We honor and remember the members of our alumni community who have passed away. Their lives left a lasting impact on our university and on those who knew them—as classmates, colleagues, mentors, and friends. This section serves as a tribute to their legacies, celebrating the contributions they made during their time with us and beyond. Though they are no longer with us, their spirit remains an enduring part of our community.
Arthur Tarr - 1968 PhD, Geophysics
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Arthur Tarr on February 20, 2025. Art's professional career spanned more than 37 years and was marked by a deep dedication to scientific discovery and innovation. He served as a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey's National Earthquake Information Center from 1974 to 2006, following his earlier work with NOAA from 1969 to 1974. Throughout his career, Art remained at the forefront of applying emerging technologies to earthquake research. He was an early pioneer in leveraging geographic information systems (GIS) to visualize and analyze data regarding strong earthquakes (magnitude 5.5-9.5) on a global scale, opening new ways to understand seismic activity and earthquake hazards.
Avery J Haubrik - 2023 B.S., Environmental Science Graduate
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Avery J. Haubrick on December 25, 2024. Avery was employed in geographic information services and as a drone operator by Civic Mapper LLC in Pittsburgh.
Albert Kollar- 1997 M.S. in Geology and Invertebrate Paleontology
We are saddened to announce the passing of passing of our alumnus, Albert Kollar, on April 9, 2024. He was the Section Head and Collection Manager for the Section of Invertebrate Paleontology at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History in Oakland. Albert had served as the President of the Pittsburgh Geological Society from 2011-2014 and has been a Board Member since 2015. He was a member of the Geological Society of America and other professional associations. Albert was the recipient of the Walt Skinner Award in 2020 from the Pittsburgh Geological Society, the GSIS Award for the Best Professional Guidebook from the Geological Society of America in 2019, and the George V. Cohee Public Service Award in 2017 from the Eastern Section of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists.