Dear Colleagues, Friends, and Former Collaborators of Prof. Ewing, We are pleased to announce a special session, "A Tribute to Rodney C. Ewing: Celebrating a Half-Century of Transformative Contributions to Geoscience, Mineralogy, and Materials Science" at the upcoming Geological Society of America (GSA) Annual Meeting, which will take place October 19-22, 2025, in San Antonio, Texas, USA. General information about the conference is available at GSA 2025<https://community.geosociety.org/gsa2025/home>. Session details will be posted in April, and the abstract portal is scheduled to open on May 1st, 2025. This special session is supported by the Mineralogical Society of America (MSA), Geochemical Society (GS), the GSA Mineralogy, Geochemistry, Petrology, and Volcanology (MGPV) Division, and the Microanalysis Society. Honoring Prof. Rodney C. Ewing (1946-2024), this session celebrates over 50 years of groundbreaking contributions to mineralogy, geoscience, and materials science, from atomic-scale processes to field-scale applications. Rod made seminal contributions to the study of radiation damage in natural minerals and engineered materials for high-level nuclear waste disposal. He also carried out studies of natural analogues for nuclear waste containment. Leveraging expertise in atomic- and nano-scale characterization through electron microscopy, Rod's scholarly impact extended far beyond nuclear waste forms and included studies of novel metals in sulfide minerals, the geochemistry of zircon, high-pressure mineral physics, and policies related to geological resources and repositories. Rod authored and coauthored over 770 publications, which have collectively garnered more than 38,000 citations to date (Scopus). His work consistently addressed original questions of profound scientific and societal importance-many of which remain highly relevant today. Recognizing his groundbreaking achievements, he received numerous accolades, including membership in the National Academy of Engineering and several prestigious medals from scientific societies. He also held influential positions, such as serving as President of the Mineralogical Society of America and Chair of the U.S. Nuclear Waste Technical Review Board-a position he was appointed to by President Barack Obama. In addition, Rod was the founding editor of Elements magazine in 2005, a publication that continues to enrich a broad scientific audience. This session seeks to celebrate Rod's extraordinary scientific and science policy contributions by inviting research across the numerous domains his work influenced and inspired. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to): ? Radiation damage in minerals and materials ? Uranium mineralogy and geochemistry ? Properties of nuclear waste forms ? High-pressure mineral and material physics ? Nanomineralogy ? Resource mineralogy of novel metals and rare earth elements ? Radionuclide and toxic element migration ? Policy studies related to geological resources and nuclear waste repositories. We welcome submissions from geochemical, mineralogical, computational, experimental, and field-based studies that advance our understanding of geological and geophysical phenomena, as well as innovative material properties. Join us in honoring Rod's legacy by showcasing work that reflects the depth and breadth of his scientific vision. We look forward to seeing you and your colleagues in San Antonio this October. With best regards, Satoshi Utsunomiya Michael F. Hochella, Jr. Gordon E. Brown, Jr. Georges Calas ******************************************************* Satoshi Utsunomiya, Ph.D. Associate Professor, Department of Chemistry, Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka-shi, 819-0395 JAPAN E-mail: utsunomiya.satoshi.998@m.kyushu-u.ac.jp Phone&Fax: +81-92-802-4168 Web Page: http://www.scc.kyushu-u.ac.jp/ircl/utu-e/index-e.htm Skype(free internet phone) account: SATOSHI Utsunomiya (live:utsunomiya.satoshi.998_1) *******************************************************