HUNTSVILLE, Ala. -- While serving as the Nebraska Geological Society president, a U.S. Army Engineering and Support Center, Huntsville geologist led the effort to advocate for state-driven requirements and standards for professionals in the field.
With the help and advocacy of Dave Becker, who works with the Center's Environmental and Munitions Center of Expertise (EMCX), Nebraska legislature passed a bill that created licensing and registration along with the requirements to receive professional geologist certification.
The requirements now include obtaining a collegiate degree in geology, gaining at least five years of experience in the field, submitting references, and passing professional exams on fundamentals and practices of geology.
“Anything that helps educate the public on what we do is important,” Becker said. “Having professional licensing and registration is a way to highlight the contributions of the profession to the well-being of society.”
After the bill was passed in 1999, various geologists were named by the governor to serve as the first members of the Nebraska Board of Geology.
Becker set precedence after the founding Board of Geology members presented him with the first professional geology license in Nebraska.
“The Board of Geology designated me to have the first license number, G-0001, for the efforts I led in advocating for the bill to be passed,” Becker said.
When asked how it felt to receive the first license number, he said, “Two words come to mind: humbled and honored. Getting the recognition for my part in raising the visibility of geology was very gratifying, and I couldn’t have done it without the support of others.”
Mike Felix, a fellow geologist with the EMCX, served on the Nebraska Board of Geology alongside Becker during the years following his designation as the first licensed geologist in the state.
“Dave worked tirelessly to get the Nebraska legislative bill passed to establish the Nebraska Board of Geology and develop the statutory requirements on professional licensing for the practice of geology in the state,” Felix said.
Becker has improved the field for future geologists through encouraging state-driven standards, as well as taking time to mentor young professionals on the lessons he has learned throughout his career.
Reflecting on Becker’s impact on the field, Felix said, “Dave is a well-known and highly respected professional geologist. He is a mentor and educator of countless professional geologists across the country.”
While Becker taught as a professor at the University of Nebraska Omaha, he was dedicated to sharing the possibilities of working with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and inspiring the next generation of the workforce.
“Teaching as a professor gave me the opportunity to tell others that working for the Corps of Engineers has a great variety of experiences and opportunities," he said. "Not only do we want to ensure Soldiers have a safe and happy place to live and train, but we are able to benefit the residents of communities in the surrounding areas."
Looking back on his career, Becker said one of his favorite projects to share lessons learned on is a site he has been working on for nearly four decades.
“I was assigned to work on a complex superfund site with a large groundwater contamination issue. After 39 years, I’m still involved with that project today and have worked on it in different capacities, on behalf of the DOD and on behalf of the EPA,” he said.
Not only did the site prompt taking the geology fundamentals exam for licensing, but Becker said, “It's been a great professional experience and I’ve learned so many lessons from that project that have helped me with other projects.”