Geoscientist in College of Science awarded international medal
Robert J. Bodnar, University Distinguished Professor of Geosciences in Virginia Tech's College of Science, has been awarded the Silver Medal of the Society of Economic Geologists. Bodnar, of Blacksburg, was recognized for performance of unusually original work in the earth sciences.
The Society of Economic Geologists Silver Medal recognizes a landmark scientist in his or her mid-career and is awarded to one individual each year.
Bodnar’s peers rank him as the leading fluid-inclusion expert in the world. His research on the properties and roles of fluids in natural and synthetic materials is multi-disciplinary, and combines geology; geochemistry; physical chemistry; and planetary, materials, and environmental sciences. His advice is sought by government and private agencies nationally and around the world.
Bodnar came to Virginia Tech in 1985 and was named C.C. Garvin Professor of Geochemistry in 1997 and University Distinguished Professor in 1999. He has served as chair of the Department of Geosciences and has published more than 100 scientific papers and more than 300 abstracts of conference presentations. His grants total more than $4.5 million from NASA, the National Science Foundation, the Department of Energy, Argonne National Laboratory, and many private corporations. He received the prestigious Bowen Medal from the American Geophysical Union in 2006 and was named a Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science that same year.
Bodnar received his bachelor’s degree from the University of Pittsburgh, a master’s degree from the University of Arizona, and a doctorate from Pennsylvania State University.
The Society of Economic Geologists is an international organization comprised of individuals from industry, academia, and government institutions who promote and ensure the communication of economic geology-related concepts. The organization has more than 4,000 members in 80 countries.
The College of Science at Virginia Tech gives students a comprehensive foundation in the scientific method. Outstanding faculty members teach courses and conduct research in biology, chemistry, economics, geosciences, mathematics, physics, psychology, and statistics. The college is dedicated to fostering a research intensive environment and offers programs in many cutting edge areas, including those in nanotechnology, biological sciences, information theory and science, and supports the university’s research initiatives through the Institute for Critical Technologies and Applied Sciences, and the Institute for Biomedical and Public Health Sciences. The College of Science also houses programs in intellectual property law and pre-medicine.
