UW’s Grana Receives Prestigious Award from Society of Exploration Geophysicists

The University of Wyoming’s Dario Grana has been awarded the Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ (SEG) Virgil Kauffman Gold Medal. Grana is a School of Energy Resources professor of geology and geophysics, Wyoming Excellence Chair of Geology and Geophysics, and Nielson Faculty Fellow.

SEG is an international nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing applied geophysics through networking, education, promoting collaboration and publication opportunities. Applied geophysics as a field aims to ensure “sustainable, affordable and reliable access to Earth resources,” and SEG boasts a multi-industry global membership dedicated to this goal.

The Virgil Kauffman Gold Medal “is bestowed to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to the advancement of the science of geophysical exploration,” according to the SEG website.

The SEG Honors and Awards Committee recognized Grana “for his groundbreaking contributions to Bayesian inversion, statistical learning and probabilistic rock physics. His work has advanced the fundamental science of geophysical exploration while delivering practical methodologies widely applicable to industry challenges.”

This award is given specifically for work done within the last five years. The committee noted that Grana’s contributions “are distinguished by their breadth, depth and relevance, particularly in areas critical to the evolving energy landscape, including carbon sequestration and the energy transition.”

Grana has received multiple awards this year, including the UW John P. Ellbogen Meritorious Teaching Award and the UW Presidential Scholarly Achievement Award. The Virgil Kauffman Gold Medal, however, brings recognition from an elite international community in Grana’s field of expertise.

Grana says the award “represents a lifetime of achievement. When I look at the names of the previous recipients, it is hard to believe that I belong to such an extraordinary group of geophysicists.”

“This award is not mine alone,” he says. “It belongs to the entire research group, especially my graduate students and postdocs, whose hard work and contributions made this possible. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues at UW, my collaborators around the world and my family for their constant support. I look forward to sharing this moment with all of them.”

Grana will be formally recognized during the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy in Houston Aug. 18.

For more information about SEG, visit https://seg.org/.