Awards & Scholarships

Richard B. Berg

Richard B. Berg (SME)

AIME Hal Williams Hardinge Award* in
2008

For exceptional breadth of expertise in clay, talc/chlorite, barite, and gemstones plus teaching, mineral museum curation, extensive geologic mapping, editing of numerous guidebooks and compilations, and service to local and national organizations.

Dick Berg earned a B.S. in geology at Beloit College in 1959 and a Ph.D. in geology at the University of Montana in 1964. After teaching geology for two years at the State University College at Plattsburgh, N.Y., he joined the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology in 1966. While at the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology he has published reports and articles on bentonite, common clays, building and decorative stone, talc, chlorite, barite, zeolites, vermiculite, and sapphires. During a year as a visiting geologist at the Illinois Geological Survey he published a report on tripoli in southern Illinois. In recent years he has authored or coauthored 19 geologic maps covering areas in central and western Montana as well serving as technical editor of a several publications. His current research interests are gravels in the Cut Bank – Choteau area and the alluvial sapphire deposits of southwestern Montana. Dick has carefully avoided administrative obligations in favor of field studies. Currently he is a Senior Research Geologist and Curator of the Mineral Museum.

 

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