Executive Message

Happy December Everyone!

I sit here writing the December CSEG Executive message, and am reflecting on the long-range planning (LRP) meeting that happened back in early June. John Townsley and Jon Downton decided that it was time for the CSEG Executive, staff and Standing Committee Chairs to re-examine our common goals and come up with a plan on how to bring us to the next level.

Interestingly, many of the ideas generated revolve around the Communications Portfolio and spoke to how we should be positioning ourselves going forward to actively engage our membership. Thus! Here are some changes and directions that will be (or have already been) implemented following the LRP meeting.

Larry Lines has spearheaded bringing back the Canadian Journal of Exploration Geophysics (CJEG) to give our academics a much needed peer-reviewed journal. The CJEG will be a strictly online journal, and will be available to all members of the CSEG starting June 2011. If you wish to submit a paper for this new version of the CSEG, or would like more information, please contact co-Editors Larry Lines (lrlines@ucalgary.ca) or Satinder Chopra (schopra@arcis.com).

Speaking of publications, there are several changes that have happened with the RECORDER, effective September 2010.

You will have seen two new features in the magazine that are intended to interest our members. The CSEG Foundation (via Helen Isaac) will be submitting a regular Outreach report that will highlight activities at our Canadian universities and by our newer members. At the other end of the experience spectrum, the Chief Geophysicists Forum (via Marian Hanna) will be reporting on their initiatives and challenges. (Quick thanks to the RECORDER Crew for all of your hard work… and to Satinder who feeds Cheran and me cookies at the monthly meetings.)

A longer-range goal for the RECORDER is to make it an electronic magazine within 2-5 years. Corey Hooge (our CSEG Webmaster) has been investigating software packages, and the Communications Portfolio is making this one of our priorities. Ideally, we would like to have this fully implemented by 2012. (Another quick thanks to Corey for all of his work in improving the online functionality of the CSEG website, and his help in getting the CJEG resurrected.)

In all, changes are happening, and change has to occur to move the CSEG forward.

I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season, and take time to enjoy family and friends. All my best.