HGS IS A RESOURCE ORGANIZATION
By Penny Patterson
HGS is committed to being a “resource organization” for its members and the greater Houston-area geoscience community. As a resource organization, HGS is dedicated to promoting the advancement and integrity of our diverse and far-reaching disciplines in the field of geoscience and providing a variety of networking opportunities for the exchange of informative and innovative technologies, leading-edge research developments, and training for the enhancement of skill sets for our geoscience community. In short, HGS strives to be the “go-to” organization for our geoscientists, from our youngest pre-teen explorers to our more seasoned adventurers!
There are numerous opportunities within the HGS organization to access, engage, and network with fellow Houston-area geoscientists. A quick look at HGS’s website and calendar shows how diverse the resource base is available to our geoscience community.
I have assembled HGS’s diverse resource opportunities into five categories in this newsletter, specifically listing upcoming events. Check out our full year's calendar to see more.
1. Technical Excellence and Networking
Several HGS-hosted events are incorporated in this category, including HGS Dinner and Luncheon Meetings, New Energies Meetings, and Engineering and Environmental Meetings. All these meetings host invited speakers to give informative presentations on current and ongoing science subjects. For example, on November 11, 2024, HGS will host the University of Houston Sheriff Lecture. This HGS Dinner Meeting is a special event in which HGS and the University of Houston join together to showcase poster sessions of graduate student’s research, in addition to a highly informative presentation by Dr. Lesli Wood, who will speak on "Seismic Geomorphology of Ancient Earthscapes - Strengthening our Perspectives of Deep Time and Clarifying Our Role in the World’s Future."
2. Career Development and Geoscience Advancement
In our evolving and ever-growing discipline of geoscience, career development, and geoscience advancement are critical for our geoscientists to remain at the leading edge of technology and research. This category includes seminars, continuing education courses, and field trips.
On November 14, 2024, GHS and HGS are co-hosting a one-day seminar, “Integrated Geoscience Case Studies: “Lessons from Missed Opportunities and Surprise Successes.” This seminar will provide valuable insights, including trials and tribulations that arise in oil and gas exploration. Charles Sternbach, the seminar co-chair, invites us to “… learn from success and failure, postmortem dry hole analysis, multiple conjugate margin development models, seismic imaging improvements, seismic interpretation integration, structural restorations, petroleum systems analysis, meaningful shortcuts, and more.” This will certainly be an exciting, “must-attend” seminar.
The Continuing Education Committee has several courses scheduled for this year. On November 7, 2024, HGS will host the short course “Mastering the Modern Job Search: From CV to Social Media”. Attendees will receive 1.5 credit hours for attending this course.
June 1-8, 2025, HGS and Hatch River Expeditions are organizing a Grand Canyon rafting trip down the Colorado River. Rafting down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon is a “must-do” adventure of a lifetime and a fantastic opportunity to refresh your outcrop observational expertise and, at the same time, enjoy the dynamic processes of the river as it carves its way through the Colorado Plateau region. Please see the article in this HGS Bulletin for more information.
3. Pre-teen through Early-Career Geoscience Development and Networking
HGS is dedicated to assisting our pre-teen geoscientists and our early career geoscientists. HGS members volunteer in several educational outreach programs for our pre-teen scientists, including Earth Science Week and the Science and Engineering Fair of Houston (SEFH). For our early career geoscientists, HGS hosts valuable training events and career development networking opportunities that enable them to define their career goals. In that context, in September, HGS hosted the well-attended and highly successful Student Expo, which provided networking opportunities with company interviewing for open positions and mentoring sessions on resume improvements. Another successful HGS networking event is the NeoGeos Meeting, a monthly social hour held at various locations in the Houston area for our early career geoscientists through our more seasoned geoscientists.
4. Communication and Networking
HGS has three primary communication portals. The HGS Bulletin continues to be a key avenue for the exchange of technical advancements as well as critical updates on our geoscience community affairs. HGS’s website is currently being reviewed for upgrades and enhancements to make it more informative, intuitive, and user-friendly. So, please stay posted! HGS’s Social Media Platforms are stewarded by our hard-working, versatile, and social network-savvy Communications Committee. You will find up-to-date information on HGS’s numerous social portals, including LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and X (Twitter).
5. Social Engagements
HGS hosts a variety of social events. In October, HGS hosted a Golf tournament, and on November 22, 2024, HGS will host a Sporting Clays Shoot Tournament. But one event that has continued over the years is the springtime HGS Shrimp Peel…a testament to HGS’s Gulf Coast roots. These are just three of the many HGS-hosted social events. I highly recommend looking at the current HGS calendar!
In closing, HGS is committed to its mission statements of promoting the depth and breadth of geoscience knowledge and awareness and facilitating communication and engagement among all members of our geoscience community.
See you at our November events!