Bureau Alumni of the Year: Doug Ratcliff

Ratcliff earned a B.A. in political science in 1973 and a B.S. in geology in 1983, both from The University of Texas at Austin. He also earned an MBA at St. Edward’s University in 1978.

Ratcliff began to take on administrative responsibilities beyond the core facility in 1977 when he started managing the Bureau’s contracts and budget. He was promoted to assistant director in 1978 and also carried responsibility for quality assurance and program administration. In 1982 he became an associate director, supervising the Bureau’s support staff of nearly 100 employees and managing research contracts totaling $16 million annually. He served the Bureau in this capacity until 1992, when he left to accept the position of general manager at Hall Southwest Corporation, a consulting firm in Austin.

After a year in the private sector, Ratcliff returned to the Bureau as an assistant to the director to resume the management of research contracts and oversee financial reporting for the Bureau’s then $12 million budget. He was again appointed associate director in 1994, a title he held during his remaining tenure at the Bureau.

In 2003 Ratcliff took on responsibility for the financial and administrative activities of the Geology Foundation and in 2004 moved to the Jackson School to a full-time position as associate director. He helped with the transition of the Jackson School to a separate college within the University, serving as assistant dean during this critical time of establishing the structure of the school. Together, the Jackson School and Geology Foundation had assets of $400 million.

Ratcliff received the Public Service Award from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists in 2008 for his efforts to bring geoscience educational opportunities to minorities and geologic research to the general public. Ratcliff received the Distinguished Service Award from the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies in 2002. He served as the general chairman of the 2002 annual meeting, which was held in Austin. He has also been active in the Austin Geological Society, serving as president in 1984–85.

Ratcliff is currently the director of Outreach and International Programs at the Jackson School of Geosciences. He oversees the GeoFORCE Texas program, which recruits middle school students from South Texas and the Houston area into a geoscience educational program. The curriculum challenges students with rigorous math and science courses and also provides summer field trips where they learn and apply basic geologic principles. A team of educators and program leaders engage the students year-round and follow them through their high school years, encouraging them to pursue college studies and consider careers in the sciences. Ratcliff also organizes the Latin American Forum, which brings together leaders and decision makers from countries of the Americas to collaborate on common issues involving energy resources and the environment.