Oct. 5, 2001

AUTHOR AND EXPLORER TIM SEVERIN TO SPEAK AT DINNER HONORING 2001 HEDBERG AWARD WINNER ROBERT WEIMER

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DALLAS (SMU) -- Robert J. Weimer, a geologist who has played a leading role in the search for oil and gas worldwide, will be the recipient of the 2001 Hollis D. Hedberg Award in Energy given by the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man at Southern Methodist University.

“Bob Weimer has not only done significant research in the energy field but has trained many students who have gone on to successful careers in the search for energy,” said James E. Brooks, president emeritus of the Institute for the Study of Earth and Man. “He also has been a leader in several professional societies, including the Geological Society of America and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.” Weimer has been a member of the geology faculty of the Colorado School of Mines since 1957.

Weimer will be honored with a dinner and reception Thursday, Nov. 8 at the Dallas Country Club. The featured speaker for the dinner will be author and explorer Tim Severin of County Cork, Ireland. Severin has written numerous books about his journeys retracing the historical travels of Marco Polo, Sinbad the Sailor and the Crusaders, among others. His most recent expedition, “In Search of Moby Dick: The Quest for the White Whale,” will be the subject of his lecture at this year’s Hedberg Award dinner.

Severin’s work appears regularly in National Geographic magazine, and his revisitations of historic travels have been the subject of award-winning documentary films and a major BBC documentary series.

The Hedberg Award is presented annually by ISEM to individuals who have made exceptional contributions to understanding the earth and its resources. The award pays tribute to the distinguished career of the late Hollis D. Hedberg, a geologist who made substantial contributions in such areas as paleontology, sedimentology, geophysics, the geology of source rocks, hydrocarbon exploration and the history of geology. Hedberg also played a key role in the nation’s deep ocean exploration program.

Proceeds from the Hedberg Award dinner support student research at SMU. For ticket information, call ISEM at 214-768-2425.