James C. Cobb Biography, Kentucky Geological Survey

Title: State Geologist and Director

Address:
Kentucky Geological Survey
504 Rose Street
228 Mining and Mineral Resources Bldg.
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0107

Phone: 859-323-0559
Fax: 859.257.1147
E-mail: cobb@uky.edu

Joined KGS in 1980.

Education:

1971, B.S., Geology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill.
1975, M.S., Geology, Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Ky.
1981, Ph.D., Geology, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill.

Responsibilities:

As State Geologist and Director of the Survey, I make decisions concerning the Survey's mission, objectives, research direction, and new initiatives, and also serve as an advisor to State and Federal government on a variety of geology, land, mineral and water issues. I manage a budget of $6.5 million from State and outside agencies for a broad program in the geological sciences, including energy, ground water, minerals, geospatial analysis, and geologic hazards. The Survey has a staff of 80 persons in scientific, engineering, technical, and support positions.

Professional Experience

State Geologist and Director, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, 1999 - present.
Assistant State Geologist for Research, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, 1990-1999.
Head, Coal and Minerals Section, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, 1982-1989.
Geologist, Coal Section, Kentucky Geological Survey, University of Kentucky, 1980-1982.
Research Associate, Coal Section, Illinois State Geological Survey, 1976-1980.
Consultant, Beirut Lebanon, Foster and Associates, 1974-1975
Research Assistant, Illinois State Geological Survey, 1971- 1974
Technical Assistant, Illinois State Geological Survey, 1969- 1971

Honors and Awards

Outstanding Kentucky Geologist Award, AIPG Kentucky Section, 2000
Gordon H. Wood, Jr. Memorial Award, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, Eastern Section, 1998
Distinguished Service Award, Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists, 1997
John W. Foster Memorial Lecturer in Geohydrology, Illinois State University, 1997
Donald C. Haney Outstanding Alumnus Award, Eastern Kentucky University, 1995
AGI Certificate for Outstanding Service, 1994
Distinguished Service Award, Geological Society of America, 1993
Best Paper Award, AAPG Eastern Section, 1992
Best Paper Award, AAPG Eastern Section, 1988
Fellow, Geological Society of America, 1984

Extramural Activities

Treasurer, American Geological Institute, 2005-2007.
National Academy of Science, National Research Council, coal study, 2006-2007.
Eastern Energy Program Review, US Geological Survey, 2006.
American Geologic Institute Executive Committee, 2005-2008.
Testimony, STATEMAP Reauthorization, US Senate Subcommittee Hearing, 2004.
Historian, Association of American State Geologists, 2002 - present.
Kentucky Board of Registration for Professional Geologists, 1999 – present.
Delaware Geological Survey program review 2004.
U.S. Geological Survey STATEMAP Review Panel 2003-2005.
U.S. Geological Survey Energy Review 2002-2003.
National Research Council, Committee on Earth Resources, 2000-2003.
U.S. Geological Survey Energy Council 1999-2003.
Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists, President, 1996-1997.
University of Illinois Department of Geology Alumni Committee, 1996-1999.
AAPG, Energy Minerals Division, Eastern Counselor, 1994-1997.
American Geological Institute, Chairman, Geotimes Editorial Board, 1992-1996.
Kentucky Committee on Post-Mining Land Use, 1995.
Adjunct Associate Scientist, U.S. Geological Survey, 1987-1994.
UK Research and Graduate Studies United Way Campaign Chairman, 1993.
Geological Society of America, Coal Geology Division Chairman 1989.
Geological Society of Kentucky, 1980-1997.
Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists, 1997-present.

Professional Organizations:

Association of American State Geologists
American Association of Petroleum Geologists
Geological Society of America
Kentucky Society of Professional Geologists
Coalition of Kentucky Geoscience Departments
American Geological Institute (Editorial Board, 1992-1996)
Geological Society of America (Coal Geology Division Chairman, 1989)

Publications:

National Research Council, 2007, Coal Research and Development to Support Coal Policy, National Academy of Science, in press.
Cobb, J. C., Wang, L., Woolery, E.W., Wang, Z., and Wu, Z., 2007, Rolling across the Roof of the World, Geotimes Magazine, p. 25-27.
Cobb, J. C., 2006, Section on Appalachian coal: Encyclopedia of Appalachia, University of Tennessee Press, Knoxville, TN, pp 13-14.
Cobb, J. C., 2005, Chapter on Coal: World Book Encyclopedia, World Book Publishing, Chicago, Illinois.
Cobb, J.C., 2004, Testimony for the Senate Energy Subcommittee on the Value of Geologic Mapping, Congressional Record, July, 14, 4 pp.
Cobb, J.C., 2004, USGS National Seismic Hazards Mapping Program and States: De facto Setting Public Policy for States, A presentation to the USGS Science Earthquake Studies Advisory Committee, June 3, 2004, Memphis TN.
Cecil, C.B., Dulong, F.T., Harris, R.A., Cobb, J.C., Gluskoter, H.G., and Nugroho, H., 2003, Observations on Climate and Sediment Discharge in Tropical Rivers, Indonesia, in Cecil, C.B. and Edgar, N.T. eds., Climate Controls on Stratigraphy: Society for Sedimentary Geology Special Publication 77, p. 29–51.
Cobb, J.C., 2003, The geologic foundation of Kentucky: University of Kentucky Donovan Scholars, Lexington, KY, October, 9p.
Cobb, J.C., 2003, Presentation of the Louisville 30 x 60 minute geologic map: Tenth Annual Kentucky GIS Conference, Louisville, KY, August 20.
Cobb, J.C., 2003, Using geologic maps to mitigate geologic hazards in transportation planning: Conference on Geohazards in Transportation in the Appalachians, August 7.
Cobb, J.C., 2002, The value of geologic maps and the need for digitally vectorized data: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02-370, p. 3–6.
Cobb, J.C., and Currens, J.C., 2001, Karst: The stealthy hazard: Geotimes Magazine, v. 46, no.5, p. 14-17.
Weisenfluh, G.A., Cobb, J.C., Ferm, J.C., and Ruthven, C.L., 1997, Kentucky's coal industry: Historical trends and future opportunities: Kentucky Geological Survey, ser. 11, Information Circular 59, 9 p.

Recent Talk:

Cobb, J.C., 2007, Earthquake and Seismic Hazard Mitigation in Kentucky: Science and Public Policy, Invited Lecture, Lanzhou Institute of Seismology, Lanzhou, P.R.C., Nov. 9, 2007.
Cobb, J.C., 2007, Coal in Kentucky and Coal R&D to Support National Energy Policy in the U.S., Beijing International Coal Exposition; Beijing, P.R.C., Nov. 6, 2007.
Cobb, J.C., 2007, The 100th Anniversary of the Association of American State Geologists: 1908-2008, Programs with Abstracts, Geological Society of America Annual Meeting; Oct. 30, 2007.
Cobb, J.C., 2007, Coal Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy, Kentucky Energy Summit and 30th Anniversary of the Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research; Lexington, KY, Oct. 11, 2007.
Cobb, J.C., 2007, Coal Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy, American Association of Petroleum Geologists Eastern Section; DPA-EMD Luncheon; Lexington, KY, September 11, 2007.
Cobb, J.C., 2007, Coal Research and Development to Support National Energy Policy, Professional Engineers in Mining; Lexington, KY, Aug. 29, 2007.
National Research Council, 2007, Research and Development to Support Coal Policy, National Academy of Science Press, November 2007.