Charles G. Groat
Dr. Charles G. Groat served as the 13th Director of the United States Geological Survey from 1998 to 2005.
As the 13th director of the USGS, Dr. Groat continued efforts to raise the USGS profile and increase its funding, outreach, and partnerships. Dr. Groat introduced the slogan "One mission, one bureau" to link the agency's principal research areas of the environment, natural hazards, natural resources, and information management. He promoted USGS activities that would integrate Earth and biological systems research, develop a national real-time hazard warning system, eliminate conflicts between business practices and operations, improve interactions with customers and partners, improve managerial efficiency and effectiveness.
Prior to being named USGS Director, Groat had over 25 years of direct involvement in geological studies, energy and minerals resource assessment, groundwater occurrence and protection, geomorphic processes and landform evolution in desert areas, and coastal studies. From May to November 1998, he served as Associate Vice President for Research and Sponsored Projects at the University of Texas at El Paso, following three years as Director of the Center for Environmental Resource Management. He was also Director of the university's Environmental Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program and a Professor of Geological Sciences.
Prior to joining the University of Texas, Dr. Groat served as Executive Director (1992-95) at the Center for Coastal, Energy, and Environmental Resources, at Louisiana State University. He was also Executive Director for the American Geological Institute (1990-92). From 1983-88, Dr. Grout served as assistant to the Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources, where he administered the Coastal Zone Management Program, and the Coastal Protection Program.
From 1978 to1990, Dr. Groat held positions at Louisiana State University and the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources which included serving as a professor in the Department of Geology and Geophysics, and as Director and State Geologist for the Louisiana Geological Survey. He also served as associate professor (1976-78) at the University of Texas at Austin, in the Department of Geological Sciences, and as Associate Director and Acting Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology.
Dr. Groat received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Geology from the University of Rochester, a Master of Science in Geology from the University of Massachusetts, and a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin.
Among his many professional affiliations, Groat is a member of the Geological Society of America, American Association for the Advancement of Science, American Geophysical Union, and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists. He also served on over a dozen earth science boards and committees and authored or contributed to numerous publications and articles on major issues involving earth resources and the environment.