Our December dinner meetings have been the time when the Arizona Geological Society presents scholarships to outstanding students at the state's three major universities, the University of Arizona, Arizona State University and Northern Arizona University.

This year we had a number of outstanding applicants for both the J. Harold Courtright and M. Lee Allison Scholarships, which made our job of selecting the best candidates very challenging.

Will Whitty (left) presents Courtright Scholarship Award

to Robert Hayes (right)

The 2019 Courtright Scholarship was presented to Robert Hayes.  Robert received a MS in Geology from the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom in July 2018.  He currently attends the University of Arizona, where he is a second year Ph.D. candidate  in the Department  of Geosciences.  The title of his field research project is "Basin Dynamics of the Middle-Upper Triassic of the Colorado Plateau".

Will Whitty (right) presents M. Lee Allison Scholarship Award to Lydia Bailey (left)

The 2019 M. Lee Allison Scholarship was awarded to Lydia Bailey.  Lydia received a BS degree in Geology from the University of Edinburgh in June 2015 and a MS degree in Earth Science from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in September 2017.   She currently attends the University of Arizona,  where she is a second year Ph.D candidate in the Department of Geosciences.  Lydia is studying basin-scale paleo-fluid flow in the Paradox Basin on the Colorado Plateau.

To learn more about these two outstanding scholarship recipients visit the Courtright Scholarship and M. Lee Allison Scholarship pages on this web site.

On Saturday, November 9, 2019, members of the AIPG and AGS held their fall field trip, where they examined earth fissures in Apache Junction and Chandler Heights areas. To learn more about this trip visit the Arizona Geology Blog.

Barbara Murphy

Our colleague, friend and fellow AGS member, Barbara (Barb) Murphy, was awarded the Ian Campbell Medal for Service to Geosciences by the American Geosciences Institute.  The Arizona Geological Society congratulates Barb for this well-deserved recognition and award.

Dr. Spencer R. Titley

Dr. Spencer R. Titley passed away in Tucson on Sunday morning, August 18, 2019. His public memorial service is at 1 p.m., on Monday, Sept. 16 at Angel Valley Funeral Home on 2545 N. Tucson Blvd. in Tucson.

Spencer Titley was born September 27, 1928, in Denver, Colorado, where he grew up and graduated from East High School in 1946.  His first taste of the future was spent working as an underground miner at Cripple Creek and Idaho Springs during the summers of 1947 and 1948. Spence earned an undergraduate degree in Geological Engineering from the Colorado School of Mines in 1951.

After serving in the Korean War, he returned to Gilman, Colorado in 1953, where he worked as a Staff Geologist for the New Jersey Zinc Company until 1955, when he began graduate work at The University of Arizona, earning his Ph.D. in Geology and Chemistry in 1958.  From 1958 to 1960, he continued as Regional Exploration Geologist for New Jersey Zinc in Arizona and New Mexico.  Spence joined The University of Arizona faculty as an Assistant Professor in 1960, progressing to Professor of Geosciences Emeritus.

Besides being a licensed commercial pilot, Spence was a prolific writer, prodigious scholar, prized consultant and teacher.  His list of accomplished students, clients, grants, awards and honors reflect on his stature as a world authority of porphyry copper systems, metal provinces and metallogenesis. 

An Honorary Life Member of AGS, Spence served as AGS President in 1974-75 and its Vice President of Field Trips in 1973-74. He was also a co-editor of the 2008 AGS Ores and Orogenesis Digest.

Dr. Titley was a true gentleman, a geologist's geologist, a student's teacher, and a client’s consultant.  He had a lasting impact on his students and the field of economic geology.

The Arizona Geological Society is seeking out mineral donations for our guest speaker appreciation awards for 2020. We are grateful for all donations that will help continue our tradition of presenting these awards to our guest speakers at the end of each dinner talk. The speaker plaque is 5’’ x 3’’ with an example of what they look like featured below.

If you are interested in donating specimens to be used for our guest speaker appreciation awards for 2020, please contact:

secretary@arizonageologicalsoc.org