American Geophysical Union Announces Recipients of the 2018 Union Medals, Awards and Prizes

Thirty-three individuals celebrated for their contributions to science and society.

4 September 2018


WASHINGTON, DC—The American Geophysical Union (AGU) has selected its 2018 class of medalists, awardees, and prize recipients. 33 individuals are recognized this year for their dedication to science for the benefit of humanity and their achievements in Earth and space science.

The recipients represent many areas of Earth and space science and come from a variety of backgrounds including early career researchers, climate scientists, data scientists, and journalists. Their passion, vision, creativity, and leadership have helped to expand scientific understanding, pave the way to new research directions, and have made Earth and space science accessible, relevant, and inspiring to audiences across the scientific community and general public. The honorees will be recognized during the Honors Tribute at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting, which will take place on Wednesday, 12 December 2018, in Washington, DC.

“This year’s awardees exemplify AGU’s ongoing commitment to recognizing and promoting the best scientific research, education, and communication in the Earth and space sciences,” said Eric Davidson, AGU President. “I offer my congratulations and thanks to this esteemed group of scientists, educators, and journalist who – through their devotion to scientific discovery and outreach – are helping to make the world a better place.”

Medals

William Bowie Medal
Daniel N. Baker, University of Colorado Boulder

James B. Macelwane Medal
Steven J. Davis, University of California, Irvine
Walter W. Immerzeel, Utrecht University
Isaac R. Santos, Southern Cross University
Drew L. Turner, The Aerospace Corporation, El Segundo, Calif.
Caroline Ummenhofer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

John Adam Fleming Medal
Forrest S. Mozer, University of California, Berkeley

Walter H. Bucher Medal
Philip C. England, University of Oxford

Maurice Ewing Medal
Nicklas G. Pisias, Oregon State University

Robert E. Horton Medal
Dennis P. Lettenmaier, University of California, Los Angeles

Harry H. Hess Medal
Timothy L. Grove, Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Roger Revelle Medal
Isaac Held, NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory

Inge Lehmann Medal
Yoshio Fukao, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC)

Charles A. Whitten Medal
David T. Sandwell, University of California, San Diego

Joanne Simpson Medal for Mid-Career Scientists
Olivier Bachmann, ETH Zurich
Endawoke Yizengaw, Boston College

Awards

Ambassador Award
Esteban Jobbágy, Universidad Nacional de San Luis and CONICET
Rosaly M. C. Lopes, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology
Christopher M. Reddy, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Edward A. Flinn III Award
Richard P. Hooper, Tufts University

William Kaula Award
Alberto Montanari, University of Bologna

Waldo E. Smith Award
M. Meghan Miller, UNAVCO

Charles S. Falkenberg Award
Rebecca Bergquist Neumann, University of Washington Seattle

Athelstan Spilhaus Award
C. Alex Young, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

International Award
Giuliano Francesco Panza, Accademia dei Lincei and Accademia dei XL, Rome; and Olim University of Trieste

Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award
Mark A. Chandler, Center for Climate Systems Research

Africa Award for Research Excellence in Earth Science
Ahzegbobor Philips Aizebeokhai, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria

Africa Award for Research Excellence in Space Science
Frédéric Ouattara, Université Norbert Zongo

Science for Solutions Award
Kyle Frankel Davis, Data Science Institute, Columbia University

Walter Sullivan Award for Excellence in Science Journalism–Features
Douglas Fox, High Country News

David Perlman Award for Excellence in Science Journalism–News
Shannon Hall, Freelance Science Journalist

Prizes

Asahiko Taira International Scientific Ocean Drilling Research Prize
Brandon Dugan, Colorado School of Mines

Climate Communication Prize
Michael E. Mann, Pennsylvania State University

Eric A. Davidson, AGU President, and Mary Anne Holmes, Chair, Honors and Recognition Committee

Email: [email protected]
Learn more about the AGU Honors program.

The American Geophysical Union is dedicated to advancing the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity through its scholarly publications, conferences, and outreach programs. AGU is a not-for-profit, professional, scientific organization representing nearly 60,000 members in 139 countries. Join the conversation on FacebookTwitterYouTube, and AGU’s other social media channels.

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AGU Contact:

Joshua Speiser,
Manager, Strategic Communications
[email protected]
202-777-7444