2015 Carnegie Mineralogical Award – George Harlow
October 2016 Issue Table of Contents
George Harlow
The Carnegie Museum of Natural History (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA) is pleased to announce that Dr. George E. Harlow (American Museum of Natural History in New York City, USA) is the winner of the 2015 Carnegie Mineralogical Award. The award was presented by Eric Dorfman, Director of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, during the Saturday night Awards Banquet at the 2016 Tucson Gem and Mineral Show (Arizona, USA). The Carnegie Mineralogical Award honors outstanding contributions in mineralogical preservation, conservation, and education and is considered one of the most prestigious awards in the field of mineralogy.
In praise of Harlow’s achievements, Marc L. Wilson, Collection Manager and Head of the Section of Minerals at Carnegie Museum of Natural History, says, “Dr. George Harlow has dedicated his career to furthering the science of mineralogy and nurturing the mineral collection, exhibits, and outreach programs of the American Museum of Natural History. I am very pleased to see him honored as the recipient of the 2015 Carnegie Mineralogical Award.”
Harlow has spent his entire career (38 years) at the American Museum of Natural History. He currently holds the position of Curator of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences. His most recent concentration of academic research has been on the mineralogy, geology, and genesis of jadeite deposits in Mesoamerica. His previous research on the mineralogy of diamonds not only resulted in scholarly publications but also led to a special traveling exhibit for the museum (The Nature of Diamonds) and an accompanying book. This major exhibition opened at the American Museum of Natural History in 1997 and only closed in August 1998. It traveled to six other museums in the United States, Canada, and Japan.
Harlow is an active supporter of the science of mineralogy through an amalgam of outlets: publications, lectures, teaching, exhibit development, mentoring, and leadership in professional societies. He recently became the Vice President of the Mineralogical Society of America in 2016.
As a consistent leader in the advancement of collection computerization, Harlow has imaged and documented over 60,000 specimens at American Museum of Natural History for their new database and web presence, which he is spearheading. Additionally, during his tenure, the collection has grown from 40,000 to approximately 116,000 specimens.