William L. Fisher, dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin, has been named chairman of the AAPG Foundation Board of Trustees.
Joining Fisher as Trustees officers are:
- John J. Amoruso, Houston, vice chair.
- James A. Gibbs, Dallas, secretary.
- William E. Crain, Danville, Calif., treasurer.
Previously announced as new Trustees were Marlan Downey, Dallas, and William E. Gipson, Houston.
The new term began July 1.
The AAPG Foundation has announced the awarding of three major grants, including $100,000 funding to produce classroom materials to accompany a four-part television series in 2007.
The four-part “Faces of the Earth,” television series is to be aired by the Science Channel/Discovery Communications in 2007 with plans for worldwide distribution.
The American Geological Institute, which is heading up the ancillary materials development and was the recipient of the grant, is part of a consortium of project backers, which include the ExxonMobil Foundation ($2.5 million); the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas ($350,000); and the U.S. Geological Survey ($50,000).
Also, AAPG Datapages received $113,000 from the Foundation for enhancing and adding to the Association’s electronic, scientific database.
The AAPG Foundation also granted $75,000 to the AGI Foundation’s William L. Fisher Congressional Geoscience Fellowship Endowment, providing Washington, D.C., experience for young geoscientists.
Two new members have joined the Foundation Trustees, bringing total group membership to 266. They are:
- David Blanchard, Devon Energy International, Houston.
- Stewart Chuber, Fayette Exploration Co., Schulenburg, Texas.
Chuber joins the group as he provides funding to establish the newest AAPG Foundation-endowed Digital Products university subscription, for Stanford University, his alma mater.