Virginia Tech Distinguished Professor elected Honorary Fellow of the Geological Society of India
Robert J. Bodnar, University Distinguished Professor and C.C. Garvin Professor of Geochemistry at Virginia Tech, was named Honorary Fellow of the Geological Society of India.
The Geological Society of India was created to promote advanced study and research in all branches of Indian geology. The society has three classes of membership: Fellows, Honorary Fellows, and corporate members. Honorary Fellow status is given to members who have made distinguished and outstanding contributions in any field of geology, and the total number of Honorary Fellows is limited to 12.
Bodnar was elected as an Honorary Fellow for his contributions in the field of fluid inclusion studies in Earth and planetary sciences.
His "research has enriched our understanding of the role played by fluids in several crustal processes like ore genesis, volcanism, ultra-high metamorphism, hydrocarbons in sedimentary basins, and petrogenesis," said Harsh Gupta, president of the Geological Society of India.
Bodnar’s research on fluid inclusions focuses on the distribution, properties, and role of fluids in planetary processes. Fluid inclusions are microscopic droplets trapped in minerals that form beneath the Earth’s surface. Bodnar also uses fluid inclusions to study volcanic eruptions and to predict the explosiveness of future eruptions.
In recognition of his various contributions to the field of geology, Bodnar was named Virginia’s 2010 Outstanding Scientist, a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and was presented the AGU Bowen Award. In 2010, Bodnar was awarded a Laurea Honoris Causa from the University of Naples in Italy.
Bodnar has been a faculty member of the Department of Geosciences since his arrival at Virginia Tech in 1985. He was named C.C. Garvin Professor of Geochemistry in 1997 and University Distinguished Professor in 1999.
He received his bachelor's degree from the University of Pittsburgh, his master’s degree from the University of Arizona, and his Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University.
