The AIPG MN Section is requesting nominations of interested members from the Section for the 2021 Officers.  There are four positions up for election, Secretary, Treasurer, Vice President, and President-Elect. The terms start January 1, 2021! A summary of each position is included below:

1.     President-Elect: The President-Elect serves one year under the President, becomes the President the following year, then serves in an advisory role as Past-President the following year (a 3-year commitment in total).  All three roles encompassed by the President are described below:

• The President-Elect shall perform the duties customary to the office, those assigned by these Bylaws or by the Executive Committee, and those required of a President-Elect by the Institute. The President-Elect position description.

• The President shall preside at all meetings of this Section and of its Executive Committee, and shall perform the duties customary to the office.  The President shall be the official spokesperson for this Section and shall execute all appropriate documents and official correspondence of this Section.   The President shall appoint the chairs of all committees of this Section. The President shall be responsible for carrying out all the policies and directives of the Executive Committee, except where such responsibility is specifically assigned to another Officer. The President-Elect shall be the Section Delegate who attends the Institute’s Annual Business Meeting & Conference (scheduled for October 23-26, 2021 in Sacremento, CA) and represents the Section’s Members. The President position description.

• The Past President is an advisor to the President and maintains a voting seat as a Director on the Executive Committee of the Section.  The Past President participates in Executive Committee Meetings and Annual Business Meeting. The Past President position description.

2.   Vice President: The Vice President is a one-year term. The Vice President shall perform the duties customary to the office, those assigned by these Bylaws or by the Executive Committee and those required of a Vice President by the Institute. At the direction of the President, the Vice President shall perform the duties of the President during the absence of the President. The Vice President schedules speakers for the year! The Vice President position description.

3.   Secretary: The Secretary is a two-year term. The Secretary shall perform the duties customary to the office, those assigned by these Bylaws or by the Executive Committee, and those required of a Section Secretary by the Institutes.  The Secretary shall keep, maintain, and have custody of the Bylaws, official documents and correspondence of this Section, the minutes and records of the meetings, and the decisions of this Section and of the Executive Committee. The Secretary is also the primary webmaster.  The Secretary position description. 

4.   Treasurer: The Treasurer is a two-year term. The Treasurer shall perform the duties customary to the office, those assigned by these Bylaws or by the Executive Committee, and those required of a Section Treasurer by the Institute. All Section financial resources are the property of the Institute, which are placed in the custody and under the management of the Treasurer under the ultimate authority of the Institute Treasurer. The Treasurer shall keep an accurate accounting of all Section financial transactions and account balances and shall ensure that all funds received are properly deposited and disbursements properly made from the Section's accounts. The Treasurer shall be responsible for preparing and submitting the annual financial statements and reports of this Section, and such other financial reports as may be required by the Executive Committee or the Institute. The Treasurer position description. 

Nominations are requested by November 1, 2020 by 5:00 PM.  Please send nominations to nominating@aipgmm.org or [email protected]. Voting will be open on November 11, 2020 and remain open until November 25, 2020.

The Section Bylaws for reference.

The Minnesota Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG Minnesota Section) regrets to announce the cancellation of the Golf Tournament Fundraiser ususally scheduled in August of each year. The decision to cancel the event was made by the Executive Committee after months of meetings and discussions in which we felt the health and safety of our community is paramount.

Since 2014, the Golf Tournament Fundraiser has brought AIPG Minnesota Section members and non-members together to raise over $20,000 to support undergraduate scholarships, k-12 education, and further AIPG’s mission to promote geoscience in Minnesota. Please visit our Education Fund – Giving Back page to learn more.

We may not be golfing together this year, but we can unite to support geoscience education during these unprecedented times. Help us meet our goal of raising $5,000 for scholarships in the 2020-2021 academic year and contribute now by clicking here to donate through the PayPal system we use for luncheon registration.  You can also donate through the website, see our catalog on the Education Fund – Giving Back page.

Outcry demanding justice for Black people was renewed here, in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25, 2020 with the killing of George Floyd. Individuals, companies, government, and even institutions like the Minnesota Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) are evaluating how their groups can affect positive change in how Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) are treated by society. AIPG is a professional organization based on competence, integrity, and ethics. The Minnesota Section of AIPG believes these core values prohibit racism and prejudice. Our continuing obligation as a professional organization is to ensure we conduct our business, advocacy, and outreach in a manner that is anti-racist and inclusive.

The geosciences are not as diverse as other sciences (Dutt 2020; Goldberg 2019). The Minnesota Section of AIPG's Executive Committee invite our section members to challenge themselves to truly become more welcoming, anti-racist, and inclusive so that we, as geoscientists and Professional Geologists, can continue to promote the public welfare of all Minnesotans. With this in mind, we welcome your feedback and dialogue so that we may actively improve our organization and this profession.

We have started a collection of articles and books featuring the topic of Racial Justice & Geology, including the two referenced articles, available at https://aipgmn.org/Racial_Justice_and_Geology_Resources. Please send us additional resources to share!

1. Dutt, Kueli. Race and Racism in the Geosciences. Nature Geoscience, vol. 13, 2020, pp. 2-3. Available online at https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-019-0519-z. This article uses data collected by the American Geosciences Institute (AGI), of which AIPG is a member organization, in their 2016 Status of the Geoscience Workforce publication. The newer 2018 Status of the Geoscience Workforce publication was released in March 2020: https://www.americangeosciences.org/news/agi-publishes-2018-status-geoscience-workforce-report

2. Goldberg, Emma. Earth Science has a Whiteness Problem. New York Times, Dec. 23, 2019. Available online at https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/23/science/earth-science-diversity-education.html.

The Minnesota Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG) is pleased to announce our 2019 Scholarship winner: Natalie Hummel, a geology major at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. Natalie's professors and classmates have high praise for her academic acheivements, leadership, and her "ability to inspire everyone around her." 

Natalie is graduating this spring and intends to use the $1,000 towards her tuition for this semester!

Congratulations Natalie! 

Here are some resources for free talks, which include some ethics topics.

The Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience, and Interior Design (MN Board of AELSLAGID) reminds those renewing their licenses and who have not yet earned all their Continuing Education (CE) credits for the period of July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2020 (or prior to when you apply to renew, whichever is first) that CE credits may by earned via remote learning, as well as in-person. Televised or videotaped courses, webinars, and other self-study courses, and distance-learning college courses are among the many CE formats available.

TBPG

The Texas Board of Professional Geoloscientists (TBPG) has produced an ethics talk that is available on their website, Ethics in Geoscience. The TBPG would like to thank Ms Becky Johnson, PG, TBPG Chair, for the updated ethics video. Please note this video and the information provided therein are the personal property of Becky Johnson, PG.

GOLI

The Geoscience Online Learning Initiative (GOLI) by the American Geosciences Institute, started in cooperation with AIPG, provides a platform for on-demand, life-long learning and continuing education opportunities in the geosciences. These courses are free for AIPG members! GOLI on-demand online courses provide learners with the flexibility to self-pace their progress, since on-demand courses do not have a set schedule like traditional academic semester-based courses. Brought to you via the OpenedX Learning Management System (LMS), learners are able to browse course descriptions, enroll in specific courses, access content, and complete any course completely free of charge. All learners who complete online courses offered through the GOLI platform with a passing grade of 70% or higher are eligible to purchase Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for a nominal charge. Please note that 0.10 CEU is generally equal to 1 professional development hour (PDH).

Sample On-Demand GOLI Courses by AIPG Members:

• Well Re-Development in New England 
  
• Fundamentals of Professional Ethics: Elements and Examples 
  
• The Development of Geoscience-related Ethics Codes 
  
• Converting Membrane Interface Probe Sensor Results into VOC NAPL Distribution Information 
  
• Techniques for Developing High Resolution LNAPL Conceptual Site Models 
  
• Best Practices in Mineral Resource Estimation & Reporting 
  
• The Basics of Seismic Petroleum Exploration for New Hires
  
• The Lower Cretaceous of Texas 
  
• Well Logs and Log Analysis for New Hires 
  
• An Introduction to Landslides and Mass Wasting 

Other interesting GOLI courses:

• An Introduction to Professional Writing for Geoscience Careers
• Tracking Global Supply Critical Materials
• Basics of Seismic Petroleum Exploration for New Hires
• Best Practices in Mineral Resource Estimation & Reporting
• Fundamentals of Professional Ethics: Elements and Examples
• Professional Geologist Licensure Requirements and the ASBOG National Geology License Examinations
• Understanding Professional Geologist License Requirements: California 2019

Click here for a full course listing from GOLI.

The Minnesota Section of AIPG has cancelled the April 7, 2020 talk/meeting and the May 5, 2020 talk/social. On March 13, 2020, Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz announced the Minnesota Department of Health's community mitigation strategies.  One item, "cancelling or postponing smaller events (those with less than 250 people) that are held in settings that do not allow social distancing of 6 feet per person," applies to our events.  Although we could webcast the upcoming talks, we are still in the testing stages of webcasting and we haven't been able to test a remote speaker.  In addition, our planned speakers are students and are now uncertain of their schedules.  We will reschedule both talks for the 2020/2021 season.  If you have already registered for one or both talks, AIPG MN will contact you to process a refund or a credit to a future meeting.

The Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geoscience, and Interior Design (MN Board of AELSLAGID) reminds those renewing their licenses and who have not yet earned all their Continuing Education (CE) credits for the period of July 1, 2018 – June 30, 2020 (or prior to when you apply to renew, whichever is first) that CE credits may by earned via remote learning, as well as in-person. Televised or videotaped courses, webinars, and other self-study courses, and distance-learning college courses are among the many CE formats available.

The Geoscience Online Learning Initiative (GOLI) by the American Geosciences Institute, started in cooperation with AIPG, provides a platform for on-demand, life-long learning and continuing education opportunities in the geosciences. These courses are free for AIPG members! GOLI on-demand online courses provide learners with the flexibility to self-pace their progress, since on-demand courses do not have a set schedule like traditional academic semester-based courses. Brought to you via the OpenedX Learning Management System (LMS), learners are able to browse course descriptions, enroll in specific courses, access content, and complete any course completely free of charge. All learners who complete online courses offered through the GOLI platform with a passing grade of 70% or higher are eligible to purchase Continuing Education Units (CEUs) for a nominal charge. Please note that 0.10 CEU is generally equal to 1 professional development hour (PDH).

Sample On-Demand Courses by AIPG Members

• Well Re-Development in New England 
  
• Fundamentals of Professional Ethics: Elements and Examples 
  
• The Development of Geoscience-related Ethics Codes 
  
• Converting Membrane Interface Probe Sensor Results into VOC NAPL Distribution Information 
  
• Techniques for Developing High Resolution LNAPL Conceptual Site Models 
  
• Best Practices in Mineral Resource Estimation & Reporting 
  
• The Basics of Seismic Petroleum Exploration for New Hires
  
• The Lower Cretaceous of Texas 
  
• Well Logs and Log Analysis for New Hires 
  
• An Introduction to Landslides and Mass Wasting 

Other interesting courses:

• An Introduction to Professional Writing for Geoscience Careers
• Tracking Global Supply Critical Materials
• Basics of Seismic Petroleum Exploration for New Hires
• Best Practices in Mineral Resource Estimation & Reporting
• Fundamentals of Professional Ethics: Elements and Examples
• Professional Geologist Licensure Requirements and the ASBOG National Geology License Examinations
• Understanding Professional Geologist License Requirements: California 2019

Click here for a full course listing.

The Minnesota Section of the American Institute of Professional Geologists (AIPG MN) donated $500 towards the cost of a mock dig site for the Rosemount High School!

Teacher Joe Christman at Rosemount High School created a new science elective class, which revolves around dinosaur paleontology!  In his request, he said, "An important part of paleontology is doing research in the field and I felt as though this was an important aspect of the science students should experience.  Understanding field research can give students skills in organization, attention to detail, spatial reasoning, and interpretation of data."  
    
In order to give students a dig experience, Joe built a mock dig site on campus.  This includes a 20x20 foot area filled in with sand and gravel.  Replicas of dinosaur fossils will be placed in a matrix of sand and wax.  Students will be using geologic rock hammers, chisels, and other field equipment to record, analyze, and excavate the fossils.  The cost of the project was about $3,000.
    
Joe stated, "Science is about curiosity, evaluation, and putting pieces of evidence together.  This is a unique experience for students; however, it is a necessary one.  It is an experience that will illuminate and inspire students to consider a career path in science." 

To view more pictures of the completed project taken in late August, please click here.

Many geoscientists interest in the geosciences began with dinosaurs as children, so what a great way to get young students interested in the geosciences!

Your donations to the AIPG MN Education Fund and participation in the annual Golf Scramble & Fundraiser make donations like this possible.  Thank you everyone!

AIPG Minnesota Section,

We are looking for ‘testimonials’ on how people have used the county geologic atlases. We occasionally get requests to give presentations on the topic – “Just what are the County Geologic Atlas good for?” We also routinely get asked by legislators to provide examples at the local level of how they are used, and even what the economic advantages to having a county atlas are.

We know the CGA is used by a wide variety of stakeholders for many different applications and their availability often results in time and money savings on projects (high capacity wells, groundwater modeling, landfill siting, DOT uses them in structure work, counties use them for many zoning applications, and many more).

We are particularly interested to know about specific projects, but also find value in understanding in a more general sense the types of projects you use them for. Here are a couple shortened examples we have received:

Jim de Lambert, Senior Hydrogeologist, Carlson McCain, Inc: “For most projects the initial information sources include the County Geologic Atlas. For Minnesota well siting projects, the County Atlas Series will be my first source of information to help define the project area and to give the area broad hydrogeologic context. This assists in identifying potential target aquifer(s). If the supplier is a Rural Water System, there is often considerable flexibility with well field location and this type of county and regional information can be invaluable.”

Heather Cunningham, Zoning and Environmental Services Administrator, Carlton County: “I would say that I use the atlas on a monthly basis. In the last 6 months, I have used it for the review of an Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW), pollution sensitivity for a proposed mixed use development, groundwater contamination at our closed landfill, and in working with a lake association.”

Kristi Anderson, Hydrogeologist, Northwest AqwaTek Solutions: “The majority of what I do is working with the agricultural community for crop irrigation systems; I typically look to the County Geologic Atlas (CGA)….as the starting point for my work.”

Joe Hudak, Assistant Engineering Geologist, Minnesota Department of Transportation: “We typically use the county atlases for subsurface information prior to conducting any geophysical field work or drill rig borings/CPT soundings.”

Martin Larsen, Olmsted County Feedlot Technician, Landowner & Farmer, Olmsted County: “The County Geologic Atlas is an important tool for the Olmsted Soil and Water Conservation District. It is used for animal feedlot permitting and nutrient management planning to locate sinkholes, depth to bedrock and first encountered bedrock. The springshed maps included in some Part B atlases are utilized for local education and outreach.”

If you have specific application examples that you could share it would be especially useful. Or, if you have any leads of others who might use the CGAs, we would be interested in getting those contacts so that we could learn more.

We are also very interested to get your ideas about how we can improve the end-product. Maybe there is a way we can make the CGA more valuable to you.

Thank-you for your help.
Barb Lusardi, Associate Director, Minnesota Geological Survey, [email protected]
Paul Putzier, Supervisor DNR County Geologic Atlas Program, [email protected]

Students from the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Department of Earth & Environmental Sciences recently formed an AIPG Student Chapter.  Thier bylaws were signed on 03/09/2018, and AIPG Headquarters recognized them on 04/17/2018. Congratulations!

Nathan Gruman, PG, CPG is the AIPG MN Section liason with the University of Minnesota Twin Cities AIPG Student Chapter.

As a 2017 AIPG MN Section Sponsor, your personal AIPG MN member account has been credited with 2 Luncheon Vouchers.  You can use them for anyone you register using your member account during 2017.

When you get to the payment screen, you'll see a section where you can select to use a voucher: 

Please select how many vouchers you'd like to use and click on APPLY.  You'll proceed through the registration process with a $0 balance.  If you have questions or issues using the vouchers, please contact Shanna Schmitt at [email protected] or 651.757.2697.  Thank you for your sponsorship!

Students from the University of St. Thomas Geology Department recently formed an AIPG Student Chapter.  Thier bylaws were signed on 02/13/2015, and AIPG Headquarters recognized them on 03/30/2015. Congratulations!

Sara Nelson of the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency is the AIPG MN Section liason with the University of St. Thomas AIPG Student Chapter.