Established in 2003, the mission of the Geology and Society Division is to advance the concept of “Geology Working for Society”, by providing GSA members with opportunities to bring together multiple fields of geoscience in order to address important societal issues. This division actively hosts interdisciplinary symposia at national and regional meetings, provides forums to help its members effectively communicate with decision makers and the public, encourages student achievement in helping to inform public policy by sponsoring a Best Student Presentation Award at the national meeting, and honors professional achievement in enhancing public policy by presenting a Distinguished Lecture at the annual meeting.
By increasing the geoscience community’s knowledge of how their disciplines combine to help address societal issues and by helping the community to more effectively communicate outside of their academic disciplines, this Division works to improve the utilization of accurate geologic information for societal benefit. The Division also works closely with the Geology and Public Policy Committee in developing and distributing GSA’s position statements.