Recognizing exceptional long-term service to the American Geosciences Institute, two outstanding AAPG’s own Executive Director David Curtiss was recently named as one of two recipients of the 2024 William B. Heroy Jr. Award for Distinguished Service to AGI.
The Heroy Award is named after William B. Heroy Jr.’s exemplary service to AGI. Heroy’s professional accomplishments were exceeded only by his love of geology and his commendable modesty in the face of such achievements.
“David’s dedication to the geoscience community and his apparently limitless energy to apply his many skills have done so much good for the geoscience community. We can all join in celebrating this high honor, which is certainly well-deserved,” said recently past AAPG President Claudia Hackbarth upon receiving the news.
In a statement released by AGI, the Institute said, “Curtiss has been recognized for a career of leadership for the geoscience community. He has provided sound counsel to AGI officers and staff throughout his career. In his role as executive director of AAPG and the AAPG Foundation, he has been a highly engaged supporter of AGI initiatives, including workforce development and education and outreach programs, particularly K-12 teacher professional development and Earth Science Week.”
His geoscience expertise is in petroleum systems and basin modeling, and he has contributed to basin studies and global opportunity assessments internationally. In 2001-02 he served as AGI’s Congressional Science Fellow working for Rep. J.C. Watts, Jr. (retired), then chairman of the House Republican Conference. Curtiss holds degrees in geology, Earth resources management and business.
The other recipient of the Award is Susan Sullivan of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder. Sullivan served as chair of the AGI Intersociety Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and was also instrumental in launching AGI’s Internal Diversity Committee.
“The extraordinary contributions of both of these individuals made it impossible for us to choose only one for this year’s Heroy Award,” said AGI Executive Director Jonathan Arthur. “Susan has strengthened the geoscience profession as a guiding hand in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion. David has enriched not only AGI but the entire geoscience enterprise with his insightful, steadfast leadership. AGI is proud to recognize them both this year.”