Mackay professor Thompson receives award
Tommy B. Thompson, professor of economic geology in the Mackay School of Mines, has been named 2005 recipient of the Ralph W. Marsden Award by the Society of Economic Geologists.The award was presented during the society’s awards banquet held at Keystone Resort, Colo., on May 15.
The Marsden Award is given annually on the basis of “outstanding service to the Society.” In speaking of Thompson’s dedication, Publications Board Chairman John Thoms praised his “academic record, his reputation as a highly regarded teacher, researcher, and minerals exploration consultant, his impeccable ethics, and his many contributions to the profession.”
Thompson’s service to the society includes membership on a number of committees (Publications, Information and Mineral Problems, Program, and the Nominating Committee, which he chaired). Over the years he has served as a Councilor, Vice President, and Distinguished Lecturer. His most outstanding contribution, not only to the society but also to the profession, was through his position as editor of the Society of Economic Geologists’ Field Trip Guidebook Series—a position he held for 16 years.
He was appointed editor in 1986 and the title of “Field Trip Coordinator” was added a few years later. During his tenure as series editor, until 2002, a total of 35 field trip guidebooks were produced and published under his direction.
A native of New Mexico, Thompson attended the University of New Mexico, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in 1961, a Master of Science degree in 1963, and the Ph.D. degree in 1966—all in geology. Immediately upon completing his Ph.D. degree, he commenced an academic career that continues today: first at Oklahoma State University, from 1966–1973, and then at Colorado State University, 1973–1995, where he achieved full professor status in 1980. Since 1997, he has been the Director of the Ralph J. Roberts Center for Research in Economic Geology and professor of economic geology at Mackay.
Also active in industry, Thompson has consulted for more than 30 mining and minerals exploration companies worldwide and has an impressive client list. In November 2005, he was appointed vice president exploration for Romarco Minerals, overseeing projects in the Great Basin, Peru and Mexico, while continuing to fully discharge his responsibilities at the center and Mackay.
In addition to his Society of Economic Geologists affiliation, Thompson is a fellow of the Geological Society of America and the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration, and an active member of the Geological Society of Nevada, the Association of Exploration Geochemists, and the Denver Region Exploration Group, for which he served as president in 1988.
Melanie Robbins, editor of Our Workplace, can be reached at
mrobbins@unr.edu
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