Paul Hlava

Paul Hlava is a long time member and many times past president of our club. He grew up in the Chicago area, attended the University of Tulsa in Oklahoma then went to the Univ. of Wisconsin where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in geology and met his wife. He spent three years teaching at Wisconsin University at River Falls then moved to New Mexico to attend UNM where he learned how to use the electron microscope under the tutelage of Klaus Keil plus learned how to microprobe meteorites some of Martian origin, Hawaiian basalts and peridotites. He studied the inclusions in diamonds by first burning them and then analyzed the grains to find out what kind of rock they came from. All this earned him a Master Degree and the knowledge to land a job at Sandia Labs using the microprobe, there now over 27 years and highly esteemed as the head of the Electron Microprobe Program with two machines in two different buildings. He does research on gems and in his spare time sells jewelry and stones with the help of his wife and girls.   News Nuggets, 01/2002