2012 GSA Distinguished Service Award

Presented to Elizabeth (Lisa) Norby and Bob Stewart

Elizabeth (Lisa) Norby
National Park Service, Geologic Resources Division

Bob Stewart
ExxonMobil Exploration Company

Citation by Matthew Dawson

Congratulations to Lisa Norby, of the National Park Service, for earning GSA’s Distinguished Service Award. I’d like to thank Lisa for her contributions to GSA’s education efforts, particularly the GeoCorps America internship program. GeoCorps has seen dramatic growth and improvement since Lisa became involved in 2007. The number of interns placed in National Parks has grown from 16 per year to over 90, and in that time span, over 300 GSA members have completed GeoCorps internships in National Parks. GeoCorps interns are more diverse than ever because of Lisa’s outreach to groups underrepresented in geoscience. Lisa has also provided new mentoring tools and increased the variety of intern positions, thus providing even better opportunities for GSA members to expand their geologic knowledge while gaining real-world experience working for government agencies that manage the nation’s natural resources. Thank you, Lisa, for your service to the professional development of so many GSA members, and for your service to America’s public lands!

2012 GSA Distinguished Service Award — Response by Elizabeth (Lisa) Norby

I am humbled to receive the 2012 Distinguished Award. Over the past six years I have been working closely with GSA staff to advance opportunities for geoscience students and to advance STEM literacy. Through the National Park Service’s partnership with the GeoCorps America Program, we are addressing parks critical geoscience needs, and in 2012, over 100 projects were completed in national parks. Since the program’s inception in 1996, we have been able to fill over 800 internships with highly qualified and budding Earth scientists. Thanks to the vision and leadership of the GSA we are striving to increase the diversity of our workforce. Our hope is that through our collective efforts we will someday make the geoscience workforce look like the face of America. Our continued efforts to increase educational opportunities such as Earthcaching in parks is making geology both exciting and relevant. It is a pleasure to work every day with such capable and dedicated staff at the Geological Society of America. Thank you very much.

Citation by Lori L. Summa

It is my pleasure and honor to present the citation for Mr. Bob Stewart, recipient of a 2012 GSA Distinguished Service Award. Bob’s dedication and service to GSA’s students is exemplary. In his role as Supervisor of Global Geoscience Recruiting for ExxonMobil, Bob has taken on the personal challenge of promoting science education for the next generation. He has volunteered countless hours to GSA programs for students, developing and supporting short courses at GSA Annual Meetings, the annual Bighorn Basin Field course, Field Camp Scholars awards, and most recently, a new field safety award. These activities represent a truly unique contribution to GSA’s core mission of providing professional growth opportunities for earth scientists, all taken on with an excitement and humor that is much appreciated by the students.

2012 GSA Distinguished Service Award — Response by Bob Stewart

As I thought about this award, it struck me that it should be called the GSA Collaboration Award. ExxonMobil and GSA have worked together on many shared issues, such as, Geoscience education, field based education, field safety and diversity. I’d like to thank GSA for fostering a climate of collaboration. Many societies look at a company like ExxonMobil as a cash cow, but GSA has looks at our relationship as a joint effort. I want to thank ExxonMobil for financially supporting our efforts, and especially I want to thank Lori Summa who has been involved very step of this journey and is every bit as deserving of this award as I am. Finally, and most importantly, I’d like to thank my wife Jenny for her years of support and love. This would never have been possible without your understanding. Through our many joint programs, GSA and ExxonMobil have had some impact. However, this journey is not complete and I look forward to continuing it.