Hamilton, NY — James McLelland, Ph.D., Charles A. Dana Professor of geology at Colgate University, has been awarded the prestigious James Hall Medal by the New York State Geological Survey for providing outstanding contributions to the advancement, study, and understanding of New York State’s geological history and evolution.
The medal is named for the famed 19th Century North American geologist James Hall, and has been awarded only six other times since its creation in honor of the Geological Survey’s sesquicentennial. The New York State Museum was originally founded as the Geological Survey and Hall, the father of North American paleontology, served as the museum’s first director.
According to State Geologist Robert H. Fakundiny, ‘It is my extreme honor and pleasure to award the James Hall Medal to Dr. James McLelland for his great individual achievement in the geological sciences in New York State.’ The James Hall Medal will be officially awarded at a ceremony in June.
A faculty member in the Department of Geology at Colgate since 1963, McLelland’s contributions to the advancement of understanding Empire State geology are vast. He stands as the leading expert on structural geology, petrology, and geochronology of the Adirondack region. Through extensive field work and investigations spanning more than 30 years, McLelland has made fundamental discoveries about the evolution of earth forces that helped created the terrain of the Adirondacks. His use of geochemical techniques, including the determination of the ages of various rock suites with uranium-lead analysis of zircons, has been widely recognized for yielding remarkable insights to the area’s evolution.
A prolific writer, McLelland’s research papers have been widely published in significant peer-review journals and he has authored 15 guidebook articles on the Adirondacks. McLelland has served in such key leadership roles as past president of the Northeastern Section of the Geological Society of America, and member of the Science Advisory Council for Deep Observation and Scientific Experimentation of the Continental Crust.
In June 2000, McLelland will officially ‘retire’ from the faculty at Colgate. During his tenure, he championed field studies as a necessary part of geochemical research and helped educate and train more than 3,000 undergraduate students, many of whom have gone on to achieve great things in the field. Noteworthy examples include Karen Kleinspehn, professor of geology at the University of Minnesota; Tim Lowenstein, professor of geology at SUNY, Binghamton; and Dave Howell of the U.S. Geological Survey.
According to Constance Soja, acting chair of the Department of Geology. ‘This extraordinary honor by the Geological Survey is a fitting tribute to a man and scientist who has opened up geology and the history of the Adirondacks to thousands of students and scholars alike. Thanks to the efforts of Jim McLelland, Colgate University is number two in the nation for sending liberal arts undergraduates into Ph.D. programs in geology. His contributions to this field are enormous and the honor of the James Hall Medal is well suited to the geoscientist who has helped inspire us all.’
Founded in 1819, Colgate University is a nationally ranked, highly selective, residential, liberal arts college enrolling nearly 2,750 undergraduates. Situated on a rolling 515-acre campus in central New York State, Colgate University attracts motivated students with diverse backgrounds, interests and talents.
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