In memorium: Dennis Trombatore

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With deepest grief I write to let you know that Dennis Trombatore, husband, friend, colleague, philosopher, artist, and lover of life, died peacefully Sat., July 18th, 2020 after a long illness.  

Dennis Trombatore was born on Aug. 26, 1952 in Killeen, Texas to Marianne Trombatore and Sam Trombatore, who were stationed at Ft. Hood.  He grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he attended St. Aloysius School and soon-to-be-renamed Lee High, graduating in 1970.  He went to LSU, graduating with a BA in Philosophy in 1975 and an MLS in 1977.  He lived in New Orleans and worked at Loyola Library from 1977 to 1980. In 1980 he married Kathryn Dinstuhl; they divorced in 1994. He moved to Athens, GA in 1980 to work in the Science Library of the University of Georgia. In 1985 he accepted the position of Head of the Walter Geology Library at the University of Texas Libraries in Austin, where he was honored to receive several staff excellence awards through the years.  He made Austin his happy home and worked tirelessly for his second family in the Jackson School of Geosciences until his death on June 18th, 2020 from complications of recurrent prostate cancer.  

Throughout his life, Dennis had a great love for geology and for handcrafts, particularly pottery, which he discovered in college.  He was never happier than when in the studio or on a field trip.  He belonged to the Austin Geological Society, the Geoscience Information Society, and the National Council of Educators in the Ceramic Arts for many years.  He was a stalwart contributor to the Austin Empty Bowl Project (well over two thousand of his bowls are in use around the city), and a life-long supporter of arts education and higher education. 

In 2004, after a long courtship that began with love at first sight, he married Shiela. Shiela was his beacon in a lonely world and his only regret was to leave her so soon.   Dennis was extraordinarily generous and an original polymath. He is loved and survived by his mother Marianne, his wife Shiela & her family, and friends too numerous to name.

Thanks to the staff and nurses at Austin Cancer Center, especially Dr. Shimkus, Dr. Stephen L. Brown, and Dr. Michael Trotter, Dr. Scott Moore, Dr. Marroquin for their care and support over many years.  Thanks also to Nurse Courtney McCoy and her team at the Journey of Life hospice center for their care and support in Dennis’s final days.  

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be directed to an excellence fund established in Dennis’s name: https://utdirect.utexas.edu/apps/utgiving/online/nlogon/?menu1=JS** earlier this year, or to the Penland School of Crafts in North Carolina: https://penland.org/support-penland/ways-to-give/ .  [Written (mostly) by Dennis, posted by Shiela]

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In memorium: Edmund Gerald Wermund

Edmund Gerald Wermund Jr. Ph.D, “Jerry” as he was known to his friends and family, passed away on July 15, 2020 at age 94 in Austin, Texas after a short illness from complications of Covid-19.



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Jerry was born on April 15, 1926 to Edmund and Margaret (nee: Massey) Wermund in Arlington, New Jersey. After graduating from Port Chester High School - during World War II – he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. As part of his Naval training, and after his tour of duty, he was enrolled at Franklin and Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa., receiving his Bachelor’s degree in geology in 1948. Jerry was attending Graduate School at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. when he was called to another tour of duty during the Korean War. He served in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Fort Belvoir, Va. where he helped develop training manuals for Army engineers in principles of geology. After being discharged from the Army, Jerry enrolled in the graduate geology program at L.S.U in Baton Rouge, La. where he began his chief professional focus on the geology of the Gulf Coast Region. He obtained his Ph.D in geology in 1961.

Dr. Wermund was employed from 1957-1970 by Mobil Research and Development Corp. in Dallas, Tx., where he researched petroleum and mineral exploration in the Gulf. From 1970-1971 he worked as technical manager at Remote Sensing Incorporated in Houston, Tx., where he was the consultant to the United Nations Transport Saharan Highway Project. In 1971, Jerry accepted a position at the Bureau of Economic Geology at The University of Texas at Austin where he worked for 27 years. He became the Bureau’s Associate Director and Director of the Bureau’s Land Resource Laboratory. He specialized in remote sensing and surface/ subsurface geological mapping to assess petroleum resources both onshore and offshore. Jerry served on many geological panels and commissions for The University of Texas, as well as Texas State agencies and several programs for the U.S. Department of Interior. Jerry received several lifetime achievement awards for dedication and service including a resolution from the Texas Mapping Advisory Committee. For two decades Jerry served the Gulf Coast professional community through his work with Austin Geological Society, where he served as President and Vice President and received a distinguished service award.

During his career, Jerry authored many articles for various geological journals under the name E.G. Wermund. Since his retirement in 1998, he volunteered as a docent for the Austin Children’s Museum where he discovered his love of explaining geology and earth resources to youthful audiences. Since then, Jerry published four scholastic children's books about geology; “EarthScapes” (2003), “The World According to Rock” (2005), “Focus on Minerals” (2007), “Soil: More Than Just Dirt” (2009). Jerry was predeceased by his wife Susan Jo (nee: Bentley) in 1995, his son Dirk Wermund of Dallas in 2016, his brother Jay Wermund of North Plainfield, NJ in 1971, and sister Lois Graf of Port Jervis, NY in 2016.

Jerry is survived by his son Edmund G. Wermund III of Austin, his ex-wife Carolyn (nee: McComsey) Murphy of Austin, his nieces and nephews Chris (Betty) Wermund, Mark (Sara) Wermund, Tim (Becca) Wermund of Austin, Henry (Sharon) Graf, Michael Graf, Kathie (Tom) Wrublewski, and Ellen Graf, and great nieces and nephews Ben, Jason, Tirza, Trevor, P.J., Henry, Matthew, Amanda, Jennifer, Diane, Jonathan, Ian and Maximillian.

Due to the Covid-19 crisis, Jerry’s family is mourning his passing privately, but plan to host a ‘Celebration of Life’ in his honor in 2021. Please make a contribution to the American Cancer Association, if you would like to make a donation to a charity in his name.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.cookwaldenforestoaks.com for the Wermund family.

Letter to AGS Members on Diversity and Inclusion

Dear AGS,

The executive committee met recently with members to discuss diversity and inclusion (D&I) within our organization identify actions we can take to increase and diversify membership and evolve as a scientific community. The Geological Society of America issued a position statement on diversity and inclusion in 2010, revised in 2013 and 2016, that offers suggestions for fostering a diverse and inclusive geoscience community. The executive committee is supportive of this position statement, and hope that members of the Austin Geological Society will reflect on how our organization and each of us as individuals can contribute to positive progress. Some of these recommendations include:

• Austin Geological Society members should seek opportunities to effectively communicate the value of a diverse workforce and recommend the implementation of suitable diversity practices to all levels of government, private industry, and academia. Members are encouraged to work with print, electronic, and broadcast media to promote the value of rational approaches for addressing critical diversity issues. Members who participate in diversity issues are encouraged to share their experiences at society meetings, and if possible provide local examples where these practices have been successful.

• Austin Geological Society members should seek opportunities to effectively communicate the value of a diverse workforce and of implementing suitable diversity practices to community groups. The public must be able to respond in an informed manner to diversity decision‐making; thus, a growing need exists for the public to be educated about the value of diversity.

• Austin Geological Society members should participate in professional forums, town hall and other civic meetings for open community discussions on the importance of a diverse workforce and of implementing suitable diversity practices. Discussions should emphasize the value of rational information for diversity and its sustainability outcomes.

• Austin Geological Society should support geoscientists’ communications with decision makers regarding the value of a diverse workforce and of implementing suitable diversity practices. AGS should seek expertise and advice that can help members participate in diversity policy decisions by creating talking points on common diversity problems and by providing examples of how they can participate in diversity decisions by becoming members of relevant decision‐making bodies. AGS and its members should work toward identifying local and regional issues that affect diversity and action that could help improve the rational basis for diversity decisions. AGS and its members can also bring the GSA Position Statement to the attention of lawmakers when legislation affects diversity.

• Austin Geological Society should work towards raising awareness of diversity issues by identifying published articles on the links between diversity and geoscience planning and management decisions.

• Austin Geological Society and its members should draw upon the rich diversity of other geological societies and the earth-science community as a resource for individuals when selecting organizing committees, invited speakers, and nominees for offices and awards.

The executive committee has discussed some ideas for immediate action, including establishing a Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) chaired position. We welcome membership participation on this new committee. We also welcome any constructive and proactive ideas that will help AGS address this important and vital concern for the continued growth of our membership and scientific community.