Citation by Laura Ruhl-Whittle
Dr. Malcolm Siegel has been a dedicated leader of the Geology and Health Division’s board since 2017, serving as vice chair, chair for two terms, and currently as past chair. His ongoing commitment and contributions have been instrumental to the division’s mission, making him a deserving recipient of this award.
Throughout his time in leadership, Dr. Siegel has tirelessly worked on the division’s annual program, served on numerous committees (nominating, awards, program/JTPC), and chaired many technical sessions at the GSA Annual Connects Meetings. He has worked to help bring underrepresented communities and public health issues to the forefront through several technical sessions at GSA. Dr. Siegel also helped organize several short courses on Medical Geology at the GSA Annual Meeting. As chair, he kept the division running smoothly during the global pandemic and has worked tirelessly to promote the field of Geology and Health and ensure the success of the division. Dr. Siegel’s academic background includes a B.A. in Chemistry from Columbia University, a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences/Geochemistry from Harvard University, and a Master’s in Public Health/Epidemiology from the University of New Mexico. During his 30-year career at Sandia National Laboratories, he led research teams focused on environmental geochemistry, groundwater remediation, and drinking water treatment. He supported major initiatives like the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant Site, the Yucca Mountain Project, and programs addressing uranium mining and contaminated groundwater. He has authored over 65 scientific reports, book chapters, and peer-reviewed articles and is the senior editor of Practical Applications of Medical Geology. Beyond his service to the division, Dr. Siegel has made significant contributions to the broader community. He has collaborated with the UNM to evaluate a new treatment media for uranium-contaminated water, assessed geochemical data for the Bureau of Indian Affairs regarding a uranium processing plant’s environmental risk, and was part of a UNESCO mission to evaluate the safety of a proposed uranium mine in Africa. Dr. Siege’s numerous and enduring contributions have provided excellent leadership to the Division, ensuring its continued importance within GSA. We are honored to present him with the Geology and Health Division’s Meritorious Service Award.
Response by Malcolm Siegel
It wasn't until I was in my mid-50's that I discovered that I wanted to be a Medical Geologist when I grew up. My previous work at Sandia National Laboratories had dealt with environmental risk assessment and remediation for different parts of the nuclear fuel cycle. However, midway through my career, I became interested in learning more about the health impacts of potential and historic releases of contaminants from waste sites. I was fortunate that Sandia Labs allowed me to pursue a graduate degree in Public Health/Epidemiology from the School of Medicine at the University of New Mexico while still working. After I retired from Sandia Labs in December 2011, I served on the adjunct faculty in the Department of Internal Medicine and the Department of Family and Community Medicine in the School of Medicine, University of New Mexico. At UNM, I taught courses to students, specializing in public health and epidemiology, the principles of environmental transport of contaminants.
I was fortunate to meet Dr. Robert Finkelman in 2013, and he has been a friend and mentor ever since. He introduced me to the Geology and Health Division of GSA. Together we have designed technical sessions for annual GSA meetings and served as co-editors for Practical Applications of Medical Geology, published by Springer International Publishing in 2021. With his encouragement, I designed short courses to show the connection between the geosciences and health sciences. In these courses, I provided geoscientists an overview of the principles of environmental epidemiology and toxicology that are relevant to studies of environmental contamination.
In many ways, the structure and logic in environmental transport and environmental epidemiology are similar. Both deal with collection of field data: in environmental science, these may be patterns of contaminant occurrence; in epidemiology, patterns of disease occurrence are examined. Formulating hypotheses of the origins of both kinds of patterns require rigorous geochemical and biochemical (toxicology) studies in model systems. Medical geology provides the framework to link these two domains.
I view exposure assessment as one important link, and I think that geoscientists can make valuable contributions in this area. Robust site-specific risk assessments for environmental contamination must account for both the origin and movement of contaminants, as well as the pathways of human exposure and proposed associated health outcomes. Accurate estimates of population exposures to contaminants can only be obtained by combining the insights from environmental studies with studies of the activities of target populations. Regulatory analysis should require the establishment of both geologic and biologic plausibility when assessing potential hazards—ensuring that proposed scenarios are grounded in sound scientific reasoning across disciplines.
I am honored to be the recipient of the 2025 Geology and Health Division Award for Meritorious Service. I have been privileged to work with my fellow Medical Geologists in the Geology and Health Division, and I look forward to continuing to support the Division in the future.