Published July 11, 2022
By Christine Reed
Dario Grana, a professor and Wyoming Excellence Chair in the University of Wyoming Department of Geology and Geophysics, will receive the Outstanding Educator Award from the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG).
The Outstanding Educator Award honors individuals for excellence in geophysics education and is awarded to a person who merits such recognition based on his or her educational qualities and contributions. These may include outstanding contributions in teaching of geophysics classes at any educational level; impact on education programs by commitment to excellence in geophysics education; special dedication to advising, supervising and mentoring students; and providing extraordinary inspiration to the next generation of geophysics professionals.
The awards ceremony will take place Aug. 30 in Houston, Texas, during the International Meeting for Applied Geoscience and Energy organized by SEG, a global not-for-profit organization with a mission of connecting the world of applied geophysics. The Outstanding Educator Award is one of 17 various awards that will be handed out at the event.
“It is a great honor to receive this award, especially because the nomination came from a group of students, alumni and colleagues. Without my former and current graduate students, I would have not reached the scientific results that my research group obtained in the last 10 years,” says Grana, who adds he may be unable to attend the awards ceremony because he is caring for his ailing mother. “Following my students’ career paths during and after graduate school and witnessing their success in their current careers -- in academia or in the private sector -- are some of the biggest satisfactions in my job.”
Grana has been an associate editor of GEOPHYSICS, a journal of SEG. His work includes studies on rock physics, seismic inversion, geostatistics and reservoir characterization.
Grana has taught a wide range of geophysics topics at UW as well as industry courses with the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers, the Brazilian Geophysical Society, Eni and Hess Corp. He has supervised 10 graduate students, published approximately 70 peer-reviewed papers and delivered many technical presentations.
“Dr. Grana’s contributions to teaching geophysics across the undergraduate and graduate levels; quality in geophysics education; commitment to advising and mentoring; and exceptional dedication to diversity, equity and inclusion efforts make him a truly inspiring figure,” one nominator wrote. “His efforts have contributed not only to the advancing of geophysics within our department and on our campus, but also in the broader scientific community.”
“It is extremely rewarding to be seen as an inspiration by my students, in the same way I was inspired by my mentors when I was a student,” Grana says. “If I look at the list of previous winners, I feel extremely honored and humbled to read my name next to the names of great scientists, teachers and communicators.”