberg published over 70 papers.
Nominations are due ASAP by end-July.
Nominations will be evaluated by the Curtis-Hedberg Award Committee and should include the name, office or title, and affiliation of the nominee; date and place of birth; education, degree(s) and honors and awards; major events in his or her professional career; accomplishments that warrant nomination. Send three copies of the nomination by the deadline to the Award Committee chair, which is the Past (Division) Chair. Note, nominees should abide by the GSA Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct.
Contributions to the Curtis-Hedberg Petroleum Career Achievement Fund shall be made to The Geological Society of America Foundation, and indicated by the donor as intended for this memorial fund. Interest from the fund will be applied to the Curtis-Hedberg Award.
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