Daniel Phelps wins Paleontological Society award

Daniel Phelps of Lexington, Kentucky, is the recipient if the 2021 Strimple Award of the Paleontological Society, an international nonprofit organization devoted exclusively to the advancement of the science of paleontology. The Strimple Award recognizes outstanding achievement in paleontology by someone who does not make a living full-time from paleontology. Contributions may be an outstanding record of research and publication, making outstanding collections, safeguarding unique paleontological materials through public service, teaching activities in the area of paleontology, and collaborations with others working in paleontology. The award will be given online as part of the Geological Society of America annual meeting in Portland, Oregon on October 12.*

The Paleontological Society is the world’s leading scientific organization for studying invertebrate and vertebrate paleontology, micropaleontology, and paleobotany. The Society has membership in 40 countries and consists of professional paleontologists, academicians, science editors, earth-science teachers, museum specialists, and undergraduate and graduate students and postdoctoral scholars, as well as avocational paleontologists.

Daniel Phelps is well known to readers of PT. He is President and founder of the Kentucky Paleontological Society. He is a retired environmental geologist for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. He has also taught geology part-time in Kentucky’s Community College system and once worked for a major petroleum company’s Plano, Texas, research center. Dan is also Vice-President of Kentuckians for Science Education. He was a major participant in the documentary “We Believe in Dinosaurs,” which aired on PBS’s series Independent Lens in February, 2020 (see, for example, here and here).

* Full disclosure: based almost entirely on a press release.