Bylaws

PLANETARY GEOLOGY DIVISION BYLAWS

Established by Council on May 20, 1981

ARTICLE I

Organization, Name, and Purpose

 

  1. This division of The Geological Society of America, Inc., is organized in accordance with Article IX, Divisions of the Society, of the bylaws of that Society and is governed by the provisions of that article.

  2. Name. The name of the division is the Planetary Geology Division (PGD) of The Geological Society of America, Inc (GSA).

  3. Definition. In the usage of the PGD, Planetary Geology deals with the form, composition, processes, and history of the evolution of solid surface planetary bodies including the Earth.

  4. Purpose. The purpose of the PGD is to bring together scientists interested in Planetary Geology, facilitate the presentation and discussion of their research and ideas, to stimulate communication with other earth scientists, to promote Planetary Geology studies to a broad audience, to oversee various annual awards offered by the PGD, and to advise and assist the officers and committees of the Society in matters pertaining to Planetary Geology.

 

ARTICLE II

Membership

 

  1. Any Member, Fellow, Honorary Fellow, or Affiliate, including Student Members, of the GSA who is in good standing may become a member of the PGD. To become a PGD member , applicants shall indicate their interest when joining or renewing their GSA membership and pay any appropriate dues. All PGD members in good standing are eligible to vote and to hold office in the Division.

 

ARTICLE III

Finances

 

  1. GSA shall be financially responsible for normal expenses of the PGD. All other financial obligations or commitments of the PGD must have prior approval of the Council.

  2. The PGD will assess nominal annual dues from affiliates when recommended by its management board and approved by a majority vote of the voting affiliates.

  3. The PGD may solicit and accept contributions of funds to be used and expended under the supervision of the management board and subject to Council approval.

 

ARTICLE IV

Officers and Management Board

 

  1. Officers. The officers of the PGD shall be a chair, a first vice-chair, a second vice-chair, a secretary-treasurer, the immediate past chair, a junior student representative, and a senior student representative. All regular officer and student representative terms are one year. The secretary-treasurer shall be elected each year and will rotate up through the chair positions in each subsequent year (second vice-chair, first vice-chair, chair, and then past chair), thus serving on the board for a total of five years. The junior student representative will be selected by the management board from submitted applications and will serve one year before rotating to senior student representative for a second one year term. The terms of office shall begin immediately following the annual business meeting at which the results of the election are announced, typically held on the Tuesday evening of the annual GSA meeting in conjunction with the PGD Annual Banquet.

  2. Management Board. The management board shall consist of the chair, first vice-chair, second vice-chair, secretary-treasurer, and the immediate past chair.

  3. Election of Officers. The management board shall solicit the membership annually for nominations for the secretary-treasurer position.. Nominees must provide written acceptance of their candidacy and willingness to serve if elected. When approved by the management board, these nominations shall become the regular ticket and shall be submitted to the executive director of the Society, or his/her Representative, who shall have prepared to the voting affiliates a ballot which also shall have space for write-in nominees. The ballot shall include a short profile of each candidate, including a statement of the candidates’ prior service to the PGD and the Society.

    The election of officers shall be in accordance with the election procedures of the Society and shall be under the supervision of the Society. All provisions governing the election of officers of the Society which are applicable to the PGD shall govern the election of officers of the PGD.

  4. Vacancies. Any vacancy occurring during the term of any elected officer of the PGD shall be filled by appointment of the management board and such appointee shall serve until the next annual business meeting of the PGD.

  5. Removal of a Management Board Officer via Impeachment. Any officer of the PGD who fails to perform the duties prescribed in the bylaws, or who is convicted of a felony, or who brings discredit to the GSA or the PGD in any way, may be removed from office by a unanimous vote of the other members of the management board of the PGD. Any officer of the PGD may make a motion for the impeachment of any other officer of the PGD. The officer who is the subject of an impeachment must be provided an opportunity to present arguments against the impeachment prior to any vote on the motion.

 

ARTICLE V

Awards

 

  1. PGD Awards. The PGD shall oversee a number of awards, including the G. K. Gilbert Award (the PGD’s primary named award), the Ronald Greeley Award for Distinguished Service, and numerous student awards. These include the Stephen E. Dwornik Awards for best student presentations at the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, the Pellas-Ryder Award for Best Student Paper in Planetary Sciences (jointly with the Meteoritical Society), the Eugene M. Shoemaker Impact Cratering Award, the Pete Mouginis-Mark Prize in Planetary Volcanology for the best student presentations in planetary volcanology at the GSA annual meeting, and Student Travel Grants for attendance at the annual meeting.

  2. G. K. Gilbert Award Procedure. The G. K. Gilbert Award will be considered annually in accordance with the bylaws of the Society. The award will be made for outstanding contributions to the solution of a fundamental problem(s) of planetary geology in its broadest sense, including planetary geology, geochemistry, mineralogy, petrology, tectonics, geophysics, and the field of meteoritics. Such contributions may consist either of a single outstanding publication, or a series of publications that have had great influence on the field. The award is named for G. K. Gilbert, who over one hundred years ago clearly recognized the importance of a planetary perspective in solving terrestrial geological problems. Gilbert was a master of both planetary and terrestrial geology; many of his papers bear careful study today.


    1. Selection Committee.  The selection committee shall consist of the management board along with senior members of the U.S. planetary geology community the board agrees to invite. The chair of the committee shall be the immediate past-chair of the PGD. Vacancies in the committee will be filled by appointment by the chair of the PGD.

    2. Frequency of the Award.  The award generally will be made annually, but in any particular year may be withheld if no suitable candidate is selected. The award can be given only once each calendar year.

    3. Requirements to Qualify.

      (1)  The award will be made to an individual who has contributed in an outstanding manner to the solution of a fundamental problem of planetary geology.     

      (2)  The recipient of the award may be a citizen of any country and need not be a member of GSA.     

      (3)  The award may not be given posthumously unless the decision to give the award is made before the death of the awardee. Members of the award committee and the management board shall be ineligible for the duration of their term. Past awardees are permanently ineligible.


    4. The Award.  The award will consist of an engraved plaque and an appropriate certificate which will be recommended by the management board of the PGD and approved by the GSA Council. The award will be presented at the business meeting of the PGD during the GSA annual meeting. Normally, the recipient will be introduced by the chair of the selection committee. A person acquainted with the winner's work will present a citation reviewing the contributions of the award recipient. The citationist will introduce the winner to the chair of the PGD who will present the award.

    5. Selection Procedures.  Nominations for the award will be made in accordance with the following procedures:

      (1)  The chair of the selection committee (the immediate PGD past chair)shall invite nominations from members of the PGD and the Society by placing an announcement in the PGD newsletterand the GSA community forums, in addition to any other electronic newsletters members of the selection committee feel are appropriate. The announcement shall include:  the Requirements to Qualify statement, the deadline date for receipt of nominations, the name and address of the selection committee chair who shall receive nomination packets submitted in accordance with instructions on the PGD website. .

      (2)  The chair of the selection committee will distribute a consolidated list of candidates, together with supporting materials, to committee members shortly after the March 1 deadline. Each member, including the chair, will select from among the list of candidates his/her first, second, and third choice for the award. These selections will be rated by first choice, second choice, and third choice  The selection committee will then caucus to discuss the rankings and select an awardee. This procedure shall be completed by April 5.

      The selection committee chair shall then submit the name and address of the top-ranking candidate to the executive director of the Society who will place the request for ratification on the agenda for consideration by the Council at its spring meeting. The name of the nominee will be supplemented with a paragraph describing the individual's contributions that are being recognized in the award. Following the Council meeting, GSA and the PGD will inform the recipient of the award. The management board will be notified of the ratification at the same time.

      (3)  Normally, the award will not be shared except in highly unusual cases, such as independent discoveries or joint work where the contributions of the co-workers are essentially equal. If more than one person is selected as a recipient in any one year, each will receive a certificate as described below.

      (4)  All nominations will remain active for five years unless the candidate becomes ineligible through membership on the management board or the selection committee. Such nominations will then be tabled for the duration of the nominee's board term, then reactivated for the balance of the five-year period after expiration of the term.

 

  1. Other Award Procedures. All awards other than the G. K. Gilbert Award shall be administered in accordance with the guidelines established for each award as stated on the PGD’s official Society website (http://www.geosociety.org/pgd/), and in accordance with the bylaws of the Society. It is the responsibility of the management board to ensure that deadlines for each award are established and that the correct procedures are followed for the nomination of candidates, establishment of the appropriate awards committee, and selection and notification of an awardee or awardees.

 

ARTICLE VI

Committees

 

  1. Program Committee. A program committee consisting of the chair and the first vice-chair is automatically appointed after the annual business meeting. The chair of the committee shall be the chair of the PGD, and may elect to nominate additional PGD members to the committee.

    The program committee shall plan and arrange for the technical sessions of the PGD at the next annual meeting and such other programs as may be directed by the management board.

    The program committee, and/or someone designated by the chair, shall serve as the PGD’s program representatives on the Council's Joint Technical Program Committee.

    The program committee may plan and arrange research symposia at various times and places.

 

 

  1. Nominating Committee. A nominating committee consisting of at least three PGD members shall be chaired by the current 1st vice chair. Volunteers to serve on the committee will be solicited from the membership at the annual business meeting and through the PGD newsletter. The committee is charged with identifying and nominating members to become GSA Fellows and to submit applications for other awards as deemed appropriate by the committee.

 

  1. Other Committees. Other committee chairs may be appointed by the chair with the approval of the management board. Appointment of committee members will be the responsibility of the committee chair.

 

  1. Responsibility. Reports, recommendations, or other actions by appointed committees, other than the nominating committee, shall be subject to the approval of the management board. After such approval, the secretary-treasurer of the PGD shall report appropriately to the executive director of the Society if the attention or action of the Council is required. Appointed committees shall present annual reports which shall be summarized in the annual report of the management board.

 

  1. Tenure. Committee appointments shall expire at the close of the next annual meeting of the PGD, unless otherwise specified. Vacancies on committees may be filled by interim appointment at any time by the committee chair. Committee members may be reappointed for up to three consecutive terms.

 

ARTICLE VII

Duties of Officers

 

  1. Management Board. The property and affairs of the PGD shall be managed by the management board. At the annual business meeting, the management board shall submit a report of the preceding year's activities of the PGD, which shall include the reports of the chair and secretary-treasurer and the reports of the various committees. This report shall be submitted by the secretary-treasurer of the PGD to the executive director of the Society by the required deadline of the Society. The PGD shall maintain a website hosted by the GSA or its Member Community platform.

 

  1. Chair. The chair shall preside at meetings of the PGD and the management board. The chair shall submit a report to the management board of the activities of the PGD during their term of office and on future plans. The chair shall serve on the program committee for the annual meeting and will solicit members of the planetary science community to propose and organize technical sessions. The chair shall also serve on committees for the G. K. Gilbert Award, the Ronald Greeley Award for Distinguished Service, and the Pellas-Ryder Award, and will serve as chair of the Pellas-Ryder Award committee in alternate years (with a representative from the Meteoritical Society serving as chair in years when the PGD chair does not).

 

  1. First Vice-Chair. The first vice-chair shall assume the powers and duties of the chair in the event of the absence or disability of the chair. The first vice-chair shall serve on the program committee for the annual meeting and will appoint representatives to organize technical sessions for section meetings. The first vice-chair will write any proposals for Pardee Keynote Symposia that the PGD may propose for the annual meeting. The first vice-chair will coordinate the work of the section representatives. The first vice-chair shall serve as chair of the nominating committee and serves on  committees for the G. K. Gilbert Award, the Ronald Greeley Award for Distinguished Service, and the Pellas-Ryder Award.

 

  1. Second Vice-Chair. The second vice-chair shall assume the position of chair whenever both the chair and the first vice-chair are not available. The second vice-chair will be responsible for overseeing judging for the Stephen E. Dwornik Awards for best student presentations at the annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference in March, and will be responsible for overseeing the selection of the annual Student Travel Grants for the annual meeting each fall. The second vice-chair shall also serve on the committee for the Ronald Greeley Award for Distinguished Service.

 

  1. Secretary-Treasurer. The secretary-treasurer shall keep records of the proceedings of the PGD and shall act as secretary of the management board. They shall maintain liaison with GSA headquarters and shall serve, ex officio, as a member of appropriate committees, and shall account to the Council of the Society for all funds advanced by the Society. The secretary-treasurer will be responsible for the production and distribution of a PGD newsletter twice a year (spring and fall). The newsletter shall report events and developments relevant to PGD interests. The secretary-treasurer will also be responsible for the PGD booth in the Exhibit Hall at the annual meeting.

    The secretary-treasurer shall notify the officers and the members of the committees of their election or appointment and shall arrange for issuance of notices of all PGD and management board meetings and of election results. The secretary-treasurer shall collect and disburse all funds of the PGD and shall keep records of all receipts and disbursements and other financial transactions of the PGD. In the event that the secretary-treasurer is unable to fulfill the fiduciary aspects of this role (e.g., if they were a civil servant), duties of the treasurer will be assumed by another member of the management board.

 

  1. Immediate Past Chair
    The immediate past chair of the PGD shall chair the selection committee for the G.K. Gilbert Award. As part of this charge, the immediate past chair will be the point of contact for the awardee and the Society and will organize an oral session at the national meeting of the Society in honor of the awardee.

 

  1. Student representatives. The Management Board may nominate and appoint two student representatives as non-voting members of the PGD Management Board. The students can be undergraduate or graduate students. The student representatives shall advise on matters concerning GSA student and early career issues, as well as PGD outreach to a young audience including social media. The student representatives shall serve two consecutive oneyear terms: one as the junior student representative and then a second as the senior student representative..

 

ARTICLE VIII

Meetings

 

  1. Annual Business Meeting. The annual business meeting of the PGD shall be held during the annual meeting of the Society. Except when actions are governed by specific provision in the bylaws, conduct of the business of the PGD at the annual business meeting shall follow Robert's Rules of Order (Revised).

  2. Meetings of the Management Board. The management board shall meet immediately prior to the annual business meeting of the PGD. Special meetings of the management board may be called at any time by the chair, and meetings will usually be by teleconference. Decisions of the management board may also be made by email vote.

  3. Technical Sessions. Technical sessions of the PGD shall be held during the annual meeting of the Society. Interim technical sessions, workshops, short courses, field trips, and/or cooperative meetings with other societies, or other special programs may be held at any time, subject to the approval of the management board. The participation of non-members of the Society who are engaged or interested in planetary geology shall be encouraged at all technical sessions.

 

ARTICLE IX

Rules and Amendment of the Bylaws

 

  1. The management board of the PGD, by a majority vote, may adopt, rescind, or amend rules supplementing the bylaws.

 

  1. Subject to ratification by the Council, bylaws of the PGD may be adopted, rescinded, or amended by majority vote of the voting affiliates of the PGD. A ballot vote proposing a change of the bylaws shall be held if favored by a majority of the management board or if petitioned by ten percent of the voting affiliates of the PGD. Such vote shall be supervised by the Society and held in accordance with the procedures of the Society.

* * * *

Bylaws amended in 1981; May 19, 1983; November 7, 1984

October 2007 – language amended to conform with new GSA policy on who is eligible to vote and hold office.

October 2010 – added language for replacement of Vacancies, Article IV, Item 4.

November 2012 – Bylaw sections amended: Secretary terms changed to 1 year, Award and Award Committees and Officer duties changes.

October 2013 – Changed Dwornik judging procedures - new online judging sign-up sheets and judging forms were implemented for 2013 Lunar and Planetary Science Conference.

August 2018 – Bylaw amended to include student advisory positions to the Management Board, added procedure for removal of officers, and added clause to implement separability of the dual roles of the secretary-treasurer to handle the contingency where that individual is prohibited from exercising fiduciary duties.

October 2025 - Updates to officer elections and responsibilities, addition of the Pete Mouginis-Mark Prize, clarification about committees.