Dr. Ira D. Sasowsky, professor of geosciences in the Buchtel College of Arts and Sciences at UA, has been honored with the 2024 Outstanding Teacher Award from the Eastern Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (). This prestigious award recognizes his contributions to petroleum geology through research, teaching, mentorship, and service to the AAPG community.
Sasowsky, who has been with UA since 1995, specializes in karst and cave geology. His career has spanned roles in academia, research, and collaboration with major oil companies. He holds a B.S. in Geology from the University of Delaware and both an M.S. and Ph.D. from Penn State University. Throughout his career, Sasowsky has published over 76 papers, edited nine books on karst, and advised more than 50 graduate students. He also teaches a wide array of courses at UA, including Petroleum Geology and Groundwater Hydrology.
His dedication to education and petroleum geology is evident through his longstanding involvement with the AAPG, where he has served in numerous leadership roles and was a founding faculty advisor for the UA AAPG Student Chapter. In addition to his AAPG service, Sasowsky has received multiple honors, including the Distinguished Service Award from the Geological Society of America and the Science Award from the National Speleological Society.