Distinguished Lecturer Committee Guidelines

Purpose

The purpose of the Committee is to identify, in accordance with the guidelines governing the lectureship, appropriate lecturer candidates and recommend them to the Council for final selection. The SEG Distinguished Lecturer is described in Article X, Section 1(e) of the Society’s Bylaws:

Article X. Honors

Section 1 (e). SEG Distinguished Lecturer

The Society shall annually sponsor a Distinguished Lecturer to be selected on the basis of "preeminence in economic geology," either on some phase or phases of scientific research or on the application of the science to minerals exploration and/or development. The lecture shall be based on current research or applied economic geology and shall be presented orally at a regularly scheduled meeting of the Society. The lecturer will be selected by the Council from two or more nominees recommended in ranked order by the Distinguished Lecturer Committee. Recommendations should be alternated annually between applied economic geology and economic geology research. The honor shall consist of a suitably inscribed citation presented at the meeting at which the lecture is given.

Composition and Term

The Distinguished Lecturer Committee consists of six members, including a chair, with each to serve a three-year term; two new members are appointed each year. At least one of the Committee members should be from outside of North America.

Functions

The Committee annually solicits and receives nominations from its membership and the Society membership-at-large for candidates to serve as the SEG Distinguished Lecturer. Committee members who provide nominations must declare that they are free from any conflicts of interest. The Committee reviews, evaluates and ranks the nominations, and reports its recommendations, in ranked order, to the Council for final selection.

Critical Dates/Schedules

The Committee should announce the call for Distinguished Lecturer nominees in the April issue of the SEG Newsletter, with the request that nominations be forwarded to the Chair of the Committee. The call may be repeated in subsequent Newsletters and/or e-mail broadcast. The recommendations of the Committee, together with supporting data, should reach the Executive Director by September 15 each year. The Executive Director will duplicate the supporting material and distribute it to the Council for action at its first meeting following the September 15 date. The Council will promptly select the Distinguished Lecturer so the lecture may be scheduled during the succeeding year. If no Council meeting is scheduled in the first months following the September 15 date, the selection by the Council can take place by mail, e-mail, telefax or telephone.

When the Lecturer is selected by the Council, the Lecturer and the Committee Chair shall be notified by the Society President. Direct expenses for the Lecturer’s attendance at the meeting at which the lecture is to be given will be reimbursed by the Society. The Lecturer should contact the Executive Director regarding travel arrangements and expense reimbursement.

Relationship to SEG Council, other SEG committees, and other organizations

At least once each year, the Committee should solicit Lecturer recommendations from the membership using the SEG Newsletter and the Society pages in Economic Geology. The preceding Chair of the Committee should be contacted to request a copy of the previous report to the Council, plus the files for eligible candidates who were not nominated.

Specific functions of the Chair

The Chairperson is responsible for timely placing of the announcement(s) calling for nominations for the lectureship, and for ensuring that recommendations and supporting documentation are adequate and complete, and that the Committee’s report to the Council is forwarded to the Executive Director no later than the deadline date specified in these guidelines.

Documentation to Accompany Distinguished Lecturer Nominations

The outline that follows lists the information needed by the Committee for its evaluation of nominees and provides a uniform basis for consideration of all nominees.

1. Name
2. Date and place of birth
3. Education
4. Professional affiliations
5. Brief summary of accomplishments, honors, awards, and publications that establish the Lecture candidate’s “preeminence in economic geology.”
6. Brief statement summarizing current research and/or contributions to applied economic geology that would form the basis for the lecture.
7. Additional pertinent or related scientific contributions such as other accomplishments, advisory or consultant activities, and recognition of professional stature in economic geology by others.
8. Comments regarding the candidate’s ability and appeal as a speaker.