Paul Marinos, the past president of IAEG for the term 1994 to 1998, passed away on Sunday, October 10th, 2021 aged 77. Sincere and profound tributes and condolences are extended to his family as well as his friends and his colleagues of IAEG. Professor Paul Marinos has given extraordinary and long-term contributions to the development of IAEG all through his life, he was awarded as the Honorary President of IAEG on October 8th, 2021 during the 3rd European Regional Conference.

For more than 40 years Professor. Paul Marinos acted as an independent consulting engineer in Engineering Geology and Geotechnics for important engineering structures and infrastructure works around the world. Paul’s first acquaintance with IAEG was an issue of a new magazine titled “Bulletin of Geological Engineering” in 1972 and his first contact with IAEG was at the 3rd congress in Madrid (Spain) in 1978. Since 1984 he has participated in all of the international and official meetings of the IAEG. He organized a meeting in Greece in 1988 on a very particular theme: the protection of monuments and historical sites. Paul acted as the vice president for Europe for the term 1990–1994 and he was elected as the President of IAEG for term 1994–1998 at the Congress in Lisbon in 1994. During his presidency in 1997, he guided the Association to change the name to the “International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment” which continues to this day to highlight the need for engineering geologists to contribute in the environmental field. He also considered it to be very important to emphasize and maintain the Association’s original goals as a learned society involved in the geotechnical domain, engineering design, construction and development. Consequently he was the driving force to begin a new period for the IAEG journal “Bulletin of Engineering Geology and Environment”, and from 1998 the magazine appeared quarterly rather than biennially and was published by Springer. He initiated long discussions with the publisher to ensure that a high-quality journal and benefits for IAEG members were obtained. Paul made great efforts to keep the overall membership of IAEG intact and even slightly increase in the number of members under the impact of economic constraints in the 1990s. Ten new national groups were accepted and two old groups returned during this period and Paul made frequent visits to the USA to persuade AEG to become the USA national group of IAEG.

During his tenure he traveled extensively around the world attending important conferences and visiting a large number of countries to identify key people and encourage them to become involved in the countries where there was no IAEG activity. Paul Marinos gave excellent lectures on many tours—the Jahns distinguished lecture (for AEG across USA), the CGS cross Canada lecture tour, and many tours in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and Asia, in addition to the prestigious Glossop medal lecture in UK. He was a great Ambassador for IAEG in the world in his personal way of weaving relationships in every part of the globe, effectively contributing to IAEG’s growth and involvement in the most remote countries.

Paul also developed and strengthened the special relationships and interactions with the sister societies ISRM, ISSMGE, ITA and IAH for many years, breaking down traditional barriers. All issues of common interest were addressed with an open spirit and this collaboration led to the co-sponsorship of events and wider mutual communications; in this way the foundations were laid for the future Federation (FedIGS).

Professor Paul Marinos has shown deep and continuous commitment to the IAEG and has often helped the IAEG Council members make decisions in line with the IAEG Statute of which he has a profound knowledge. Together with the past presidents Ricardo Oliveira and Carlos Delgado, he contributed to the drafting of the 50th Anniversary of the history of IAEG which was published at the congress in Turin in 2014, ensuring the connection of activity from past to present and into the future.

In 2000 Professor Paul Marinos received the Hans Cloos Medal of IAEG for his excellent contribution to the development of engineering geology. For his extraordinary and long-term merits and for the prosperity and development of IAEG, Paul Marinos was nominated as an Honorary President on October 8th, 2021 at the 3rd European Regional Conference held in Athens, unfortunately just two days later, he departed this world. He left with great happiness and satisfaction after being informed about the successful ending of the 3rd European Regional Conference. IAEG was one of his great loves in life, his extraordinary contribution to engineering geology in the world will last forever, his commitment to IAEG will remain in the heart of all IAEG members, his expectations of maintaining IAEG’s original goals will be promoted from generations to generations.

On behalf of the IAEG Executive Committee, we pay outstanding tributes to Professor Paul Marinos and express our great sympathy to the Marinos family. All his contributions and devotions to IAEG will be cherished forever with full respects. May his soul rest in peace, may his spirit bless IAEG. We will miss him forever.

Rafig Azzam

President of IAEG

Ricardo Oliveira

Honorary President