Dr. Dick Hagni is one of five geologists in the U.S. to be named an honorary life member of the International Association on the Genesis of Ore Deposits (IAGOD).

Hagni is a Curators’ Distinguished Professor emeritus of geology. He retired in 2000 after serving the university for 44 years.

The International Association on the Genesis of Ore Deposits is the world’s top international professional organization on ore deposits. Through the years, Hagni gave many presentations at the association’s quadrennial meetings, led scientific sessions at several meetings, publishing numerous papers in the association’s Quadrennial Proceedings volumes, and serving as the editor for the 1998 proceedings volume for meeting in Beijing.  

Hagni holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geology from Michigan State University and earned a Ph.D. in geology from the University of Missouri. He taught geology courses at S&T from 1956 until his retirement in 2000. He was named Gulf Oil Professor in 1984 and Curators’ Distinguished Professor of geology in 1999. He served as chair of geology and geophysics from 1985 to 2000 and taught a short course in applied ore microscopy at S&T and abroad in South Africa, Brazil, and Turkey. 

Following retirement, Hagni has continued to conduct research, present papers at professional meetings, and publish papers. He has published 24 book chapters and books, 200 papers and given 395 scholarly presentations at geological meetings. He is a member of many professional geological organizations and served for a long time as chair of the Applied Mineralogy Commission of the International Mineralogical Association.