For
the Best Paper Award at International Meetings (Reference: Grover Murray
and others, AAPG BULLETIN, V. 84, No. 8 (August 2000), pages 1229-1231):
Gabriel
Dengo was one of the "gentlemen geologists" who became a geologist
for the love of field geology, for the mystery of the earth and to belong
to an era of total devotion to the science of geology.
He
was a role model to hundreds of young geologists and was a superb friend
and associate to many. Those who knew Gabriel and his work remember
his enthusiasm for geological processes and his understanding rock signature
from the field to the model.
His
knowledge covered a wide range of earth sciences. He always provided
an intellectual atmosphere, which was conducive to the stimulus and
exchange of ideas. Gabriel inspired confidence and respect as a leader,
and was emulated by peers and students. He displayed a natural charm
and charisma that touched many people around the world -- and he did
so with a smile, politeness, humility and gentlemanly manner.
AAPG
recognized Gabriel's great contribution to both the geological sciences
and humanity by presenting him the Michel T. Halbouty Human Needs Award
during the 1995 AAPG Annual Convention in Houston.
Dengo
was born on March 9, 1922, in Heredia, Costa Rica. He was educated first
at the University of Costa Rica, where he received a bachelor's degree
in agronomy (1945). From there, he started his geological education
at the University of Wyoming (B.A. 1945, M.A. 1946), and then continued
at Princeton University (Ph.D. 1949).
From
1947 to 1949, Gabriel worked on Coast Ranges of Venezuela, including
the geological study for the Caracas-La Guaira highway. He was among
the first of Harry Hess's students working in Venezuela for what became
the very successful Princeton Caribbean Research Program.
After
graduation, he returned to Venezuela to work for the Ministry of Energy
and Mines, during which time he helped discover one of the largest iron
deposits in the Guyana Shield. Early in 1952, Gabriel returned to Costa
Rica as field geologist for Union Oil of California, mapping mostly
in the jungle. In 1956, the company moved him to Guatemala as resident
geologist.
In
1962, they transferred him to New Orleans as subsurface geologist.
Because
of his interest in Central America, Gabriel returned to Guatemala in
1962 to work for the general secretariat for Central American Economic
integration, where he was later appointed deputy secretary. In 1965,
he transferred to the Central American Research Institute for Industry
(ICAITI) to organize a geological research group. While in this position,
he worked in several countries of Central and South America and in the
Caribbean. Later he was appointed deputy director, and in 1975, director
of ICAITI. He left in 1979 to work again for the Ministry of Energy
and Mines in Venezuela.
In
1981, he returned to Guatemala as chief geologist for the Usumacinta
River Electrification Project, a joint project with the Federal Electrification
Commission of Mexico. In August 1989, he returned to ICAITI as technical
manager. He founded the Center for Geological Studies of Central America
as a means to channel many of his scientific contributions.
Gabriel
actively participated in professional societies. His articulate voice
was always a unifying factor at international meetings. Many of his
colleagues remember Gabriel stepping in at times of divergence to bring
congruence to the meeting by effective blend of technical excellence,
leadership and organizational skills.
Gabriel
held, among many, the following positions:
- Councilor
(1970-71).
- Member of
Steering Committee (1977-78) and of the DNAG (Decade of North American
Geology) Committee of Geological Society of America (GSA).
- Editor for
the AAPG BULLETIN and for the Central America section of the GSA.
- Member of
the Editorial Boards for geologic publications of the University of
Costa Rica and the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico.
- Coordinator
of the Caribbean Study Group, Geodynamics International Project (1973-1979).
- Vice chairman
of Board, International Geological Correlation Program (1977-1980).
- Director
of the Research and Development Board, International Union of Geological
Sciences (1983-1988).
- Advisor
to UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (1978).
- Director
of Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources (since
1990).
- Permanent
advisor to Consultative Council of Directors of Latin American Geological
Surveys (since 1975).
- Advisor
to the North American Metallogenic Map Committee.
He
was a driving force to create the Central American Geologic Conferences,
having one conference (1992) celebrated in his honor. He was among the
founding members of the Colegio de Geologos de Costa Rica and the Sociedad
Geologica de Guatemala, and was instrumental in creating La Escuela
de Geologia, Universidad de Costa Rica.
He
was a member of 16 different professional and academic societies from
six different countries.
Gabriel's
other awards include Sigma Xi and Phi Beta Kappa; Procter Fellow at
Princeton University; Honorary Fellow of GSA; Distinguished Service
Medal of the Circum-Pacific Council for Energy and Mineral Resources;
the Hollis D. Hedberg Award in Energy, Southern Methodist University;
and numerous diplomas and recognitions from the Colegio de Geologos
de Costa Rica, the Federal Commission for Electrification in Mexico,
the Sociedad Geologica de Guatemala, the Ministry of Energy and Mines
of Venezuela, and the Council of Directors of Geologic Surveys of Latin
America.
For
the Best Poster Award at International Meetings (Reference: Roxane Besse,
AAPG BULLETIN, V. 82, No. 10 (October 1998), pages 1876-1879):
Ziad
R. Beydoun
was one of the most pre-eminent geologists in the MIddle East and is
largely responsible for surveying and mapping the rock successions in
the region, a task achieved through a profound love for geology and
humankind and, above all, his remarkable personality.
Ziad
also was a "gentleman geologist" who spent his life in the field, mapping
a vast region never before seen, mostly in the desert. He was a great
friend, wonderful conversationalist and humanist adept at switching
between Arabic, English, French and Turkish and their cultures -- he
was totally at home at any setting.
Ziad
was born in Beirut on Dec. 9, 1924, as the oldest son of a gentlemen
landowner in Palestine.
Ziad
-- or Don, as he was known to close friends -- was schooled in Palestine
(Haifa and Jerusalem) and American University of Beirut initially. At
the close of World War II he embarked on studies in geology at St. Peter's
College, Oxford.
After
the demise of Palestine, his family fled to Lebanon and he started working
for Iraq Petroleum Company, the former Turkish petroleum company formed
before World War I by the financier Caloust Gulbenkian. Ziad spent five
years subsurface mapping in Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and the Gulf States
before shifting to field work in the Aden Protectorate (Yemen) as a
geologist with the Hadramout Survey.
His
work in Aden was awarded with a Ph.D. degree at Oxford University and
a publication by the British Overseas Geological Survey. This inspired
him to engage in his long and effective mixing of academia with applied
petroleum geology of the Middle East.
Ziad
joined Partex (the Gulbenkian interests in Oman and the Gulf) and participated
in the discovery of oil in Oman by PDO. In 1963, due to his love for
Lebanon's geology, he came to Lebanese Ministry of National Economy
as a geological expert, and shortly thereafter joined American University
of Beirut. In 1970, he was appointed full professor and chairman of
the Department of Geology, as well as special advisor to the Council
for Scientific Research.
Despite
the horrors of civil war in Lebanon, Ziad continued alone in the department,
and, against all odds, to lecture and guide his students. His courage,
resilience and determination during those difficult times not only inspired
a sense of hope for a better future among his students but also left
an indelible influence on generations of young geologists. Many of his
former students now hold key positions in the Middle East earth sciences
institutes and industry.
This
constituted a great source of pride and joy, as well as a strong bond
of friendships that encompasses the region, as he noted in his second
book, Arabian Plate Hydrocarbon Geology and Potential-- A Plate Tectonic
Approach, published by AAPG in 1991 in the Studies in Geology Series.
In
1985, Ziad moved to London when the situation in Lebanon further deteriorated,
where he joined Marathon Oil, a company for which he had consulted for
many years. He was appointed scientific director of an UNDP/World Bank
project on the hydrocarbon study of the Red Sea/Gulf of Aden region.
At the invitation of Yemeni government, he acted as chairman of a committee
that pulled together the geology of Yemen. This final work was published
as part of the International Lexicon of Stratigraphy (volume III, ASIA,
fascicule 10b2), as a testimony to his exact scholarship, brilliant
mind, courage and amazing discipline.
In
1994, Ziad was awarded the William Smith Medal by the Geological Society
of London for outstanding achievement in applied aspects of the science.
In 1995 he was awarded the Medal of the National Order of the Cedars
by the government of Lebanon for distinguished services to geological
investigations and research.
Ziad
published over 50 articles and two books, as well as being a very effective
associate editor of the AAPG BULLETIN.
For
the Best Student Poster Award at International Meetings (Reference:
Celal Sengor and others, Cumhuriyet Bilim Teknik, Jan. 4, 1991):
Ozan
Sungurlu
was another "gentleman geologist" who became one of the distinguished
self-taught earth scientists who inspired confidence and respect as
a leader and explorationist. He was a role model to many young geologists,
creating opportunities for them to get the international education and
modern geological thought overseas.
Ozan
was born in Gumushane, Turkey, in 1939 and completed his education in
Eskisehir and Istanbul. After graduating from the Istanbul University
in 1964, he started his career as field geologist at the Mineral Research
Institute (MTA) and joined Turkish Petroleum Corporation (TPAO) in 1969.
Ozan's
interest in integrated geological processes started during his university
education. In an education system where emphasis was on memorization
skills, he became a researcher utilizing data and field relationships
to question established dogmas for the geological problems in Turkey.
His extraordinary interest in fundamentals of geological thought drove
him to solve the complex regional geology of Turkey, especially the
events from the Mesozoic to present.
Those
who worked with him remember long hours of discussion from early morning
to dusk, and where Ozan illustrated field relationships and challenged
the models presented. His enthusiasm for geology motivated and challenged
those around him. He was happiest when he worked a field or subsurface
relationships or saw someone find a solution to a complex theory and/or
geological models.
His
leadership skills were recognized early in his career at TPAO with increasing
responsibilities, which culminated in becoming vice president of exploration
in 1987.
Ozan
continued to be technically active, and published on the structural
geology and petroleum systems of southeast Turkey, and regional geology
of the Turkish portion of the Tethyan region. In addition to his personal
input to Turkish geology, Ozan contributed greatly to the geological
studies at both TPAO and Turkish academe. He initiated collaborative
field studies with Istanbul Technical University, where he personally
proposed studies on critical problems. He revolutionized exploration
activities in Turkey by bringing together geologists and geophysicists
to work side by side at all scales of exploration activities -- from
the regional field studies to prospect evaluation.
It
was during his tenure that Turkey opened investment opportunities for
international companies. Ozan took this opportunity to initiate overseas
training program for all geoscientists across the company. These included
internships at Rice University and the University of Texas at Austin,
as well as continuing education programs at AAPG and SEG.
Ozan
was a great supporter of AAPG, encouraging TPAO participation at international
meetings and bringing AAPG Distinguished Lecture program. Ozan encouraged
affiliation of Turkish Petroleum Geologists with AAPG.
Ozan
was a distinguished earth scientist from Turkey in great part because
he educated himself from the available data, information and services.
Except for a short internship in 1981 at SUNY at Albany to work with
professors John F. Dewey and Kevin Burke, he had no Western-style education.
His
extraordinary curiosity for learning, knowledge and love of geology
as well as his great discipline was instrumental in his self-education.
It is an extraordinary mind that manages to develop the wisdom and knowledge
in his short life, becoming one of the top geoscientists ever produced
by Turkey.
The
Turkish Research and Science Council (TUBITAK) honored Ozan post-mortem
with their top Science Medal in 1991.