In-Person
Where: The Petroleum Club of Shreveport, 15th floor
Cost: $25
If you’d like a seat, kindly use the form below to make your reservation by the preceding Friday.
We encourage members to invite guests, spouses, and friends to any of our meetings.
Virtual
Where: Zoom
Cost: $10
If you’d like to attend virtually, please pay with a credit card below and use the email address where you would like Zoom login details sent. Please make your reservation to attend virtually by noon the day before the meeting.
Biography
William H. Schramm
William H. Schramm is a 28-year retired veteran of the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality. As a Geologist he worked closely with industry, consultants, regulators, and private citizens, to investigate and remediated over 3000 contaminated sites. As Geologist Supervisor, he managed a staff of 16 Geologists, Environmental Specialists, and support personnel in the Remediation Division. Beginning in 2005 he was an Adjunct Instructor on the staff of the Department of Geology at the University of Louisiana-Lafayette and served on numerous Graduate Thesis Committees. Mr. Schramm retired from the State of Louisiana in 2017. Governor John Bel Edwards appointed Mr. Schramm to the Louisiana Board of Professional Geoscientists in 2018 where he was elected Secretary. He was subsequently elected to Chair the board in late 2021.
He holds a BA and MS in Geology and a Teaching Certification for K-12 in Science and Earth Science. He is a 30+ year member, past Director, and thrice Vice-President/President of the Baton Rouge Geological Society. Mr. Schramm served for 9 years as the BRGS Delegate to the AAPG. Beginning in the mid-1990s, he joined the Louisiana Environmental Health Association and was first elected Director for multiple years then President where he served for 8 years until 2021. He has participated in numerous conferences, conventions and seminars as organizer, committee chair, session chair, judge, presenter, and author/coauthor. He now consults part time as Senior Geologist with Losonsky and Associates.
Dr. George Losonsky
Dr. George Losonsky has practiced in the environmental and water resources fields for over 30 years as a hydrogeologist, groundwater modeler, and remediation design expert. He has worked on soil and groundwater remediation projects throughout the USA and worldwide. George completed his BS in Geology at Oberlin College and MS and PhD in Geology at the University of Cincinnati. He currently serves as President of the Baton Rouge Geological Society.
Abstract
Ethics has many definitions; it is a study of the rules of human behavior, the standards of right and wrong, that part of science and philosophy dealing with moral conduct, duty, and judgment, the voluntary actions specifically taken by an individual with sufficient knowledge of the options available. The development of these “rules” depends on the formative influences on the individual. They derive from the social structure, ethnic culture, predominant religion, educational philosophies and personal life experiences.
Professional ethics incorporates and expands on these societal rules for a well-defined group of specialized, highly trained and educated persons in a specific career field. The ethics for professionals are particularly developed to address issues peculiar to that field. Examples are: medical, legal, police, military, science, and business, and in our case today, geoscience!
In our everyday lives we encounter many examples of ethical decisions, requiring us to establish a hierarchy or prioritization of decision making. We will investigate the conundrums of some of these situations, offer examples, and discuss the history and logic/science of ethical decision making.
