Scientific Director

DAN-ALEXANDRU GRIGORESCUDAN-ALEXANDRU GRIGORESCU

Professor Emeritus University of Bucharest
Director Romanian Tempus Office (1991-2000)
Director National Agency Socrates  (2000-2003)
Expert European Commission for the Higher Education and Research project assessment (2004-2015)
Expert UNESCO  for  Global Geoparksvalidation and revalidation (2009-2017)
Founder of the Hateg County Dinosaur Geopark –HCDG  (2004), member of the UNESCO Global Network.Director of HCDG (2004-2013). Honorary President of HCDG (since 2013)
Honorary President of the European Association of Vertebrate Paleontology- EAVP(since 2003)

Education

Baccalaureate Lyceum Ion Neculce, 1957
MSc. Geology - University of Bucharest, 1964, valedictorian
Dr. in Geology, University of Bucharest,1971

Academic career:

Preparator (1964 – 66), Assistant (1966-71), Lecturer (1971-1990), Reader (1990-92) , Professor (since 1992 )

Professor Emeritus (since 2011)

Ph D guide in Geology (since 1994)

Visiting professor: Punjab University, Chandigarh (India,1973), University of Corvallis-(Oregon, 1975), University of Montpellier (1983), University of Tubingen (1984), University  of Bristol (2003), Universities of Graz and Salzburg (2005)

Scientific publications and participation in scientific meetings:

Author/co-author of 18 books, didactic manuals, dictionaries

More than 170 papers, short papers abstracts, published inscientific national and international journals Web of Science h index 17 Participation with oral presentations in  numerous national (about 70) and international (45) symposia,  conferences, congresses

Several scientific discoveries in the field of Vertebrate paleontology worldwide notorious

Selected publications:

Scientific articles

  1. Grigorescu D., 1970,Petrography of the Glauconitic quartzarenites in the Black SchistsNappe, Revue Roumaqine de Geologie., Acad. RSR, XIV, 2, 205‑216
  2. Grigorescu D., 1970.Etude microfaciale du Complexe Spherosideritique de la Zonne d’ecailes des Carpates Orientales Roumaines,AnaleleUniv. Buc., Ser.Geol., 183‑209
  3. Grigorescu D., Marin I., 1971,Osmeroidesdobrogensis‑ une nouvelle Elopide fossile du Turonien du Basin de Babadag (Roumanie), Analles de Paleont. des vertebres, Paris, Tom 57, 189‑205
  4. Grigorescu D., 1972, Etude microlithostratigraphique du Complexe Schisteux de l’Unite de Schistes Noirs, AnaleleUniv. Buc., Ser. , 147‑158
  5. Brustur T., Grigorescu D ., 1973,Une nouvelle espece du genre Paleorhynchus‑ P. humorensis, dans les depötsoligocenes de la zone de GuraHumorului, Revue Roum., Acad. RSR., XVII, 1, 99‑113
  6. Dutta A.K.,Grigorescu D., 1974, Towards a correlation of the Mammalian fauna of the Siwaliks with their equivalents in South‑Eastern Europe, including Crimeea and Caucasus, Recent Researches in Himalayan Geology, New Delhi, 13 4‑140
  7. Chiriac M., Grigorescu D., 1975, Asuprafaunei de Pinipede din depoziteleBasarabiene din Dobrogea de sud, Stud.Cerc. Geol. Acad. RSR, XX, 1, 39‑110
  8. Grigorescu D., Anastasiu N. 1976, Constituențiiclasticigrosieriaidepozitelorcretacice din UnitateaSisturilornegre‑semnificațiesedimentologică, Stud. Cerc. Geol., Acad. RSR, XXI, 95‑102
  9. Grigorescu D., Verma B.C., 1976, On a Geoclemys skull (Chelonia‑Emydinae) from the Upper Tatrot (Upper Pliocene) near Masumpur, Haryana, Records of the Geol.Survey of India, 134‑140
  10. Grigorescu D., 1976, Paratethyan seals, Systematic Zoology, Washington DC, XXV, 4, 407‑419
  11. Grigorescu D., .Kessler E., 1977,The Middle Sarmatian Avian fauna of South Dobrogea, Revue Roum., XXI, 93‑108
  12. Anastasiu N., Grigorescu D., 1977, Authigenic feldspars in the carbonate rocks of the Black Schists Formation, Revue Roum., Acad. RSR, XXI, 71‑77
  13. Grigorescu D., 1978, Paleoecologiafaunei de vertebrate marine dinSarmatianulDobrogei de Sud, Anuarul. St. Nat. Piatra Neamt, IV, 193‑202
  14. Repenning C.A .,Ray C., Grigorescu D., 1979, Pinniped Biogeography, Historical Biogeography, Plate Tectonics and Changing Environment, Oregon State Univ. Press, 337‑369
  15. Grigorescu D., Baltres. A., 1981, Iron microsphereules of cosmic origin in the Vraconian‑Cenomanian of Eastern Carpathians. Revue Roum. Acad. RSR, 117‑121
  16. Grigorescu D., 1983, Darvinismulsicaracterulcroniciigeologice, Analele Acad. RSR, Ser. IV, XXXII, 210‑216
  17. Grigorescu D., Manoleli D., 1983, Alternative actuale ale teorieidarwiniste, Analele Acad. RSR, Ser. IV, XXXII, 216‑222
  18. Grigorescu D., 1983, A Stratigraphic, Taphonomic and Paleoecologic approach to a “Forgotten Land”: The dinosaur‑bearing deposits from the Hateg Basin (Romania), 2nd on Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems, Acta. Paleont.Polonica, XXVIII, 1‑2, 103‑121
  19. Grigorescu D., 1984, Paleontology and Evolutionism ‑ Premises for a closer implication of Paleontology in the Evolutionary Theory, 75years of the Laboratory of Paleontology- Special vol., Tipografia Univ. Buc., 23‑23
  20. Grigorescu D., 1984, New paleontological data on the dinosaur beds from the Hateg Basin, 75 years of the Laboratory of Paleontology – Special vol.,Tipografia Univ. Buc., 111‑118
  21. Grigorescu D., 1984,New Tetrapod groups in the Maastrichtian of the Hateg Basin: Coelurosaurians and Multituberculate Mammals, 3rdon Mesozoic Terrestrial Ecosystems, AttemptoVerlag, Tubingen, 99‑104
  22. Grigorescu D., Hartenberger J. L., Rădulescu C., Samson P., Sudre J., 1985, Decouverte de Mammifieres et Dinosaures dans le Cretacesuperieur de Pui (Roumanie), C. R. Acad. des Sci. Paris, 301, ser. II, 19, 1365‑1368
  23. Grigorescu D., Constantinescu V., Dragomirescu L., 1986, A paleoecologic analysis of the Bassarabian (Middle Sarmatian) vertebrate association from Credinta and Ciobanita (Southern Dobrogea) based on the taphonomic characters processed through methods of numerical taxonomy, Travaux du Museum d’Hist. Nat. „G. Antipa” XXVIII, 257‑283
  24. Grigorescu D., 1987, Considerations on the age of the „red beds” continental formations in south‑western Transylvanian Depression, Eocene‑Special vol., Univ. Cluj, 189‑196
  25. Grigorescu D., Hann G., 1987,The first multituberculate tooth from the Upper Cretaceous of Europe (Romania), Geologica and Paleontologica, Marburg ,XXI, 237‑243
  26. Grigorescu D., 1987, A Stratigraphic and Paleontologic Synthesis of the Cretaceous continental deposits of Romania, 1stonNonmarine Cretaceous Correlation (UNESCO-IGCP Project 245), Urumqi, Rep. of China, Abstracts vol., 6
  27. Grigorescu D., Kessler E., 1988, New contributions to the knowledge of the Sarmatian birds from Southern Dobrogea in the frame of the Eastern Paratethyan avian fauna, Revue Roum., XXXII, 91‑97
  28. Grigorescu D., 1988, Extincțiilebiologice, Special vol. EvolutieșiadaptareUniv. Cluj, 73‑87
  29. Grigorescu D., 1988, Celmai vechimamiferfosildinRomânia, Sargeția, XX, 543-545
  30. Grigorescu D., 1989, De la „verigalipsă” la ramificatelecăialeantropogenezei, Terra, 2, 35‑42
  31. Grigorescu D. and Norman D., 1990, Earth science conservation in România, Earth science conservation, Nature Conservancy Council - U.K. Edit., 27, 6-8
  32. Weishampel D., Grigorescu D., Norman D., 1991, The Dinosaurs of Transylvania, National Geographic ‑ Research and Exploration, Washington DC, 7 (2), 196‑215
  33. Grigorescu D.,Weishampel D. Norman D., Seclaman M., 1990,Dinosaur eggs from Romania, Nature, London, no.346, 417
  34. Grigorescu D., 1992, Nonmarine Cretaceous formations of Romania, in Aspects of Nonmarine Cretaceous Geology, Special vol., ICGP Project 245, China Ocean Press, Beijing, 142‑164 (Premiul “GrigoreCobălcescu” al AcademieiRomânepentru Geologie-1992)
  35. Grigorescu D., 1993, The Latest Cretaceous Dinosaur eggs and embryos from the Hateg Basin ‑ Romania, Revue de Paleobiologie, Geneve, VII, 95‑99
  36. Grigorescu D.,1993,The Geo-ecological education and Geological site conservation in Romania, The Malvern International Conference on Geological and Landscape conservation, Great Malvern,UK, Abstracts vol.,98
  37. Weishampel D., Grigorescu D., 1993, Telmatosaurustranssylvanicus from the Late Cretaceous of Romania-the most basal hadrosaurid dinosaur, Paleontology, XXXVI, 2, 361-385
  38. Grigorescu D., Weishampel D., Norman D., Seclaman M., Rusu M., Baltres A., Teodorescu V., 1994, Late Maastrichtian dinosaur eggs from the Hateg Basin (Romania), in vol. Dinosaur Eggs and Babies, Cambridge Univ. Press, 75‑87
  39. Grigorescu D.,1994, A brief account on the geological site conservation in Romania: past and future, Memoir. Soc. Geol. de France, Nouv. Ser., no.165, 157‑158
  40. Grigorescu D., 1994, The geo‑ecological education and geological site conservation in Romania, in Geological and Landscape Conservation vol., Geological Society, London, 467‑472
  41. Grigorescu D., 1996, Geotope conservation in Romania, Future measure in a regional Carpato‑Balkan cooperation, GeologicaBalcanica, 26, no.1, Sofia, 87‑90
  42. Benton M. J., Cook E., Grigorescu D., Tallodi E., Popa E., 1997, Dinosaurs and other tetrapods in an Early Cretaceous bauxite‑filled fissure, North‑Western Romania, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, Elsevier, 130, 275 – 292
  43. Grigorescu D.,1997, Le milieu d’incubation des oeufs de Telmatosaurustranssylvanicus (Dinosauria-Hadrosauridae) du Maastrichtien du Bassin de Hateg – Roumanie, 2ndEuropean Workshop on VertebratePaleontology, Quillan, Abstracts vol.19
  44. Csiki Z., Grigorescu D., 1998, Small theropods from the Late Cretaceous of the Hateg Basin (Western Romania) ‑ an unexpected diversity at the top of the food chain, Oryctos, 1, 87-104
  45. Grigorescu D., Venczel M., Csiki Z., Limberea R., 1999, New latest Cretaceous microvertebrate fossil assemblages from the Hateg Basin (Romania), Geologie en Mijnbouw,78, Netherlands, 301-314
  46. Csiki Z., Grigorescu D., 1999, New data on the multituberculate mammals from the Uppermost Cretaceous dinosaur-bearing deposits of the Hateg Basin, ,4th European workshop on Vertebrate Paleontology, Albaracin, Spain, Abstracts vol., 39-40
  47. Csiki Z., Grigorescu D., 2000, Teeth of multituberculate mammals from the Late Cretaceous of Romania, ActaPalaeontol. Polonica, 45, no.1, 85‑90
  48. Grigorescu D., Csiki Z., 2000, Sedimentology, Paleontology, Taphonomy and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the Tustea nesting site (Upper Maastrichtian, Hateg Basin, Romania), 5th European Workshop on Vertebrate Paleontology, Karlsruhe, Germany, Abstract vol.
  49. Grigorescu D., 2000, FormațiuneaȘisturilornegre din FlisulCretacic inferior al Carpațilororientaliînopera științificăaAcademicianuluiProfesorMiltiadeFilipescu, Memoriile Sect. Știint. Acad. Rom, IV, 20, 347-351
  50. Csiki Z., Grigorescu D.,2002, Animal-animal interactions in the Latest Cretaceous vertebrate faunas of the Hateg Basin, , 7th European Workshop on Vertebrate Paleontology, Sibiu, Abstracts vol., ArsDocendi Bucuresti,14
  51. Bojar A.V., Grigorescu D., Csiki Z.,2002, Climatic record in Maastrichtian continental deposits of Southern Carpathians, 4th Austrian workshop on Stable isotopes in Environmental and Earth Science , Abstracts vol., Ber. Inst.Geol. Paleont., Karl.-Franz. Univ.Graz, 6, 6-7
  52. Grigorescu D., 2002, Vertebrate Paleontology in Romania – a brief account, 7th European Workshop of Vertebrate Paleontology,Sibiu,Abstracts vol.& Excursion Field Guide, ArsDocendi, 23
  53. Grigorescu D., Melinte M., 2002, Stratigraphy of the Upper Cretaceous marine sediments from the north-western Hateg Basin, Third Romanian Sympos. on Paleontology, Iasi, Acta.Palaeont. Romaniae, 3, 153-160
  54. Buffetaut E., Grigorescu D., Csiki Z., 2002, A new giant pterosaur with a robust skull from the Latest Cretaceous of Romania, Naturwissenschaften, vol.89,Spriger-Verlag Berlin, 180-184
  55. Koretsky I., Grigorescu D., 2002, The fossil monk-seal Pontophocasarmatica (Alekseev) (Mammalia: Phocidae: Monachinae) from the Miocene of Eastern Europe, in vol. Cenozoic Mammals of Land and Sea: Tributes to the career of Clayton Ray, Smithsonian Inst. Press, Washington D.C., 149-162
  56. Grigorescu D., 2003, Dinosaurs of Romania, in vol. Dinosaurs of Europe, Palevol., Elsevier, Amsterdam, 89-94
  57. Buffetaut E., Grigorescu D., Csiki Z., 2003, Giant azhdarchid from the terminal Cretaceous of Transylvania (western Romania), in Evolution and Paleobiology of Pterosaurs, Special Publications, Geological Society, London, 217, 91-104
  58. Grigorescu D., 2004, Vertebrate Paleontology in Romania, Noesis,EdituraAcademiei Rom., 97-116
  59. Grigorescu D., Kazar E., 2005, A new Middle Miocene Odontocete (Mammalia: Cetacea) locality and the Lower Sarmatian Dolphin Event, Oryctos, 6, Esperaza, France, 31-45.
  60. Kazar E., Grigorescu D., 2005, Revision of SarmatodelphismoldavicusKirpichnikov,1954 (Cetacea: Delphinoidea) from the Miocene of Kishinev, Rep.of Moldavia, Journ.Vertebrate Paleontology, S.U.A, 25 (4), 929-935 (ISI – FI 2,21)
  61. Cavin L., Grigorescu D., 2005, A new Crossognathus(Actinopterygii,Teleostei) from the Early Cretaceous of Romania with comments on Crossognathidae relationships, Geodiversitas, 27 (1), 5-16
  62. Bojar A.V., Grigorescu D.,Ottner F., Csiki Z., 2005, Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of dinosaur and mammal – bearing continental Maastrichtian deposits, Hateg Basin, Romania, Geological Quaterly, 49, 205-222
  63. Kessler E., Grigorescu D., Csiki Z., 2005, Elopteryx revisited-a new bird-like specimen from the Maastrichtian of the Hateg Basin (Romania), ActaPalaeont. Romaniae, 5, ArsDocendi, Bucuresti, 249-258
  64. Csiki Z., Grigorescu D., Rucklin M., 2005, A new multituberculate specimen from the Maastrichtian of Pui, Romania and reassessment of affinities of Barbatodon, ActaPalaeont. Romaniae, 5, ArsDocendi, București, 73-86
  65. Grigorescu D., Kazar E., 2005. A new Middle Miocene Odontocete (Mammalia: Cetacea) locality and the Lower Sarmatian Dolphin Event, Oryctos, 6, 53-68
  66. Grigorescu D., 2005, Rediscovery of a “forgotten land”. The last three decades of research on the dinosaur-bearing deposits from the Hateg Basin, ActaPalaeont. Romaniae, 5, ArsDocendi, București, 191-204
  67. Grigorescu D., 2006, Hatchlings of Telmatosaurustranssylvanicus (Ornithischia, Hadrosauridae) associated with Megaloolithid eggs in the Tustea nesting site (Hateg Basin, Romania), 3rdSympos.on Dinosaur Eggs ,Babies and Developmental Biology, Plaza Huincul, Argentina, Abstracts & Program, 6-7
  68. Grigorescu D., 2006, GeoparculdinozaurilorȚaraHațegului. De la cercetareageologică la o nouăstrategie de dezvoltaredurabilă a regiunilor, Anuarul. Geol. al României, 74, 75-77
  69. Grigorescu D.,Andrasanu A.,2006, European Geoparks and sustainable development of the regions: A case study-The Hateg Country Dinosaur Geopark of Romania, Geoparks 2006 Conference, Abstracts volume, Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, Belfast,7
  70. Grigorescu D., Csiki Z., 2006,Ontogenetic development of Telmatosaurustranssylvanicus(Ornitischia: Hadrosauria) from the Maastrichtian of the HategBasin,Romania – evidence from the limb bones, 4th Annual Meting of the European Association of Vertebrate Palaeontologists, Budapest, Hantkeniana -5, 20-26
  71. Martin J.E., Csiki Z., Grigorescu D., Buffetaut E., 2006, Late Cretaceous crocodilian diversity in Hateg Basin,Romania,4th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Vertebrate Paleontologists, Budapest, Hantkeniana -5, 31-37
  72. Csiki,Z.,GrigorescuD.,Weishampel,D.,2007,A new titanosaur sauropod (Dinosauria: Saurischia) from the Upper Cretaceous of the Hateg Basin (Romania), 5th Annual Meeting of the European Assoc. of Vertebrate Palaeontologists,Carcassone, France
  73. Harvati K., Gunz P., Grigorescu D., 2008, Cioclovina (Romania): Affinities of an early modern European, Journal of Human Evolution, Elsevier, 53, 732-746
  74. Grigorescu D., Cziki Z., 2008: A new site with Megaloolithid egg remains in the Maastrichtian of the Hateg Basin, ActaPalaeont. Romaniae, 6, 115-121
  75. Redelstorff R., Csiki Z., Grigorescu D., 2009, The heritage of Nopcsa: dwarf status of Hategornithopods supported by the histology of long bones, Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 29(3), p. 170
  76. Grigorescu, D., 2010, The Latest Cretaceous fauna with dinosaurs and mammals from the Haţeg Basin – A historical overview. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 293, 271–282
  77. Grigorescu, D., Garcia, G., Csiki, Z., Codrea, V. &Bojar, A.-V., 2010. Uppermost Cretaceous megaloolithid eggs from the Haţeg Basin, Romania, associated with hadrosaur hatchlings: Search for explanation. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 293, 360–374
  78. Csiki, Z., Grigorescu, D., Codrea, V. &Therrien, F., 2010. Taphonomic modes in the Maastrichtian continental deposits of the Haţeg Basin, Romania – Palaeoecological and palaeobiological inferences. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 293, 375–390
  79. Weishampel, D.B., Csiki, Z., Benton, M.J., Grigorescu, D. &Codrea, V., 2010. Palaeobiogeographic relationships of the Haţeg biota – Between isolation and innovation. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 293, 419–437
  80. Benton, M.J., Csiki, Z., Grigorescu, D., Redelstorff, R., Sander, P.M., Stein, K. &Weishampel, D.B., 2010. Dinosaurs and the island rule: The dwarfed dinosaurs from Haţeg Island. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 293, 438–454
  81. Grigorescu, D., 2010. The „Tustea Puzzle”: hadrosaurid (Dinosauria, Ornithopoda) hatchlings associated with Megaloolithidae eggs in the Maastrichtian of the Hateg Basin (Romania). Ameghiniana, Buenos Aires, 47(1): 89-97
  82. Kranioti, EF, Harvati, K., Ciprut, T. &Grigorescu, D., 2010. Cioclovina: A virtual assessment of endocranial morphology in an early European fossil. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, Suppl. 50: 147-148.
  83. Grigorescu D.,Melinte-Dobrinescu M., Csiki Z, Vasile S, Şeclăman M, Bărzoi S. Studiulintegrat al GeodiversitatiiCretacicului superior cu dinozauri din Tara Hategului- Retezat,Volum special:Conservarea Geo-siBiodiversitatiisidezvoltareadurabila in Tara Hategului-Retezat,EdituraAcademieiRomâne, sub redacția P.I.Otiman, 53-248
  84. Grigorescu D., 2010. La naissance des collections de Paléontologie a Université de Bucarest., Le patrimoine paléontologique. Volum special, Geoecomar, 59-72
  85. Grigorescu D., Le patrimoine paléontologique. special, Geoecomar, 285-294
  86. Grigorescu D., 2010. Les prémisses géologiques et paléontologiques de la théorie darwiniste, Acta PalaeontologicaRomaniae, 7, 191-197
  87. Grigorescu D., Andrăşanu A., Csiki Z., Vasile Ş., 2011, Geoconservation in Romania: urgent measures and actions required. The 8th Romanian Symposium on Paleontology, Abstract Book, 62-63
  88. Andrasanu A., Grigorescu D., 2012, Geoheritage and conservation in Romania, Geoheritage in Europe and its conservation, ProGEO special publication, 274-287
  89. Grigorescu D.,2017,The ‘Tuştea puzzle’ revisited: Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) Megaloolithus eggs associated with Telmatosaurus hatchlings in the Haţeg Basin, Historical Biology,29:5-6, 627-640

Books (selection)

  1. Grigorescu D., 1980. Înainteaaparițieiomului, Edit. Albatros, București, 311 pp
  2. Hanganu E., Suraru N., Grigorescu D., 1981, Paleontologie, Edit. DidacticășiPedagogică, 1981, 496 pp.
  3. Grigorescu D., Avram E (coordonatori).Guide to Excursions, UNESCO IGCP Project 245- Nonmarine Cretaceous correlation of the world and Project 262 - Tethyan Cretaceous correlations, Inst. Geol. șiGeof. București,109 pp.
  4. Grigorescu D.,Anastasiu N., Seclaman M., 1991, Geologie, Manual pentruclasa a XI. Edit. DidacticășiPedagogică, București, 148 pp.
  5. Anastasiu N., Grigorescu D., Mutihac V., PopescuGh., 1999, 2007 (edit. II), Dicționar de Geologie, Edit. DidacticășiPedagogică, 400 pp.
  6. Grigorescu D., Csiki Z., 2002, Excursions Field Guide, 7th European Workshop on Vertebrate Paleontology, Sibiu, Edit. ArsDocendiBucurești, 49-69
  7. Grigorescu D., Andrasanu A., Csiki Z., 2003, Geological heritage conservation and regional development strategies for the South Eastern European countries, Workshop & Excursion Field Guide, Annual Workshop of ProGEO Network of South-Eastern European Countries for conservation of the Geological heritage, Bucharest, Edit. ArsDocendi, București, 9-78
  8. Grigorescu D., 2003,StratigrafieșiGeologieistorică.ParteaI-a:Stratigrafie, Edit. Ars Docendi, 127 pp.
  9. Grigorescu D., Csiki Z., Vasile S., 2011,The Eighth Romanian Symposium on Paleontology, Bucharest, 29-30 September 2011, Pre-Symposium Field Trip A2, Maastrichtian Continental deposits with dinosaur remains from Southeastern Transylvania. ArsDocendi, Bucharest, 26 p.
  10. Grigorescu D., Enache M., Bogdan A. (coordonatori), Conservarea geo- şibiodiversităţiişidezvoltareadurabilăînŢaraHaţegului-Retezat. Vol.1 .Volum Special, EdituraAcademieiRomâne, sub redacțiaP.I.Otiman, 615 pp.

Significant achievements in the field of geological protection and its involvement in the  sustainable development of the regions: 

Founder of the first student scientific organization for research and protection of the  geological monuments in the University of Bucharest (1977). In March 1990 it became under the name of “SocietateapentruProtecțiaMediului Geologic” (Society for the Protection of the Geological Environment””) one of the first NGO in Romania.

Initiation, organization and team coordination of the activities which lead in 2004 to the creation of the “Haţeg Country Dinosaurs Geopark”, member since 2005 of the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network, as the first UNESCO Geopark in ex-communist countries of Eastern Europe. At the base of this important national achievement in the field of nature protection are the  paleontological and geological searches in the Hateg Country which I started in 1977 with the involvement of students and scientific researchers.

Founder member of the “European Association for the geological protection –ProGEO“, 1991.

Science popularization

Numerous public conferences on various scientific subjects, mostly paleontology, Earth history, nature preservation; articles and comments in media (journals, radio, TV national and international, including on  Discovery and National Geographic channels.

 

Organizer of national and international scientific symposia:

1990, Bucharest – International Symposium on World Correlation of the Non-marine Cretaceous, UNESCO – IGGP 2451999,Haţeg, Romania–National Symposium “Cosmic and Biologic eclipses in the Earth’s Past”2002, Sibiu, Romania –The 7th European Symposium of Vertebrate Paleontology2003, Bucharest and Haţeg- Workshop of the ProGEO Balkan Working Group2005 –Bucharest, Centennial of the Laboratory of Paleontology,University of Bucharest

 

Organizer of National and International Conferences on Higher Education:

1996, Craiova: International TEMPUS Conference: “The University-Enterprise cooperation - a double way connection”

1997, Cluj: International TEMPUS Conference:“European Studies Today”

1998, Braşov:  International TEMPUS Conference: Universities in their Social and Economic Environment

2000, Sibiu:The Impact of the TEMPUS Program on the development of the Open Distance Learning in Romania

Membership of professional bodies:

Member of the Romanian Society of Geology (since 1967)
Member of  the American Society of Vertebrate Paleontology (1972-2015 )
President of  the Society for Geological Protection from Romania (1990-1998)
Member of the European Association  for Conservancy of the Geologic Heritage ProGEO –country responsible for Romania (since 1991)
Member of the Romanian Association of Paleontology (since 1995)
Member of  the European Association of Vertebrate Paleontology (since 2002)
Member of the Coordination Committee  of  the European Geoparks Network (since 2005)

Project expertise:

Academic Expert  in the National Council for University Research (CNCSIS)  - Life & Earth Sciences (1997-present)

Academic external expert for assessing Higher Education projects under Erasmus and Tempus programs of the European Commission (2004-2015)

Expert UNESCO in assessing Geoparks (2008-2017)

Administrative functions:

Chief of the Department of Geology and PaleontologyUniversity of Bucharest(1992-1996)

Director of the  National TEMPUS Office for Higher Education (1991-2000)

Director of the National SOCRATES Agency (2000-2003)

Member of the National Council for the Higher Education in Romania (1994-2000)

Director of the Hateg Country dinosaurs Geopark (2004-2013)

Scientific prizes and honors:

Romanian Academy prize “GrigoreCobălcescu” for Geology (1992)

Chevalier des Palmes Academiques de France (1996)

Honorary Diploma of the Oradea University (1997)

Doctor HonorrisCausa of the University of Petrosani (1998)

National Medal “For Merit” in the grade of Commander (2000)

Honorary President of the European Association for Vertebrate Paleontology (since 2003)

Profesor Honorris Causa of  the Transilvania University, Brasov (2007)

Diploma of Honour of the University of Bucharest (2011)

Professor Emeritus University of Bucharest (2011)

Honorary President of the Hateg Country Dinosaurs Geopark (since 2013)

Honorary Citizen of the Hateg town (since 2016)