Baylor Geology Advisory Board Update

Received: Tue 5/5/2009 from R. Springer, current Board Pres.

Dear Geology Advisory Board:

I greatly enjoyed visiting with you at our last meeting in Waco, and I am excited that we are rallying together in support of the Department of Geology at Baylor. Since our last meeting, I have been in communication with Dr. Steve Driese (Chair of Geology) and Eric Abercrombie (Geology’s Development representative), and I wanted to share with you some of the ideas we have to make our Board more successful.

At our next meeting later this fall (Homecoming 2009), my hope is to do the following:
Agree upon a mission statement -- with the help of Steve and Eric, I’ll have a draft for us to review/fine-tune at the meeting
Discuss Board membership and responsibilities
Determine our goals, both short-term and long term
Outline action steps that each of us can take to help reach our goals

If you have any other items we should place on the agenda, please send them to me and I’ll be sure to include them in our business meeting.

In addition, I ask that we join together in support of the Geology Resource Endowment Fund. As we discussed when we last met, this fund was established in 1998 by the Geology Advisory Board to assist the department in providing essential resources to faculty and students, but it is significantly under-funded.

The initial goal of the fund was to bring it to $150,000, distributing to the department roughly $7,500 annually to support this need. Currently, the fund is sitting at $26,000, but if we come together we can get it up to the original goal within the next few years. This fund helps to provide online periodicals, scientific journals, reports and bulletins that are needed to keep the Geology Department up to date in the latest research and development.

I have personally committed myself to financially supporting this fund, along with Steve Driese, and I ask that you join me in doing the same. To make a gift and/or pledge, you can do so by going to www.baylor.edu/give and typing in “Geology Resource Endowment” in the search field. If you’re already connected to the internet when reading this, you can simply click on this link: Geology Resource Fund.

All gifts made to this fund are tax deductible, and if you have a company match, please be sure to use that benefit! If you have any questions, please contact Eric at Eric_Abercrombie@baylor.edu or 254-640-9641.

I also ask that we think of those we know who would join us in support of this fund. If you are comfortable approaching those individuals to ask for their help, great! If not, please help Eric in making the initial contact with them.

I’m sure you will agree that Baylor’s Geology Department has a special place in our hearts, and I want to personally say thank you for giving of your time and resources. Although we have a lot of work ahead of us, the journey together will be fun.

Robert H. Springer, PG
Senior Staff Geologist
Encore Acquisition Co.

Dr. Driese's Response:

Dear Geology Advisory Board (cc: Geology Faculty, and Students):

I support Robert Springer’s letter and ask your continued support of the Department through your financial contributions as well as your participation in the life of the Geology Department through attendance at Board meetings and BGS Field Trips. To tempt you further, please see the attached information concerning the first distinguished lecture this fall in honor of OT Hayward, as well as a spring field trip with a geomorphology theme that will also be held in honor of Dr. Hayward. I hope that you can participate in these upcoming events!

Steve Driese

Professor and Chair
Department of Geology
Baylor University
One Bear Place #97354
Waco, TX 76798-7354