UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Mark Patzkowsky, professor of geosciences in Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, has been elected a 2019 fellow of the Geological Society of America. He was recognized as a newly elected Fellow during the society’s annual meeting in Phoenix earlier this fall.

Being elected as a fellow is an honor given “in recognition of a sustained record of distinguished contributions to the geosciences and the Geological Society of America through such avenues as publications, applied research, teaching, administration of geological programs, contributing to the public awareness of geology, leadership of professional organizations, and taking on editorial, bibliographic and library responsibilities.”

Patzkowsky was selected for “advancing of the field of paleobiology by establishing ground rules for rigorous interpretation of the field and database paleontological record and applying them to further our understanding of extinction, radiation, function and habitability of the whole ecosystem in deep time.”

Patzkowsky uses field data and quantitative methods to address a wide range of questions in stratigraphic paleobiology and evolutionary paleoecology. Currently, he seeks to link paleoecology with phylogenetics to understand the ecological and evolutionary consequences of diversification and mass extinction.

Patzkowsky was also elected a fellow of the Paleontological Society in 2014, and he received the Distinguished Service Award in 2011.  Patzkowsky won the Palaeontological Association’s Best Paper Award in 2015. He is currently the editor-in-chief of the journal Paleobiology.

Patzkowsky joined the Penn State faculty in 1992. He presently serves as the associate head of the graduate programs and research in Department of Geosciences.

Patzkowsky received his bachelor’s degree in geology from Kansas State University, his master’s degree in geology from Indiana University and his doctorate in geophysical sciences from the University of Chicago.