Making UNO Proud

Professor Emeritus of Geology Ray Stephens was awarded Honorary Membership in the GCAGS at the October meeting in Corpus Christi for his many years of outstanding contributions to the Gulf Coast geological community. The big floods in South Texas delayed Ray's arrival at the meeting, but he made it to the stage with one and a half minutes to spare before his award was announced. At the same meeting Bill (BJ) Doyle (BS 73) was presented the 1997 GCAGS Third Place Best Paper Award, and Frank Sheppard (BS 84), the 1997 GCAGS Third Place Best Poster Award.

Irion Bordelon (MS 88) is President of the New Orleans Geological Society, and Mike Ledet is the Vice President.

Robert L. Marin (BS 72) was promoted to senior vice president - exploration of Sonat Exploration. Marin joined Sonat Exploration in 1983 as a chief geophysicist and has worked in various management positions in Houston, Oklahoma City and Tyler, Texas. He most recently held the position of general manager---Gulf Coast Business Unit.

Kraig Derstler was one of a handful of experts who were invited this spring to Yale for a symposium on the evolutionary links between dinosaurs and birds.

The 1997-98 annual fund drive by the UNO National Alumni Association allowed alumni who made contributions to name a favorite faculty member who had made a significant impact on their lives. These names were presented as part of the 40th Anniversary Convocation last September, and nine members of our faculty were among those recognized. This speaks well not only of the faulty, but also shows that many of the Geology-Geophysics alumni make financial contributions to support UNO. The following members of the Geology and Geophysics faculty were named as Honored Faculty: Gary Allen, Bill Busch, Bill Craig, Lou Fernandez, Gordon Frey, Skip Simmons, Ray Stephens, Bill Ward, and Al Weidie.