^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ AWG E-MAIL NEWS 2002-14 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ CONTENTS: SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT: CHRYSALIS WINNERS 1) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW: APRIL 2002 2) AGI RELEASES 2001 REPORT ON THE STATUS OF ACADEMIC GEOSCIENCE DEPARTMENTS 3) WASHINGTON WIRE: MAY 1, 2002 4) CHANGES TO AWGF BOARD 5) FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR GRANTS, 2003-2004 6) AWG PHILLIPS PETROLEUM COMPANY DISTINGUISHED LECTURE PROGRAM 7) MARKETING EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION 8) NEWS RELEASE: NUSTAR RESOURCES INC. Gold mining exploration & development. 9) POSITION OPENINGS 2002-27 Indiana University, Department of Geological Sciences 2002-28 Program Director, Ocean Drilling Program. National Science Foundation (NSF) 10) CONTACT INFORMATION ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Thanks to everyone who contributed to this issue of E-mail News *** CHRYSALIS WINNERS *** It is with great pleasure that AWG announces the winners of Chrysalis Scholarships for 2002. They are: Nancy E. Bowers, who is studying for her doctorate at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, California. Nancy's dissertation involves analysis of paleomagnetic data from the 10 million year old sea floor of Anomaly 5 and from newly accreted sea floor at the ridge crest; and Penny M. Taylor, from the Department of Geosciences at the University of Houston. Penny's dissertation investigates the possibility of using non-marine carbonate precipitates to learn something about climate conditions of the past. It is always a difficult task to choose from among the wonderfully talented women who apply for a Chrysalis each year. The unique and interesting life stories of each applicant are truly inspiring, and we applaud their dedication, enthusiasm, and hard work. The Board of Directors and I wish AWG's 2002 Chrysalis winners every success as they continue their education and careers in the geosciences. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1) AGI GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS MONTHLY REVIEW: APRIL 2002 * Senate Passes Energy Bill, Next Stop House-Senate Conference * Yucca Mountain: House Panel Votes to Override Nevada Governor * Science at EPA Getting Mixed Signals, Fellowships Threatened * AAPG Testifies on Oil and Gas Assessment Methodology * Geoscientists Respond to Snub in EPA Proposed Rule * FCC Rule Inhibits Use of Ground-Penetrating Radar * UN Climate Panel Gets New Leader * Minerals Management Service Releases Next Five-Year Leasing Plan * AGI Provides Testimony in Support of NSF, USGS, DOE Programs * Geotimes Special Policy Issue Features EarthScope * AGI Selects New Congressional Science Fellow * New Material on Web Site *** Senate Passes Energy Bill, Next Stop House-Senate Conference *** The Senate spent much of the past three months debating its version of comprehensive energy legislation (S. 517) before taking a final 88-11 vote on April 25th. The large number of supporting votes reflected a desire by both the Senate leadership and the White House to complete action and move to a House-Senate conference. The administration and congressional Republicans hope to use the conference to restore key provisions found in the House counterpart, H.R. 4. Senate conferees have already been announced and the House is expected to make its announcement in the first half of May. Unlike its House counterpart, which passed that chamber last August, the Senate energy bill does not include a provision opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to oil exploration. Instead, the bill calls for opening a natural gas pipeline from the North Slope of Alaska to the state's southern coast. The Senate bill contains $14 billion worth of tax incentives for energy efficiency and increased domestic energy production, heavily weighted toward renewable energy sources. The House bill, passed last August, includes $33 billion in tax breaks with a greater emphasis on incentives to increase production from more traditional energy sources. An AGI Special Update comparing the two pieces of legislation will be sent out in the first week of May. More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/energy.html. *** Yucca Mountain: House Panel Votes to Override Nevada Governor *** On April 8th, Nevada Gov. Kenny Guinn (R) submitted his Notice of Disapproval to Congress, signaling the state's official objection to the proposed Yucca Mountain high-level nuclear waste repository site. As provided by the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982, Congress has 90 remaining questions about the repository. The General Accounting Office and Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board also provided testimony on the status of DOE site investigations. Both of Nevada's representatives and Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) testified against the resolution. A week later, the committee voted 41-6 in favor of the resolution, paving the way for a vote by the full House in early May. More at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/legis107/yucca.html. *** Science at EPA Getting Mixed Signals, Fellowships Threatened *** Congress has taken a strong interest in elevating the role of science at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), but the agency's own interest is less certain. Last year, Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-MI) introduced legislation, the Strengthening Science at the EPA Act (H.R. 64), that would establish a new Deputy Administrator for Science and Technology at the agency. On April 30th, the House passed the bill by voice vote, sending it to the Senate for consideration. In a House Science Committee press release, Ehlers states that he believes the bill "will be a big step forward in ensuring the scientific accountability of EPA decisions." Meanwhile, one of the few programs within EPA targeted specifically at environmental science is faced with elimination in the president's budget request for fiscal year (FY) 2003. EPA did not request funding for the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship program, which funds graduate research in a range of disciplines. An AGI staff analysis suggests that nearly twenty percent of the 800 fellowships issued since the program's inception in 1995 have gone to projects in earth science-related disciplines. EPA budget documents state that "funding for EPA's STAR Fellowship Program was eliminated in FY 2003 as part of a larger effort to increase environmental science education programs at the National Science Foundation." But the NSF request did not specify funds for such fellowships. In the meantime, students who applied for the coming year all received letters from EPA stating that only existing fellowships would be funded and no new ones would be issued. The National Council for Science and the Environment is heading up a campaign to help protect these fellowships from elimination. More information at http://cnie.org/NCSE/SciencePolicy/?FID=1682. *** AAPG Testifies on Oil and Gas Assessment Methodology *** At a hearing on April 18th, the House Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee addressed the methodology used to assess domestic oil and gas resources on public lands. The hearing was prompted by a RAND Corporation report: "Assessing Gas and Oil Resources in the Intermountain West: Review of Methods and Framework for a New Approach". RAND is the original "think tank" with much of its work funded by the federal government and particularly the military, but this particular study was commissioned by the Hewlett Foundation. The report criticizes the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other agencies for using technically recoverable resources as the basis for reporting assessment results. Specifically, the RAND report criticizes such an approach for failing to fully account for economic factors controlling resource availability. Testifying on behalf of the report was Debra Knopman, Associate Director of RAND Science and Technology, who was one of the authors. She called for assessments to report economically "viable" resources. American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) Secretary Charles J. Mankin told the House that "technically recoverable resource is the correct base to use when making policy decisions on competing use of federal lands. Although further analysis of this resource base is perfectly justified depending upon policy issues to be addressed, only the total resource base can be used to balance against other competing social and environmental uses or preservation of these lands." Mankin is Oklahoma State Geologist and Director of the Sarkeys Energy Center at the University of Oklahoma. Witness testimony can be found at http://www.house.gov/resources/107cong/energy/2002apr18/agenda.htm. The RAND report is at http://www.rand.org/publications/MR/MR1553.0/. *** Geoscientists Respond to Snub in EPA Proposed Rule *** The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed "paperwork reduction" regulations that recognize only Professional Engineers and Certified Hazardous Materials Managers for a number of responsibilities under the Resources Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). Those responsibilities include the authority to sign off on issues related to hazard waste generation and treatment-storage facilities, frequency of inspections of hazardous waste tanks, training requirements, paperwork approval, treatability studies, and facility contingency plans. During a public comment period for the proposed rule, AGI and several of its member societies submitted their concerns on the proposed regulations, arguing that EPA was disregarding certified and licensed professional geologists. In, the proposed regulations, EPA extends authority to Certified Hazardous Materials Managers, having previously recognized only Professional Engineers. The original proposal announcement was issued in the Federal Register on January 17, 2002 (Vol. 67, No. 12). *** FCC Rule Inhibits Use of Ground-Penetrating Radar *** Geophysicists are up in arms over a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) that would essentially eliminate most commercial applications of ground-penetrating radar (GPR), a widely used technology for imaging buried objects. According to an FCC press release, GPR would be limited to frequencies below 960 MHz and between 3.1 to 10.6 GHz, and its use in those ranges would be "restricted to law enforcement, fire and rescue organizations, to scientific research institutions, to commercial mining companies, and to construction companies." Under the rule, consulting companies and many other private-sector geophysicists would not be qualified users of GPR instrumentation. Moreover, opponents of the ruling argue that numerous GPR applications need the prohibited frequencies to properly image objects such as conduits beneath concrete runways. GPR proponents also argue that the FCC ruling jeopardizes the use of this technology for safety purposes such as identifying buried power and gas lines. The principal driver for the FCC action appears to be concern from the Department of Defense that GPR could interfere with military wireless Global Positioning System units. Complicating matters is FCC's view that the new rule is in fact a relaxation of existing rules, implying that many current uses of GPR -- many of them on behalf of the federal government -- are already illegal. A number of groups, including several AGI member societies, are working to challenge the FCC ruling. Additional information on their efforts can be found at http://www.g-p-r.com and http://www.radar-solutions.com. The FCC press release is at http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Engineering_Technology/News_Releases/2002/nret 0203.html. *** IPCC Gets New Leader *** Marking a transition point for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the group has elected the current IPCC Vice Chair, Dr. Rajendra Pachauri of India, as the new Chairman. Pachauri replaces Dr. Robert Watson of the World Bank, who was seeking a third term but was opposed by the Bush Administration. A former Clinton White House official, Watson oversaw the IPCC's Third Assessment Report. The United Nations Environment Programme established IPCC in 1988 "to assess the scientific, technical and socio-economic information relevant for the understanding of the risk of human-induced climate change." Unlike Watson, Pachauri is not an atmospheric scientist; his area of expertise is economics and technology. He will chair the group as it prepares for the fourth assessment on climate change, which is expected to be released in 2007. The IPCC press release can be found at http://www.ipcc.ch/press/pr20042002.htm. *** Minerals Management Service Releases Next Five-Year Leasing Plan *** The Department of the Interior's Minerals Management Service (MMS) announced in the April 19th Federal Register that it has issued a proposed final five-year program for outer continental shelf (OCS) oil and gas leases. MMS issued its draft plan last October, along with a draft Environmental Impact Statement. The plan would schedule 20 leases in eight OCS regions over the next five years. According to the MMS press release, the only change made in the final proposal is one that would effect two lease sales in the Chukchi Sea/Hope Basin area (off the northwestern edge of Alaska) that would be designated as "special" lease sales. Under this type of sale, MMS would issue a request of interest for each year of the 5-year plan. If industry expressed an interest, then MMS would continue with the normal leasing process; otherwise, if no interest was expressed, then the sale process would end. MMS submitted the plan to Congress and the White House, setting the stage for Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton to finalize the plan and put it into effect starting on July 1, 2002. More at http://www.mms.gov/5-year/. *** AGI Provides Testimony in Support of NSF, USGS, DOE Programs *** On April 16th, the American Geological Institute (AGI) provided both oral and written testimony in support of the National Science Foundation's geoscience programs to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on VA, HUD & Independent Agencies. Like earlier testimony submitted to the subcommittee's Senate counterpart, the testimony expresses concern over the president's requested program transfers and calls for enhanced support for core programs in the Geosciences Directorate. The testimony also calls for expansion of the Major Research Equipment account to accommodate both existing projects and the requested new starts, including the EarthScope initiative (which is featured in the April issue of Geotimes at http://www.geotimes.org/april02). On April 4th, AGI provided written testimony to the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies in support of budgets for the U.S. Geological Survey, the Department of Energy's Fossil Energy Research and Development program, and other geoscience-related programs within the subcommittee's jurisdiction. The testimony urges the subcommittee to reject proposed cuts to these programs. The text of these statements is on the AGI web site at http://www.agiweb.org/gap/testimon.html. *** AGI Selects New Congressional Science Fellow *** AGI is pleased to announce the selection of Larry Kennedy as the 2002-2003 AGI Congressional Science Fellow. He will succeed current fellow David Curtiss, who is serving on the staff of Rep. J.C. Watts (R-OK), chairman of the House Republican Conference. Kennedy is currently pursuing a masters degree in hydrology at the University of Nevada, Reno following a 15-year career in mineral exploration. Prior to entering the mining industry, he received a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Western Ontario and a B.A. in earth science from Wesleyan University. Kennedy will join fellows from GSA, AGU, SSSA, and more than twenty other science and engineering societies for an orientation session in September followed by placement in the office of a representative, senator, or congressional committee for the following year. The AGI fellowship is supported by a generous grant from the AGI Foundation. More on the fellowship at http://www.agiweb.org/gapac/csf.html. The May 2002 issue of Geotimes includes a column by David Curtiss on "Becoming a Standard Bearer"; see http://www.geotimes.org/may02/scene.html. *** Geotimes Special Policy Issue Features EarthScope *** The April 2002 issue of Geotimes is the seventh annual special geoscience and public policy issue. The cover story describes the EarthScope initiative, the first-ever earth science project to be requested as part of the National Science Foundation's Major Research Equipment account. A related Political Scene column addresses the challenge faced by the geoscience community in turning the president's budget request for EarthScope into actual appropriations. The second feature focused on the role of geology on Native American lands, particularly the role of the USGS. The Comment is by Rep. Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY), chairman of the House Science Committee. Most of these articles can be found on the web at http://www.geotimes.org/april02/. ** New Material on Web Site ** The following updates and reports were added to the Government Affairs portion of AGI's web site http://www.agiweb.org since the last monthly update: Energy Policy Overview (4-26-02) High-Level Nuclear Waste Disposal (4-26-02) Arctic National Wildlife Refuge Update (4-20-02) Summary of Hearings on Brownfields (4-12-02) AGI FY 2003 House Appropriations Testimony on NSF (4-16-02) State Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution (4-10-02) AGI FY 2003 House Appropriations Testimony on USGS and DOE Fossil Energy (4-4-02) Reformulated Gasoline and MTBE (4-3-02) Geotimes Political Scene: Turning a Request into Reality (4/02) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 2) AGI RELEASES 2001 REPORT ON THE STATUS OF ACADEMIC GEOSCIENCE DEPARTMENTS ALEXANDRIA,VA - AGI has released the 2001 Report on the Status of Academic Geoscience Departments, which describes and analyzes enrollments, employment trends of recent graduates, faculty demographics and other department characteristics at degree-granting geoscience departments in the United States. The 2001 Report on the Status of Academic Geoscience Departments is the result of a comprehensive survey conducted by the American Geological Institute in 2001. Over 700 geoscience departments in the United States were included in the 2001 survey. "Close inspection of the findings presented in the 2001 Report reveals many of the factors - and uncertainties - that have a bearing on the future of the geoscience profession," commented Marcus E. Milling, Executive Director of the American Geological Institute. The 2001 Report focuses on the following topics: geoscience enrollments and degrees granted; employment trends of recent graduates; faculty ranks; faculty teaching specialties; geoscience theses and dissertation topics; research funding support; and geoscience employment by employer category, age and gender. For some topics - employment trends, faculty ranks, and research funding support - the report shows comparisons with results from the 1999 Report. For other topics - faculty teaching specialties, geoscience theses and dissertation topics, employment by employer category and age and gender distribution in the workforce - the report shows changes over a greater period of time. The free 12-page 2001 Report on the Status of Academic Geoscience Departments is available online in PDF format at http://www.agiweb.org/career/rsad2001.pdf. AGI also produces two companion online publications, the Guide to Geoscience Departments containing detailed information on almost 200 college and university geoscience departments and the Guide to Geoscience Careers and Employers highlighting information on all aspects of geoscience employment. Both of these free online publications are accessible from the web site http://guide.agiweb.org. The American Geological Institute is a nonprofit federation of 40 scientific and professional associations that represent more than 120,000 geologists, geophysicists, and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in our profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the goesciences play in mankind's use of resources and interaction with the environment. More information about AGI can be found at http://www.agiweb.org. The Institute also provides a public-outreach web site, http://www.earthscienceworld.org. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 3) WASHINGTON WIRE: MAY 1, 2002 The latest edition of the Washington Wire has been posted at Topics for this wire are: International *New World Court to Judge Gender-Based War Crimes *World Bank Pushes `Education for All' *World Health Organization (W.H.O.) Moves to Make AIDS Drugs More Accessible to Poor Worldwide Government *House Appropriators Express Strong Support for FY 2003 NSF Funding *Marburger Speaks at AAAS Colloquium Health *Sex Hormones Raise Breast Risk in Older Women *Some Herbs Can Mimic Estrogen Education and the Workplace *First Hispanic Woman Is Named to Lead University of California Campus *Gender Differences in Math Interest and Performance *NASA to Send Teacher to Space in 2004 *New Study Paints Portrait of Women in Technology Careers Announcements *U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao Announces Launch of ENews for Working Women *Ruth Rogan Benerito is Honored with the Lemelson-MIT Lifetime Achievement Award for Invention *The Exceptional Merit Media Awards (EMMAs) Ceremony to be Held May 8 *Lifetime Television Promotes Petition for Sexual Assault Testing ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 4) CHANGES TO AWGF BOARD Rachael Craig will begin a new position at NSF on May 20, and will officially resign her position on the board of the AWG Foundation at that time. The new list of directors will be as follows: Martha F. McRae - Vice-President, December 2001 - Fall 2003 mmcrae@lgc.com Judith (Judy) A. Dozier - Secretary, April 1998 - Fall 2002 geolass@charter.net Ann I. Guhman - Treasurer, December 2001 - Fall 2003 aig@chorus.net Tania H. Brice Coffin - Past President, April 1998 - Fall 2002 coffin@cheshire.net Sarah J. Stoll - Director, Fall 1999 - Fall 2002 sjstoll@aol.com Suzanne O,Connell - Director, Fall 1999 - Fall 2002 - AWG Northeast Chapter suzanne.oconnell@trincoll.edu ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 5) FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR GRANTS, 2003-2004 The Fulbright Scholar Program is offering 9 lecturing, research, and lecturing/research awards in Geology for the 2003-2004 academic year. Awards for both faculty and professionals range from two months to an academic year. While many awards specify project and host institution, there are a number of open "Any Field" awards that allow candidates to propose their own project and determine their host institution affiliation. Foreign language skills are needed in some countries, but most Fulbright lecturing assignments are in English. Application deadline for 2003-2004 awards is: *August 1 for Fulbright traditional lecturing and research grants worldwide For information, visit our Web site at www.cies.org . Or contact: The Council for International Exchange of Scholars 3007 Tilden Street, N.W. - Suite 5L Washington, D.C. 20008 Phone: 202-686-7877 E-mail: apprequest@cies.iie.org ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 6) AWG PHILLIPS PETROLEUM COMPANY DISTINGUISHED LECTURE PROGRAM "One hundred mammoths in a hot tub," "What's on the bottom of Lake Champlain?," "Having it all: career, family, and amateur sports." Sound intriguing? These are just a few of the titles of talks that speakers in the AWG Phillips Petroleum Company Distinguished Lecture Program are prepared to give to academic institutions, science clubs or organizations, or state geological surveys. The program, supported by a generous grant from the Phillips Petroleum Company, is just one way that AWG has been trying to achieve its goals of encouraging the participation of women in the geosciences; exchanging educational, technical, and professional information; and enhancing the professional growth and advancement of women in the geosciences. Currently, about 75 women are listed as speakers in the program. The topics of their talks vary widely and cover just about all of the disciplines of the geosciences, including seismology, hydrology, planetology, oceanography, paleontology, mineralogy, glaciology, tectonics, geomorphology, and geochemistry. In addition, several women are prepared to talk about their career paths or how they ended up in their professions which should be especially interesting to undergraduate students trying to map out their own paths. All academic institutions, science clubs and organizations, and state geological surveys are among those eligible to apply for funding to host a speaker. Funds may be awarded to cover travel, meals, and lodging up to $500. For more information about the speaker program, to be listed as a speaker, or to find out how to host a speaker, visit AWG's website at www.awg.org or contact the speaker list coordinator, Susan Mockler, at smockler3@yahoo.com. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 7) MARKETING EARTH SCIENCE EDUCATION The following is based on an article by Roel Snieder of the Department of Geophysics, Colorado School of Mines and Chris Spiers, Department of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, The Netherlands. The final IGCP 328 report is published as Blieck & Turner eds. 2000. Courier Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg 223, 575pp. available from Senckenberg Museum. In the 1990s, the Department of Earth Sciences at Utrecht University in the Netherlands was struggling with a declining influx of students. For years, the department had been active in promoting its program, but this was insufficient to stem the decline in interest. To remedy the problem, the school's earth science faculty carried out, with the help of consultants, a qualitative evaluation of its promotional activities. The faculty feared that their own image of the department might be in conflict with the image held by others, prospective students in particular. This is what they found. Why Choose Earth Sciences? Many of the faculty members who now work in the department chose their field because of an interest in the earth sciences. However, the evaluation demonstrated that the driving force for the present generation of prospective students is different. Today, future prospects for a successful career is the major motivation when choosing a field, and the perceived success of a career is usually measured in terms of its financial rewards. A few students chose their field because they had a particularly inspiring teacher in secondary school. In general, however, students do not choose a field because it is interesting or socially relevant. This observation was in strong conflict with the department's attempts to attract students by trying to convince them how interesting and socially relevant the earth sciences are! Most of the potential students were not familiar with the earth sciences. Many equated them with physical and social geography. Because of the poor reputation of these fields among high school students, the earth sciences were seen as an unattractive option. The Image of the Earth Sciences The people interviewed were asked about their image of the earth sciences. They usually identified them as an interesting mix of indoor and outdoor activities, with an international outlook. Some noted the multidisciplinary aspect of the earth sciences and viewed this as attractive. Unfortunately, these positive images were far outweighed by the following negative impressions: "The job opportunities are poor and confined to research positions." "Other career options are limited to oil companies that continuously lay off personnel." "Earth science students are nerds." Most shocking was the image of the earth scientist: "The earth scientist is male; he is single or married to a partner who shares his interest; he is a devoted researcher unaware of what happens in society; he does not care about his appearance; he is ambitious and idealistic." Other negative comments referred to the distinction between sub- disciplines such as geophysics, geochemistry, and hydrology within the earth sciences, which was perceived as confusing and therefore unattractive. In summary, the surveys findings indicated that: * The department was trying to attract students by showing how interesting the earth sciences are, whereas today's students are primarily interested in career opportunities. * A clear image of the earth sciences is lacking among prospective students, and * Earth scientists are not a group to which students would like to belong. These findings led to the following recommendations for improved recruitment: * Do not promote the field primarily by pointing out how interesting or relevant it is. Instead, focus on career opportunities. * Make students aware of the broadness of the earth sciences, the financial aspects of a career in the earth sciences, and the various commercial opportunities that exist in addition to a career in research. (A dialog between universities and the oil industry may be needed to shed the latter's negative image as an employer.) * Highlight the aspects that are viewed as attractive. These include the opportunities for field work, the multidisciplinary aspects, teamwork, and the dynamic and international aspects of the field. * Inform people about what the earth sciences are: most people don't know. Write articles for popular journals, visit primary and secondary schools, and work with secondary school teachers to incorporate aspects of the earth sciences into their teaching. * Geoscientists need to shed the "nerd" image. Attention needs to be paid to appearance: dress as modern professionals rather than greasy scientists, and shave off those beards! Show examples of earth scientists with successful and important careers, and provide female role models. Follow-up The findings of the survey were shocking to the department faculty. In fact it was difficult to convince them how far off past recruitment efforts had been in terms of getting students to be interested in careers in the earth sciences. For this reason, the company that carried out the survey and analysis was asked to make a video compilation of relevant parts of interviews. The resulting video proved necessary to make faculty members step away from their own ideas and appreciate the points of view of potential students. As a result of this study, the faculty worked hard to provide students with more specific information about career opportunities, and promotional material was redesigned and simplified. A huge poster was made that listed employers of students who had graduated. People were amazed by the breadth of career opportunities! In addition, the faculty realized that other earth science departments experienced the same problems, so rather than compete with them for the few remaining students, a collaboration was begun to attract more students to the earth sciences. At this point, the new approach seems to be paying off. At Utrecht University, earth science is the only scientific field that has seen a yearly growth of about 10% in the influx of students during the past two years. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 8) NEWS RELEASE: NUSTAR RESOURCES INC. Gold mining exploration & development. April 30, 2002 The TSX Venture Exchange has accepted for filing the agreement dated March 15, 2002, for the acquisition of a 100 percent interest in two lode mineral claims, Lisa and Christmas South, comprising a total of 29 contiguous units in the Clinton Mining Division of British Columbia, Canada. The claim area was first staked in 1983 for E&B Explorations Inc. around some old workings that returned anomalous gold values in the range of 0.047 - 0.202 oz/ton from pyritic volcanic rock exposure samples. During the period, 1983-84 E&B performed fieldwork including limited rock and soil geochemistry and some geological mapping. The property was optioned to Ming Mines Limited in 1985 whereby they earned a 50 percent interest in the property by 1986 for financing exploration work including grid-controlled mapping, soil silt and rock geochemistry, VLF-EM and magnetometer surveys. In 1987 a joint venture between E&B and Ming was formed with Mascot Gold Mines Limited as the operator. An induced polarization (IP) survey was performed over portions of the property and areas of interest were encountered. Since that time the property remained intact and dormant due to a variety of circumstances, but mainly the three P.'s: price, politics and patience. During this period the property never underwent a drilling program. This year, the current claim owner brought the property to Nustar and made a deal. The Company intends to pursue a vigorous exploration approach to the project which will first include a qualified, independent geological summary of the exploration work carried-out to date, a study of the results obtained, knowledgeable conclusions and recommendations to the Company on how best to approach the next exciting phase of any exploration project, that is drilling! The Company would like to confirm official closing of this transaction and disclose that the expiry date, of the hold period on the shares to be issued to the vendor of the property (see News Release dated April 2, 2002) will be April 23, 2003. ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD James W. McLeod, President Phone: 604-943-3083 The TSX Venture Exchange has neither approved nor disapproved of the information contained herein. Disclaimer. A third party paid to have this information sent out. This is for information purposes only and is not a solicitation to buy or sell securities. Purchasing stock in a low priced issue such as Nustar is very risky and can result in the investor losing all or part of his money. Investors should never invest more than they can afford to lose. Investors should get the advice of a registered representative or registered investment advisor before investing in any stock. The mining business is risky and the chances of finding a commercially viable property are very slim. Insiders of Nustar may buy or sell stock in the open market at any time without notice. This letter was not produced by a registered investment advisor. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 9) POSITION OPENINGS 2002-27 INDIANA UNIVERSITY Department of Geological Sciences The Department of Geological Sciences invites applications for a post-doctoral position in geobiology at Indiana University. Appointment will be for one year, beginning August 1, 2002. We desire an individual who is broadly interdisciplinary and will provide research linkages between geobiology and any other area of geological sciences, or between geobiology and other scientific disciplines. The successful candidate will be expected to teach an advanced undergraduate or graduate course in geobiology in either the fall semester, 2002 or the spring semester 2003. A Ph.D. or equivalent in a relevant discipline is required. Salary will be $32,000 per annum, and will include an additional $2,000 in research support. Review of applications will begin on June 1, 2002; position will remain open until filled. Candidates should address directly how they will link geobiology with any other area of geological sciences or with any other scientific discipline in their letter of application. Candidates should submit their application letter, curriculum vitae, and a list of four references (including addresses and phone numbers) to: Dr. Christopher G. Maples, Chair Department of Geological Sciences Indiana University 1001 East Tenth St. Bloomington, IN 47401 USA "Indiana University as an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer encourages the candidacies of women and minorities" ****************************** 2002-28 PROGRAM DIRECTOR OCEAN DRILLING PROGRAM NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION (NSF) NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences is seeking qualified applicants for the position of Program Director in the Ocean Drilling Program. This position is excepted from the competitive civil service and will be filled on or about Spring 2002 on a permanent basis. Alternatively, the position may be filled under the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA). IPA applicants must be permanent, career employees of their current employer for at least 90 days prior to entering into a mobility assignment agreement with a federal agency. Reimbursement of salary and other related cost are negotiated between NSF and the individual's institution. The Program Director has primary responsibilities that involve the NSF management and oversight of the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) on both a national and international basis. The Program Director directly manages implementation of the ODP through contracts and other arrangements and participates in planning, oversight, and representation of the program on agency, national and international levels. He/she will also have responsibility for coordinating planning and expenditure of program resources within the NSF ODP program. Applicants must have a Ph.D. or equivalent experience in marine geosciences, marine engineering, or a related disciplinary field. Six or more years of experience beyond the Ph.D. and a broad understanding of the current status of the relevant U.S. academic scientific community and its relationship with NSF, other federal agencies, and international planning efforts are also required. Applicants should also have demonstrated experience in management of scientific research programs. Experience with the Ocean Drilling Program planning and operational structures will be of benefit, but is not a requirement for the position. Interested applicants must submit a letter of application and a vita to the National Science Foundation, Division of Human Resource Management, Attn: Myra Loyd, 4201 Wilson Blvd., Suite 315, Arlington, VA 22230; and reference vacancy announcement E20020104 Perm, E20020072A Temp or call 713-292- 4363. For technical information, call Dr. Bruce Malfait, Marine Geosciences Section, 703-292-8581. Hearing-impaired individuals should call TDD at 703-292-8044. NSF is an equal opportunity employer committed to employing highly qualified staff that reflects the diversity of our nation. ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 10) CONTACT INFORMATION To submit an item to E-MAIL NEWS contact: editor@awg.org To submit advertising contact: ads@awg.org To change your address or be removed from the list contact: office@awg.org