SOEST Awards and Honors: 2008

October 1: Bin Wang elected Fellow of the AMS

The IPRC congratulates Team Leader and Professor of Meteorology Bin Wang on his election as Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) for his "outstanding contributions to the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences during a substantial period of years." The AMS bestows this prestigious, life-long title each year on no more than 0.2% of the Society’s world-wide membership. The ceremony will take place at the Annual Meeting to be held 11-15 January 2009 in Phoenix. Read the IPRC Press Release.

Image credit: IPRC/ SOEST

September 18: UHM Professor G. Jeffrey Taylor to Receive Carl Sagan Medal

G. Jeffrey Taylor, Planetary Scientist at the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) in the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, has been named the 2008 recipient of the Carl Sagan Medal for Excellence in Public Communication in Planetary Science. The prize is named after Carl Sagan (1934-1996), a distinguished planetary scientist who, through public lectures, television, and books, contributed significantly to the public's understanding of planetary science. The Sagan Medal is awarded by the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) of the American Astronomical Society to recognize and honor outstanding contributions by active planetary scientists to the public's understanding of, and enthusiasm for, planetary science. Taylor is the ninth recipient of the Sagan Medal and the first from the University of Hawaii. Read more about the award in the SOEST press release (PDF) and the Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and about his lecture at Media Newswire. Cornell University wrote about his talk as well. Read the Cornell press release.

Image credit: HIGP/SOEST

August 28: Sara Peck given two awards at Coral Reef Task Force Meeting.

Congratulations to Sara Peck, UH Sea Grant Coastal Resource Extension Agent based in Kailua-Kona, for being the recipient of TWO awards at this week’s Coral Reef Task Force meeting. The first award was given by Hawai‘i’s Living Reef program in the community division. Seven awards were given which honor individuals and organizations who promote conservation of Hawai‘i's reefs in two divisions: industry and community. 

The second award was given by the United States Coral Reef Task Force for "outstanding efforts in developing and sustaining high-quality education and outreach programs for coral reef conservation in Hawai‘i and playing an instrumental role in West Hawai‘i’s community efforts to address the impacts of human activity." Congratulations Sara!

Image credit: Sea Grant/ SOEST

August 28: Fred Mackenzie awarded Gold Medal from the Geochemical section of the American Chemical Society (ACS)

Congratulations to Department of Oceanography Professor Emeritus Fred Mackenzie on winning the Gold Medal from the
Geochemical section of the ACS.  This medal is awarded biennially to an individual for outstanding accomplishment in any area of Geochemistry. The award consists of a bronze medallion plus $2000. Fred will be awarded this medal during a symposium at the March 22-26th ACS meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah. Congratulations Fred!

Image credit: Mackenzie/ SOEST

August 22: Klaus Keil Reappointed to Space Studies Board

HIGP Professor and renowned planetary scientist Klaus Keil has had his appointment to serve on the Space Studies Board of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) renewed until 2010. Keil is one of 23 members chosen from across the United States that currently serve on the Space Studies Board. Read more about it in the Honolulu Advertiser and the Honolulu Star Bulletin, or read the Press Release.

Image credit: SOEST

June 17: Edward Scott awarded Leonard Medal by Meteoritical Society

Planetary scientist Edward Scott has been awarded the 2008 Leonard Medal by the Meteoritical Society, an honor which recognizes outstanding contributions to the science of meteoritics and closely allied fields. Scott, a professor in the Hawaii Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) within the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, studies meteorites, planetary science, and cosmochemistry. The Meteoritical Society is an international organization founded in 1933 to promote the study of extraterrestrial materials and planetary science. The Leonard Medal was established in 1962 and is named after Frederick C. Leonard, the first President of the Society. Read more about it.

Image credit: Scott/ SOEST

May 23: Two SOEST graduate students receive ARCS Awards

The Honolulu chapter of Achievement Rewards for College Scientists, Inc., presented 24 awards to University of Hawaiʻi graduate students during its recent 2008 Achievement Awards Banquet. The $5,000 awards recognizes the scholars’ work, which ranges from tackling transmission of leptospirosis-causing pathogens and curing a tropical disease called Spam to improving high performance integrated circuits and solar energy conversion devices to eavesdropping on whales and developing new ways to identify marine viruses.

Jennifer Brum, a graduate student in oceanography was awarded the ARCS/Farrar Award in Oceanography for her work on new ways to identify marine viruses. Sam Hulme, a graduate student in Geology and Geophysics was awarded the Toby Lee Award in Geology and Geophysics for his studies of Earth systematics and deep-sea exploration of active plate margins. Congratulations Jennifer and Sam!

Read more about it in the Honolulu Advertiser.

April 16: Karl to deliver 20th Annual C. B. Van Niel Memorial Lecture

David M. Karl, Professor of Oceanography and Director of the Center for Microbial Oceanography:  Research and Education (C-MORE) has been invited to deliver this year’s Van Niel Memorial Lecture.  The presentation, “Microbial Oceanography:  A Sea of Opportunity” will be given at Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove, California on April 18th, 2008.  This is the 20th annual lecture in the series, established shortly after the death of Cornelius Bernardus Van Niel, perhaps the most influential microbiologist and educator in the 20th century.  Previous speakers in this lecture series have included two Nobel laureates and many other distinguished scientists. Read more about it.

Image credit: Karl / SOEST

March 14: Geology and Geophysics graduate student Chris Bochicchio wins Tester Symposium

The 33rd Tester Symposium took place March 12-14, 2008. Awards of $1000 were presented to three students for best oral presentation at the Tester Symposium Banquet, held at the Waikiki Aquarium Friday night. Award money is to be put toward an academically related purchase.

Among the winners was Geology and Geophysics student Chris Bochicchio for a talk entitled, “Why is Lanikai Beach eroding? Determining and understanding sediment transport trends near a chronically eroding beach.”

Congratulations, Chris!

Jan 20: Meterology Alum wins 2008 Award from the American Meteorological Society

Yuxiang (Luke) He (MS 1992, Advisor Pau-Shin Chu) received a Special Award from the American Meteorological Society for his work on providing climate info to the Pacific Islands. Luke now works as a Meteorologist at the National Weather Service.

Congratulations, Luke!

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See also: SOEST Bulletin • Awards and Honors 2007 Archive • Press Releases

If you have news to share, or would like more information about any of the above, please contact:

• Tara Hicks Johnson, Outreach Specialist
• 2525 Correa Rd, HIG 135, Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
• Tel: (808) 956-3151 • Fax: (808) 956-9987
• Email: hickst@hawaii.edu

Mahalo! (Thank you!)

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