Muslim Installed as
Chairman of GSA’s Engineering Geology Division
Syed Eqbal Hasan, PhD, Professor and Chair
of the Geosciences Department, University of Missouri-Kansas
City (UMKC), was installed as chairman of the GSA’s
Engineering Geology Division at the 118th annual meeting
of the Geological Society of America (GSA) held from October
22 – 25, 2006 in Philadelphia.
As chairman, Hasan was charged with the task of celebrating
the Division’s 60th anniversary. The Division was
established in 1947 and is the oldest of the 16 specialty
divisions within the GSA.
Professor Hasan presented the preliminary results of his
March 2005 visit to Nile River islands near Assiut, Egypt,
where he and researchers from Assiut University attempted
to learn if there was a relationship between health problems
and the geological environment of the islands. Early reports
indicate the presence of heavy toxic metals in the soil
and wheat crop of the islands. Understanding this issue
would enable the Egyptian government to find ways to remedy
the problem. A National Science Foundation grant proposal,
to research the issue further, is planned.
The annual meetings of the GSA are the largest gathering
of geo-science professionals around the globe. This year’s
meeting theme was “The Pursuit of Science: Building
on a Foundation of Discovery,” which commemorated
the 300th anniversary of Benjamin Franklin’s birth.
The University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC), one of four
University of Missouri campuses, is a public university
serving more than 14,000 undergraduate, graduate and professional
students. UMKC engages with the community and economy based
on a three-part mission: visual and performing arts, health
sciences, and urban affairs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
