It is my pleasure and privilege to nominate Roger David Keen Thomas for the Pojeta Award of the Paleontological Society. I have known Roger for more than 30 years, in many different connections.
The Pojeta Award was established by the Society “to recognize exceptional professional or public service by individuals or groups in the field of paleontology above and beyond that of existing formal roles or responsibilities.” This description fits Roger so very well.
In addition his excellence in his “formal roles” as a researcher and especially undergraduate teacher, Roger has been a tireless servant of not just the Paleontological Society (for which he served as a member of Council from 1979–1986, Associate Editor of Paleobiology from 1982–1987, and—most notably—as Secretary from 2003–2009), but also to many other societies and journals in our field, including the International Palaeontological Association (Secretary-General, 2010–2014); AAAS (Section E, Committee Member, representing the PS, 1976–1987); AGI (Governing Board member 1981–1986); GSA (History of Geology Division, Chair, 2002–2003, Vice-chair, 2001–2002); SEPM (Associate Editor of Palaios, 1985–1996); Historical Biology (Associate Editor, 1994; Co-Editor, 1995–1999; Editor, 2000–2003); Paleontological Research (Editorial Board, 1995–2000); and the Paleontological Research Institution (Trustee, 2015–present). Roger is, in short, belongs to that small group of people without whom our profession would not function as it does.
For decades, he has given selflessly of his time and energy to the entities that promote research, publication, cooperation, and collaboration across the discipline nationally and internationally. And he has done this with a graciousness and good humor that have been indispensable to his success.
All paleontologists, and particularly those in the Paleontological Society, owe him a great debt of gratitude, which the Pojeta Award would go far to repaying.
September 22, 2019
