Scott F. Burns
Portland State University
For distinguished contributions to geology, soil science, terroir and wines, Sigma Xi, community organizations, teaching, mentoring, lifelong learning, and colleagues worldwide
Quote
"I am very excited to become a fellow of Sigma Xi—an organization that I love. I have made many friends over the 34 years of involvement on boards of Sigma Xi and Louisiana Tech and Columbia-Willamette Chapter. We reach out to students and encourage their research, award fellow scientists for their research, and have super lectures so we can learn from other disciplines. Many thanks!"
Biography
Scott F. Burns is a professor emeritus of geology at Portland State University where he just finished his 30th year of teaching.
He was also associate dean at PSU 1997-1999). He has been teaching for 50 years, with past positions in Switzerland, New Zealand, Washington, Colorado, and Louisiana.
Burns specializes in environmental (radon) and engineering geology (landslides), geomorphology, soils (terroir of wine), and Quaternary geology (Missoula Floods).
Burns has won many awards for outstanding teaching such as the Faculty Senate Chair Award at Louisiana Tech University in 1987, the Distinguished Faculty Award from the Portland State Alumni Association in 2001, and the George Hoffmann Award from PSU in 2007. He has authored over 100 publications and has had over 25 research grants. His most famous book, Cataclysms on the Columbia, the Great Missoula Floods came out in 2009. Burns has been the president of the Faculty Senate and chair of the department at three different universities. He actively helps local TV stations and new media bring important geological news to the public.
His BS and MS degrees are from Stanford University, plus a PhD in geology from the University of Colorado. He has memberships in over 20 professional organizations and is most active in the Association of Engineering Geologists, Geological Society of America, and Sigma Xi (34-year member). He was national president of the Association of Engineering Geologists from 2002-2003. For the past four years he has been president of the International Association of Engineering Geologists. He is a Fellow of the Geological Society of America (2004) and the Kellogg National Fellowship Program (1990–1993).
He has won some national awards in geology, including the distinguished practice award in engineering geology (GSA, 2012) and the “Outstanding Scientist for Oregon for 2014” from the Oregon Academy of Sciences.
He has been married for 46 years to Glenda, and they have three children and two grandchildren and live in Tualatin, Oregon.