November 7, 2024
Each year, the New Mexico Geological Society (NMGS) awards an honorary membership to a member with a long record of productive research, impactful teaching and advising, or positive effects in the geoscience industries in New Mexico. This year’s honoree, nominated by several NMGS members from across the state, is Dr. Matthew Heizler, the New Mexico Bureau of Geology’s geochronologist emeritus. Over a 31-year geology career, Matt has contributed to research of nearly every stripe, in every corner of the state and beyond. He has worked on topics as varied as the age of lavas in the Jemez Mountains, jarosite mineralization in the Franklin Mountains, Paleoproterozoic structural deformation in the Manzano Mountains, minutiae of Paleogene stratigraphy in the San Juan Basin, neotectonics of the Great Plains, and the age of the Ogallala Formation. He has also tested, challenged, and improved techniques that are foundational to modern studies of our planet’s history, partly demonstrated by his 243 peer-reviewed publications, which have a total of at least 2,400 citations.
“The New Mexico Geological Society is such a wonderful organization for anyone interested in our state’s geology, from amateur geologists to students to professionals,” said Heizler. “It’s an honor to be included with so many that have previously received this award.”
Following a combined eight years as an argon geochronologist at SUNY-Albany and UCLA, Matt joined the New Mexico geological community in 1993 and never left. In the subsequent three decades, he was advisor to 21 graduate students and served on the committees of at least 19 additional graduate students. He has co-authored papers with researchers from every New Mexico geology degree-granting university. He’s been a fixture at NMGS Spring Meetings and Fall Field Conferences. In addition to his impressive scientific output, Matt has been generous with support for NMGS—especially its student members—the positive effects of which are too numerous to mention here.