Lawrence professor honored for geoscience

APPLETON - A Lawrence University professor is being recognized for her contributions to geology.

Marcia Bjornerud has been named the 2011 Outstanding Educator by the Association for Women Geoscientists . The university says the award, which has been presented annually since 1988, honors college teachers whose contributions include encouraging women to pursue careers in geoscience, providing field and laboratory experience and serving as a positive role model. Other factors include professional contributions to geology, involvement with professional societies and participation in science education programs in their community.

“This award is especially meaningful because so many current and former Lawrence students — both women and men — worked together to nominate me,” Bjornerud said in a news release.

A professor at Lawrence since 1995, Bjornerud has served as the director of Lawrence’s environmental studies program. She has also participated in community science outreach programs for elementary and middle school programs in the Fox Valley. She is also the author of the science textbook “The Blue Planet” and the 2005 book “Reading the Rocks: The Autobiography of the Earth.”

Bjornerud will be recognized Monday at the national meeting of the Geological Society of America in Minneapolis.