Mark Myers earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in geology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and his doctorate in geology from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks in 1994, specializing in sedimentology, clastic depositional environments, surface and subsurface sequence analysis, and sandstone petrography. Myers is an expert on North Slope sedimentary and petroleum geology, and spent his career working as an exploration geologist for oil and gas in Alaska. He has worked as a survey chief for field programs in the MacKenzie Delta (ARCO, 1985), Cook Inlet (State of Alaska/U.S. Geological Survey, 1997), and North Slope (ARCO, 1999), as well as a sedimentologist for 13 other North Slope field programs. He has formerly served as a president and board member of the Alaska Geological Society; a certified professional geologist with the American Institute of Professional Geologists; a certified petroleum geologist with the American Association of Petroleum Geologists; and a licensed geologist with the State of Alaska. Myers was also an officer in the Air Force Reserve from 1977 to 2003, and retired as a Lt. Colonel.

 

Before being tapped by Bush to head the USGS in 2006, Myers headed Alaska’s geological survey and the oil and gas division of the state’s natural resources department. He is the first USGS who hasn’t come from either academia or from within the agency in fifty years. Some observers expressed concerned over the nomination of an “oilman” to run the USGS, fearing the agency’s scientific mission would be cowed to oil and gas interests. However, Myers was among seven top Alaskan officials who resigned from their posts in 2005 in protest of Governor Frank Murkowski’s (R) concessions to oil interest in negations over a natural-gas pipeline from the North Slope. According to press reports, in his resignation letter, Myers wrote that “staying in this position would require me to compromise my values as to what is right, both legally and ethically, and what is in the interests of the state.”

 

Official Bio

Oilman tapped to head USGS (by Kris Christen, Environmental Science and Technology Online)

Bush to nominate new director for U.S. Geological Survey (Geotimes)