Distinguished Lecturer
The Distinguished Lecturer prepares a series of lectures preferably on a variety of subjects in the mathematical geosciences to be presented in places where IAMG Annual Meetings are not normally held.
Current Distinguished Lecturer (2026) – Professor Renguang Zuo
Professor Renguang Zuo received his B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the China University of Geosciences (CUG), Wuhan, China, in 2004 and 2009, respectively. He is currently a full professor at the State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, CUG. In 2014, he was a senior visiting fellow at the James Cook University, Australia.
His research focuses on big data analytics and machine learning-based mineral prospectivity mapping and geochemical anomalies identification. Dr. Zuo has published over 160 peer-reviewed journal papers, 6 books, and book chapters. He has served as the Gust Editor for 8 special issues in international high-quality journals. His publications have amassed over 9,000 citations (Google scholar) across a range of esteemed international journals. In 2023, Dr. Zuo was awarded the Gold Medal, which is the highest award by the Association of Applied Geochemists (AAG). In addition, he was the inaugural recipient of the Kharaka Award by the International Association for GeoChemistry in 2015. Meanwhile, He was recognized as the Elsevier highly cited Chinese scholar and the World’s Top 2% Scientist.
Dr. Zuo is the Vice President of AAG (2025-2026), and was a council of IAMG (2020-2024). He has received fellowships from AAG, Society of Economic Geologists, and Geological Society of London. He has been heavily involved in the editorial boards of many SCI-indexed journals, including Journal of Geochemical Exploration, Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis, Computers & Geosciences, Natural Resources Research, Ore Geology Reviews, and Journal of Earth Science.
E-mails: zrguang@cug.edu.cn; zrguang1981@126.com
Googel scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=zh-CN&user=8zvKIyAAAAAJ
Lecture 1: Data-knowledge dual-driven mineral prospectivity mapping
Mineral prospectivity mapping (MPM), as a computer-based approach to delineate target areas for a specific type of mineral deposits. MPM typically comprises knowledge-driven and data-driven models. Knowledge-driven MPM relies on expert knowledge, which is based on causal relationships but is not readily adaptable to dynamic changes. Data-driven MPM is capable of identifying underlying data patterns but involves poorly interpretable decision logic. This lecture will focus on the state-of-art big data analytics and AI in MPM to devise a data-knowledge dual-driven model coupling AI with a mineral systems approach to MPM.
Lecture 2: Big data analytics and AI-driven geochemical mapping
Geochemical mapping plays a crucial role in mineral exploration and environmental monitoring by providing insights into geological events and processes such as mineralization and environmental pollution. With the advent of the big data era, how to apply big data analytics and AI to mine geochemical exploration or environmental data from a variety of geological and environmental settings to extract subtle and complex geochemical anomalies associated with mineralization or pollution has become even more challenging. This lecture will focus on the state-of-art big data analytics and AI in geochemical mapping and document successful case studies.
Upcoming Distinguished Lecturer (2027) – Mohan Srivastava
Mo is an author of “An Introduction to Applied Geostatistics”, and of more than 50 technical articles on thetheory and practice of geostatistics. He has applied geostatistics to mineral deposits, petroleum reservoirs,environmental contamination, climate change, animal populations and epidemiology. He has taughtgeostatistics in public short courses and in several universities, most recently at the Universitat Politècnicade València. Outside of his day-job as a consultant, Mo “cracked the code” of an instant scratch lotterygame, allowing him to separate winners from losers without scratching anything off the face of the cards(www.wired.com/2011/01/cracking-the-scratch-lottery-code). He also finds time to write, and is the 2013winner of the Canada Writes Prize for Non-Fiction for his short story “The Gods of Scrabble”(www.cbc.ca/books/the-gods-of-scrabble-by-mo-srivastava-1.4112595). In 2016, Mo was chosen by theProfessional Geoscientists of Ontario as the inaugural recipient of their Award of Merit for significantcareer contributions to geosciences. He was chosen by the Society of Mining Engineers as the 2025recipient of the Harry Parker Award of Excellence for outstanding communication of geostatistical andspatial statistical concepts.
what CAN Mo talk about DURING HIS DISTINGUISHED LECTURER TRAVELING CIRCUS TOUR FOR THE IAMG?
Suggestions for the 2027 IAMG talks from a life spent in the backwaters and open plains of mathematical geosciences
Back before she became a charming adult, my oldest daughter once said to me, during a heated father-daughter argument, “Dad, do you know what your problem is?”
Me (trying to sound patient and reasonable): “No, please enlighten me. What is my problem?”
Her: “You talk too much!”
And here we are, 15 years later and I’ve been asked to be the IAMG’s Distinguished Lecturer for 2027, a great honour, a great opportunity … but also a chance for others to learn what my daughter knew as a teenager: sometimes you just can’t get Mo to stop talking.
I’m happy to talk anywhere in the world, but we have to coordinate a sensible itinerary for the year. The IAMG is willing to cover the costs of international travel, and they expect that the local hosts of the talks will cover the cost of local accommodation and travel. The rest is free: there are no fees, no per-talk reward … except for the huge reward (to me) of being able to meet old friends and colleagues and also to meet some of the new people who have taken an interest in mathematical geosciences.
To kick-start the process of coordinating a sensible itinerary, I have put together the following notes on what topics I am happy to speak on. Some of these are mathematical in nature, some are geoscience-y; and some are neither, just strange things I’ve worked on during my career, using my knowledge of spatial statistics in unexpected areas of application.
If you see something that you think would make for an entertaining and informative talk, and you know others who would happily come along to listen, you can start the discussion about organizing a talk in 2027 by sending me a message via LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/srivastava-rd3d or search LinkedIn for “Mo Srivastava geostatistician”). Or you can send an e-mail to MoSrivastava1@gmail.com. If you know others in the same broad region who might also want to arrange a talk, please feel free to coordinate your request. I will probably be doing several talks on the same trip, traveling to nearby cities or neighbouring countries to give other talks before returning home to Toronto. Even if you don’t know any other mathematical geoscientists in the same region, I will let you know if I’ve had any other requests for talks that might be coordinated with the one you want to arrange.
Below is a quick list of titles. If you find yourself thinking about a particular title, but not quite sure what that talk would be about, I’ve prepared a brief summary of each talk, which can be found here.
There’s a baker’s dozen possible talks listed below, but if you’d like to hear me talk about something else, please feel free to suggest something else. As my daughter said, I love to talk … about just about anything.
I can be reached on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/srivastava-rd3d or search LinkedIn for “Mo Srivastava geostatistician”); or you can send an e-mail to MoSrivastava1@gmail.com.
- Resource estimation
- Breaking the lottery
- Forged World War II documents
- Geographic profiling of serial criminals
- Censuses of animal populations
- Climate change … can we at least get our numbers right?
- Long-term rainfall predictions
- Analysis of ocean surface temperatures from the Argo network
- The Dorabella Cipher
- Sorting out the ailments of my own noggin
- Election predictions
- Fracture modeling
- Regional assessment of mining potential
Guidelines
The IAMG council voted in 2000 to establish a Distinguished Lecture series and approved a committee charged with implementing the recommendations contained in the report of the IAMG Lecture Series Commission (July 2000).
The purpose of the IAMG Distinguished Lecture series is to demonstrate to the broader geological community the power of mathematical geology to address routine geological interpretation and to deliver this knowledge to audiences in selected parts the world. Therefore, the Lectures Committee is seeking nominations for outstanding individuals who meet the following criteria:
- A demonstrated ability to communicate mathematical concepts to a general geological audience.
- A clear enthusiasm for mathematical geology.
- Recognition for work in their field.
- Established skill in working with individuals and in group discussions on geological problems.
The Distinguished Lecturer must be ready to travel and to perform the following duties:
- Prepare and present a lecture suitable for a general geological audience.
- Prepare and present one or two lectures on a more specialized topic.
- Interact and hold discussions with individuals, both professionals and students, on applications of mathematical geology to local problems of interest.
Letters of nomination should include a curriculum vitae of the nominee and a short statement summarizing the ways in which he or she fulfills the nomination criteria.