AEGSF is sad to announce the passing of longtime member John Williams

It is with a sad heart that AEG announces the passing in early July of one of our strongest supporters and AEG Association Past President, Dr. John W. Williams.

Dr. Williams was an active AEG member of the San Francisco Section/Chapter, professor of engineering geology and Department Chair at San Jose State University (1976 – 2010), and former AEG National President (1988). Dr. Williams also served as the Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) President and a founding Officer and President of the Engineering Geology Foundation (1996), now the AEG Foundation.

Additional information on Dr. Williams will be shared during our Annual Meeting in San Antonio and future issues of the AEG News and EEG Journal.

Memorial Donation for John Williams

To honor John Williams’ service to our profession, AEG, and the AEG Foundation, John’s wife has requested in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the AEG Foundation. The intent of the donations would be to fund existing scholarships for geology students.  

You can use this link https://www.aegfoundation.org/donate/index.php to donate on the AEG’s Foundation page.  Go to the Greatest Need/Memorial Fund line, enter the “Gift Amount.”  Check the “anonymous” box if you wish to be anonymous to the public.  At the “frequency” box select your desired frequency.  In the “Made in Memory/Honor of” box, enter John Williams.  Then, provide your payment information.

Short Course: May 20-21, 2021

New Technologies for Geotechnical Infrastructure Sensing and Monitoring
presented by the UC Berkeley Faculty of the Geosystems Group

The course will provide a review of some of the latest technologies that are about to, or are already impacting the way we design, maintain, or operate geo-infrastructure and the way we manage risk. Technologies to be discussed are sensor-equipped Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (or drones), 3D model creation using optical (Structure-from-Motion) and LiDAR, infrared sensing, Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), wireless sensing fundamentals, ShapeArray Accelerometers and distributed sensing using fiber optics.

The instructors (pictured below) have significant expertise in the technologies presented and will outline the principles of operation and the advantages and disadvantages, as well as share examples of projects where these technologies have been successfully implemented.

Due to COVID, the course will be offered online, but is accommodating participants in all time zones by making the recorded lectures available online for two weeks following the completion of the course, as well as arranging “office hours” even a week after the “live” short course.

More information, and registration for this course can be found here: https://www.geoengfdn.org

Soil Stratigraphy – Online Short Course Now Available

Glenn Borchardt’s popular “Soil Stratigraphy for Trench Logging” has been adapted to become an online course. This course contains an updated version of the lecture portion of the course he been giving for AEG for many years.

This course is great for students and young professionals looking to learn how to log and describe soils, and also a good refresher for soil scientists and archeologists wanting to improve their skills in describing soils and evaluating their features.

Course Description & Outline

Students will learn how to improve their trench and outcrop logs and descriptions of soils uncovered during geologic hazard investigations for development sites. It comprises six abundantly illustrated lectures: 

1. Soil Science Theory: CTPOT, the factors of soil formation

2. The ABC’s of Soils: Recognizing soil horizons and soil features

3. Preparing excellent trench logs

4. Pedochronology: Bookkeeping for the ages

5. Laboratory methods for pedochronology

6. Soil Tectonics: What faults do to soils; what soils do to faults

For More Information and To Register

Prospective students can see the introductory video at: https://go.glennborchardt.com/Soils-Course-Introduction

Students can get some freebie pdfs and learn more about the course at:

https://go.glennborchardt.com/SSFTL-COURSE

The cost is $250 and the first 30 members of AEG to purchase the course will receive a 10% discount (Coupon code: ssftl20). The first 30 college students will receive a 20% discount (Coupon code: ssftlstud). Upon successful completion, Continuing Education certificates will be available. Join AEG at: https://www.aegweb.org/