Carnegie Museum of Natural History is pleased to announce that George Harlow, PhD is the winner of the 2015 Carnegie Mineralogical Award. Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s Director Eric Dorfman will present the award to Harlow on February 13, 2016 during the Saturday night Awards Banquet at the Tucson Gem and Mineral Show. The Carnegie Mineralogical Award honors outstanding contributions in mineralogical preservation, conservation, and education and is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field of mineralogy.
“Dr. George Harlow has dedicated his career to furthering the science of Mineralogy and nurturing the mineral collection, exhibits and outreach programs of the American Museum of Natural History. I am very pleased to see him honored as the recipient of the 2015 Carnegie Mineralogical Award,” says Marc L. Wilson, Collection Manager and Head of the Section of Minerals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History.
Harlow has spent his entire career (38 years) at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City. He currently holds the position of Curator of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. His most recent concentration of academic research has been on the mineralogy, geology, and genesis of jadeite deposits in Mesoamerica. His previous research on the mineralogy of diamonds not only resulted in scholarly publications, but also led to a special traveling exhibit for the museum (The Nature of Diamonds) and an accompanying book. This major exhibition which opened at American Museum of Natural History in 1997 was extended to August 1998 and traveled to six other museums in the United States, Canada, and Japan.
Harlow is an active supporter of the science of mineralogy through an amalgam of outlets: publications, lectures, teaching, exhibit development, mentoring, and leadership in professional societies. He recently became the Vice President of the Mineralogical Society of America in 2016.
As a consistent leader in the advancement of collection computerization, Harlow has imaged and documented over 60,000 specimens at American Museum of Natural History for their new database and web presence that he is spearheading. Additionally, during his tenure, the collection has grown from 40,000 to approximately 116,000 specimens.
The Carnegie Mineralogical Award was established in 1987 by Carnegie Museum of Natural History and underwritten by Hillman Foundation. Previous recipients of the Carnegie Mineralogical Award include:
- 2014
- Bryon N. Brookmyer
- 2013
- Gloria A. Staebler
- 2012
- Dr. George W. Robinson
- 2011
- Dr. Jeffrey E. Post
- 2010
- The Rochester Mineralogical Symposium
- 2009
- Dr. Peter K.M. Megaw
- 2008
- Dr. Frank C. Hawthorne
- 2007
- Jeffrey A Scovil
- 2006
- Richard C. Whiteman
- 2005
- June Culp Zeitner
- 2004
- Dr. Joel A. Bartsch
- 2003
- Dr. Eugene S. Meieran
- 2002
- Dr. Terry C. Wallace, Jr.
- 2001
- Dr. Wendell E. Wilson
- 2000
- Dr. F. John Barlow
- 1999
- Sterling Hill Mining Museum
- 1998
- Robert W. Jones
- 1997
- Bryan K. Lees
- 1996
- Dr. Cornelis (Kase) Klein
- 1995
- Marie E. Huizing
- 1994
- The Mineralogical Record
- 1993
- Dr. Cornelius S. Hurlbut, Jr.
- 1992
- Dr. Carl A. Francis
- 1991
- Dr. Miguel A. Romero Sanchez
- 1990
- Paul E. Desautels
- 1989
- Dr. Frederick H. Pough
- 1988
- Dr. John Sinkankas
- 1987
- The Tucson Gem & Mineral Society
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2016 Carnegie Mineralogical Award. Private mineral enthusiasts and collectors, educators, curators, mineral clubs and societies, museums, universities, and publications are eligible. For a nomination form, go to http://www.carnegiemnh.org/minerals/award.html or contact by mail: Marc L. Wilson, Minerals and Gems, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213-4080, by phone at 412.622.3391, or by email at WilsonM@carnegiemnh.org.
