Geological Society of America Honours Grant Ferguson with Fellowship

University of Saskatchewan professor Grant Ferguson (PhD) has been named a Fellow of the Geological Society of America (GSA), one of the highest honours given by the organization to recognize distinguished contributions to the geosciences.

Ferguson is a professor jointly appointed to the School of Environment and Sustainability and Department of Civil, Geological and Environmental Engineering and a member of the Global Institute for Water Security. He leads the newly established GIWS Groundwater Hub. He also holds the Centennial Enhancement Chair in the Groundwater-Energy-Food Nexus and served as the 2025 National Ground Water Association (NGWA) Henry Darcy Distinguished Lecturer in Groundwater Science.

For Ferguson, the recognition is something he once could not have imagined.

"Being named a Fellow of the Geological Society of America was a humbling experience," he said. "Earlier in my career, I looked at people with this and similar honours and couldn't quite imagine myself reaching that level. It is surreal to be welcomed into this group as a peer now."

The fellowship recognizes Ferguson's internationally renowned research on groundwater systems and their connections to broader environmental and energy challenges. In his nomination citation, Jennifer McIntosh, a hydrogeologist at the University of Arizona, highlighted his "transformative scientific contributions to understanding the role of deep groundwater in the hydrologic cycle and associated energy systems."

McIntosh noted that Ferguson's research has advanced understanding of groundwater sustainability and how deep groundwater systems interact with the environments above them. She added that his work has helped spark new areas of research and influenced geoscientists around the world. The citation also recognizes his long-standing service to the hydrogeology community.

While grateful for the honour, Ferguson is quick to point out that his accomplishments are rooted in collaboration.

"I have had a lot of people support me along the way," he said.

Among those he credits is McIntosh, who has collaborated closely with him on numerous projects over the past decade.

"My career would look a lot different without her."

Ferguson also acknowledged a wide network of research collaborators, including Tom Gleeson, Mark Cuthbert, Philipp Blum, Peter Bayer, Richard Taylor, Debra Perrone, Scott Jasechko and Elco Luijendijk, as well as mentor and collaborator Jeff McDonnell.

"I work with a lot of great people," he said.

He also emphasized the important role students have played throughout his career, noting he has been fortunate to work with talented students at the University of Saskatchewan, the University of Arizona, St. Francis Xavier University and several universities across Europe.

For Ferguson, having colleagues nominate him for the fellowship may be as meaningful as the recognition itself.

"It meant a lot for Jen to put together the nomination for me," he said. "These awards only happen if people are willing to take the time to organize the nomination and write letters of support."

He added that professional honours are often made possible by strong communities of colleagues and supporters.

"I'm sure there are people more deserving of this than I am but don't have the network of supportive people around them to make this happen," he said. "I'm very grateful to the people who took the time to support my nomination."

This article was written by GIWS staff and was edited with the assistance of Copilot.