From the GSA President and Executive Director

Isabel P. Montañez
GSA President

Vicki McConnell
GSA Executive
Director
We are pleased to welcome you to Seattle for GSA’s 129th Annual Meeting, held at the Washington State Convention Center, in the heart of the city. Seattle is most befitting as the site of this year’s Annual Meeting because it is truly a hot-bed of geology and geologic activity. And if you are looking for more—then cultural and gastronomic opportunities abound.
The meeting promises to be engaging given the diversity of technical sessions, field trips, and short courses that the Co-General Chairs, Allen Gillespie and Darrel Cowan, and the Technical Program Chair, Dick Berg, have organized. This year we present a near-record 257 Topical Sessions representing more than 30 geoscience disciplines and nearly all of our Divisions and Interdisciplinary Interest Groups. We will be offering six Pardee Keynote Symposia, particularly fitting given Joseph Thomas Pardee’s contributions to reconstructing Glacial Lake Missoula. These interdisciplinary sessions will challenge the geoscience community by addressing issues of diversity, reveal Earth’s anatomy, and offer the chance to speed date, among other topics. Intrigued as to what the italicized terms address? Join us at these Symposia to discover for yourself.
Seattle’s location in the Pacific Northwest, proximal to the volcanically and tectonically active Cascade Range, the site of ongoing subduction (Olympic Mountains), some of the best Pleistocene glacial landscapes, home to multiple natural hazards, and a rich archeological history, provides ample diversity for our 23 field trips. The short courses promise to provide something for students and professionals across the board. Skills that can be obtained in Seattle range from novel and 3D approaches to studying subaqueous systems to visualizing terrestrial landscapes, and span the spatial spectrum from nano-scale imaging to simulating magma chambers and basin exploration. Be sure to visit the exhibit hall to view the posters and engage in meaningful scientific and friendly discussions with colleagues and friends. The exhibit hall further features publishers, geoscience organizations, vendors of laboratory and field equipment, and representatives from dozens of graduate schools. And don’t forget to “Feed Your Brain,” Monday through Wednesday, with some lunchtime enlightenment. There will be plenty of room and time to meet with your colleagues and make new connections for your research at the convention center and around town.
We hope that you will join us on Sunday, 22 October, to celebrate the accomplishments of our GSA awardees and medalists and welcome our new Fellows. We invite you to the Presidential Address, given in conjunction with the Awards Ceremony. The talk will explore the role of GSA and the challenges and opportunities provided by the evolving global landscape—a topic that is reflected in this year’s meeting focus on the interface of geoscience research, communication, and society.
A key component of the Annual Meeting is the opportunity for geoscience students to present research and to see the latest results presented by top scientists from across the globe. There will be multiple venues for students to interact with one another and to network with academic and professional mentors from various employment sectors. These include GeoCareers Day, career short courses, the On To the Future program, and several networking and panel events.
A stimulating program awaits you!