Donald Ira Siegel (born October 24, 1947[1]) is the emeritusLaura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor in the department of Earth Science at Syracuse University.[2] He served as the president of the Geological Society of America from July 2019 until June 2020. Siegel is known for his work in wetland geochemistry and hydrogeology.
In 1982, he became an assistant professor at the College of Arts and Sciences at Syracuse University, becoming a full professor in 1992. Siegel was appointed department chair in 2013 and worked at Syracuse until his retirement in 2017.[7] He was also the Jessie Page Heroy Professor and a Meredith Professor of Teaching Excellence (2009).[8][9]
Research
While working as a USGS hydrologist, after making his early observations on deep groundwater deposits, Siegel discovered that groundwater flow regulates the diversity of habitats in the mires, world's largest wetlands. He also studied interaction of oil-spill organic matter with minerals in affected aquifers, interaction of this groundwater with wetlands, and the westernmost edge where acid rain was being deposited by coal-fired power plants.[10]
After joining the faculty at Syracuse, Siegel studied of how groundwater and deep saline waters passed through the Marcellus Shale millions of years ago to the present. Siegel's wetland research evolved into an examination of how groundwater flow and water quality influences greenhouse gas emissions in vast peat lands in northern Canada, Siberia, and northern Minnesota. His early study of groundwater contamination resulted in the closure of Staten Island's Fresh Kills Landfill.[10][11]
Siegel also investigated the use of similar forensic techniques to characterize fluids generated by hydraulic fracking and other unconventional gas and oil extraction in western China, Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York State.[10][12][13]
Siegel has said that hydrofracking benefits in New York state outweigh the environmental risks,[14] calling it a safe process.[15][16]
Chesapeake Energy Funding Controversy
In 2015, Siegel was involved in a conflict-of-interest controversy.[17][18][19] In a peer reviewed paper, Siegel came to a conclusion that natural-gas production using fracking wells had not contaminated groundwater in Pennsylvania and that methane in drinking water was unrelated to fracking.[20][21]
While fracking proponents praised the study, many environmental groups ethical violations and cited smaller sample size that had produced conflicting results. Despite Siegel's admission of private funding, he received intense backlash. Critics demanded that he be fired or retire from Syracuse University, and that an ethics investigation be launched by both SU and the journal. The university later found that Siegel was in compliance with University's internal disclosure policies.[24] In 2015, Siegel was called to testify before the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in Washington, D.C.[25][26][27]
Awards
The Hydrogeology Division of the Geological Society of America selected Siegel as the 1993 Birdsall Distinguished Lecturer in Hydrogeology.[1][28] He was elected and served as the 1995 Chairman of the Hydrogeology Division of the GSA.[5] He is a recipient of the Geological Society of American’s Distinguished Service Award.[10]
In 2010, Siegel was appointed chair of the Water Sciences & Technology Board for a three year term.[29] In 2012, Siegel was elected member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for "his distinguished service and pioneering contributions on the hydrogeology and biogeochemistry of wetlands and contaminant transport".[10][30] He was elected a fellow of the American Geophysical Union in 2013.[7]
