Awards and Recognition

The faculty and organizations representing the Department of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences have earned several awards, some of which are listed below with their associated year.

Recipient	Award
Dale Bird	2011: Bonarelli Award (Best oral presentation) – European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers Annual Conference
Alan Brandon	2009: Director’s Commendation Award. NASA Johnson Space Center 2002: Distinguished Postdoctoral Alumnus Award, University of Maryland 2001: Northwestern University. Packard Fellowship Nominee 1994-1996: Carnegie Institution of Washington Postdoctoral Fellowship 1992-1994: National Science Foundation Earth Sciences Postdoctoral Fellowship
John F. Casey	1980: "Distinguished Dissertation Award" State University of New York at Albany" 1981: "Honors Convocation Award" State University of New York at Albany 1990: "Faculty Excellence Award" University of Houston 1990: "Commendation of Academic Achievement and Leadership" Mayor and the City Council of Houston 1995 - 1996: "Distinguished Lecturer Joint Oceanographic Institutes and U.S. Science Advisory Committee" 1998: "Chief Scientist, Research Vessel JOIDES Resolution, Leg 179 of the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program 1998: Shell Interdisciplinary Scholar Shell USA, Inc 2015: Fellow of the Geological Society of America 2020: Named to University of Pennsylvania’s All-Wags 1970s Decadal Football Team 2022: U.S. Patent Awarded: Patent 11,460,408 B2, Method of geochemical characterization, production allocation, and monitoring using trace and ultra-trace element analysis 2022: Listed among “Best Researchers in the Discipline of Earth Sciences” based on citation-based metrics of research.com.
John Castagna	2006: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Reginald Fessenden Award 2001: Society of Exploration Geophysicists TLE Best Paper Award 1995: Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Distinguished Lecturer
Henry Chafez	1984: S.E.P.M. Outstanding Paper Award, 1984, for: Chafetz, H.S., and Folk, R.L., Travertines: Depositional morphology and the bacterially constructed constituents: Jour. Sed. Petrol.,54:289-316.
Yunsoo Choi	2007: Glen Cass Award
Peter Copeland	2007: Fellow - Geological Society of America 2007: University of Houston Provost’s Core Teaching Excellence Award
William Dupre	2010: University of Houston Provost’s Faculty Advisor Award 2008: University of Houston Provost’s Teaching Excellence Award 2007: John C. Butler Teaching Excellence Award 2001: Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies Distinguished Educator Award 1997: Texas Earth Science Teachers Association Distinguished Service Award
Ian Evans	1978: Mortar Board Teaching Excellence Award 1965: Fellow, Geological Society of London
Qi Fu	2017: Career Award, National Science Foundation
Fred Hilterman	2006: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Maurice Ewing Medal for lifetime work in geophysics, (SEG's highest medal) 2004: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Cecil Green Enterprise Award 2000-2001: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Distinguished Instructor Short Course (DISC) Lecturer (2000-2001) 21 worldwide presentations 1996-1997: President of Society of Exploration Geophysicists 1988: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Best Presentation Award 1985-1986: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Distinguished Lecturer 1984-1985: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Distinguished Lecturer 1985: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Classic Paper of Past 25 Years 1984: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Virgil Kauffman Gold Medal 1982-1983: Vice-President of Society of Exploration Geophysicists 1970: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Best Paper Award
Xun Jiang	2007: Group Achievement Award to AIRS Science Team, National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2004: Li Ming Fellowship, California Institute of Technology
Shuhab Khan	2021: Co-Editor-in-Chief, Earth-Science Reviews, 2012-present 2019: Fulbright Specialist, Yildiz Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey) 2019: Group Teaching Excellence Award 2018: Undergraduate Research Mentor Award, University of Houston 2017: John C. Butler Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Houston 2016: Fellow Geological Society of America 2015: Chair, AAPG GIS Publications Committee (2015-2019) 2014: The University of Houston, Teaching Excellence Award
Thomas Lapen	2008: John C. Butler Excellence in Teaching Award, University of Houston
Aibing Li	2006: Faculty Early Career Development Award, National Science Foundation
Paul Mann	2020: AAPG Imperial Barrel Award Gulf Coast section (Second place) (UH faculty co-advisor) 2020: Best paper award for the journal Interpretation in 2019 (with Kyle Reuber) 2019: AAPG Grover E. Murray Distinguished Educator Award 2019: AAPG Imperial Barrel world championship (UH faculty co-advisor) 2017: Robert H. Dott, Sr., best AAPG publication award (AAPG Memoir 108) 2017: AAPG Imperial Barrel world championship (UH faculty co-advisor) 2017: AAPG Imperial Barrel Award Gulf Coast section (First place) (UH faculty co-advisor) 2017-present: Associate editor, Marine Geophysical Researches 2016: AAPG Imperial Barrel Award Gulf Coast section (Second place) (UH faculty co-advisor) 2014: AAPG Imperial Barrel Award Gulf Coast section (Third place) (UH faculty co-advisor) 2013: Advisor of the year award, University of Houston Student Association 2013: AAPG Imperial Barrel Award Gulf Coast section (Third place) (UH faculty co-advisor) 2013: Robert E. Sheriff endowed chair, University of Houston 2012: AAPG Imperial Barrel Award Gulf Coast section (Third place) (UH faculty co-advisor) 2011: Convenor, GSA Penrose meeting, Manizales, Colombia 2010: Director's circle of excellence award, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics 2010-2017: Associate editor, Marine and Petroleum Geology 2008: Leiv Eiriksson fellowship, University of Stavanger, Norway 2008: Outstanding research award, University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences 2006: Joseph C. Walter excellence award, University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences 2005: Fellow, Geological Society of America 1999-2000: Fellow, French Academy of Sciences, University of Nice, France 2000-2012: Associate editor, Bulletin Geological Society of America 1999: Convenor, GSA Penrose meeting, Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic 1997: Erskine research fellow, University of Canterbury, New Zealand 1992-3: Associate editor, Geology
Michael Murphy	2011: University of Houston Provost's Core Teaching Excellence Award 2010: John Butler Teaching Excellence Award
Will Sager	2003-12: Jane and R. Ken Williams '45 Chair in Ocean Drilling Science, Technology & Education, Texas A&M Univ. 2009: Association of Former Students Distinguished Award for Research, Texas A&M Univ. 2003: College of Geosciences Distinguished Achievement Award for Research, Texas A&M Univ. 1989: Nominated for Association of Former Students Distinguished Teaching Award, Texas A&M Univ.
Jinny Sisson	2021: YBRA Dutcher Award for Outstanding Service 2018: GSA/ExxonMobil Field Camp Excellence Award 2017: Elected Fellow of the Mineralogical Society of America 1998: Outstanding Faculty Associate, Lovett College, Rice University 1998: Rice University Women’s Center Impact Award 1997: Fellow, Geological Society of America 1996: Life Fellow, Mineralogical Association of America
Robert Stewart	2014: University of Houston Teaching Excellence Award 2010: Industry Icons, Most influential people in the energy industry: Hart’s E&P Magazine. 2010: NASA Group Achievement Award, Robotic Recon Experiment Team: National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2008: Volunteer Award, Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists 2007: Fellow International, The Explorers Club of New York 2006: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Life Membership Award
Leon Thomsen	2022: National Academy of Engineering 2020: Best Paper Award, SEG Annual Meeting 2020: Maurice Ewing Medal, Society of Exploration Geophysicists, for lifetime accomplishment (SEG's highest award) 2015-18 Board of Directors, SEAM, Inc. 2015: SEG-GSH Honorary Symposium 2006-07: President of Society of Exploration Geophysicists 2002: Distinguished Instructor, Society of Exploration Geophysicists 1997: Distinguished Lecturer, Society of Exploration Geophysicists 1993: Fessenden Award, Society of Exploration Geophysicists Kapitsa Medal, Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Foreign Member of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences Honorary Member of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers Honorary Member Geophysical Society of Houston.
Don Van Nieuwenhuise	2013: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Public Service Award 2010-2013: VP of GCSSEPM. 2009-2013: General Chairman of NAMS-SEPM Microfossils I and II conferences.
Guoquan Wang	2009: Career Award, National Science Foundation
Arthur B. Weglein	2003: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Distinguished Lecturer
Juila Wellner	2020 - 2021: IODP Distinguished Lecturer 2020: Geological Society of America Fellow 2016 - 2017: University of Houston Energy Fellow 2016: AAPG Distinguished Lecturer 2015: UH Provost's Certificate of Excellence 2015: UH Alumni Association Outstanding Faculty Award
Allied Geophysical Laboratories, Department of Geosciences, University of Houston	1997: SEG Distinguished Achievement Award The award is given from time to time to a company, institution, or other organization for a specific technical contribution or contributions that have, in the opinion of the SEG Honors and Awards Committee and the Executive Committee, substan-tially advanced the science of exploration geophysics.
Best student paper and poster awards at national and international meetings and AAPG Imperial Barrel Award competition
2016 - Joan Blanco (PhD candidate), Third place (with UH team member Alexandre Silva), SEG Challenge Bowl World Finals, SEG annual meeting, Dallas, October 17, 2016 2016 - Andrew Steier, MS candidate, 1st place student poster competition, 15th Houston Geological Society/Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, Africa 2016 Conference, Paul Mann 2016 - Rasheed Ajala, undergraduate, 2nd place student poster competition, 15th Houston Geological Society/Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, Africa 2016 Conference, Paul Mann 2016 - Kyle Reuber, PhD candidate, 3rd place student poster competition, 15th Houston Geological Society/Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, Africa 2016 Conference, Paul Mann 2016 - Shenelle Gomez, PhD Candidate: 2nd Place, AAPG 2016 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2016 - Luis Carlos Carvajal, PhD Candidate: 3rd Place, AAPG 2016 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2016 - Shenelle Gomez, PhD candidate and Team Captain, UH Imperial Barrel Award Team (team co-advisor: Paul Mann): 2nd Place; Gulf Coast Imperial Barrel Award Regional Competition 2015 - Luis Carlos Carvajal, PhD Candidate: 3rd Place (tie), Annual Gulf Coast Assoc. Geological Societies, Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2015 - Steve Leslie, PhD Candidate: 2nd Place, AAPG 2015 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2014 - Patrick Loureiro, PhD candidate, 1st place student poster competition, 13th Houston Geological Society/Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, Africa 2014 Conference, Paul Mann 2014 - Naila Dowla, PhD candidate, 2nd place student poster competition, 13th Houston Geological Society/Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, Africa 2014 Conference, Paul Mann 2014 - Derek Scott, undergraduate, 3rd place student poster competition, 13th Houston Geological Society/Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, Africa 2014 Conference, Paul Mann Luis Carlos Carvajal, PhD Candidate, UH, 3rd Place (tie), Annual Gulf Coast Assoc. Geological Societies, Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2014 - Stephen Leslie, PhD Candidate, UH, 2nd Place, AAPG 2015 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2014 - Tricia Alvarez, PhD Candidate, UT Austin, 3rd Place, AAPG 2014 Annual Meeting Student Oral Presentation Competition, Paul Mann (co-supervisor with Lesli J. Wood) 2014 - Bryan Ott, PhD Candidate, UH, 3rd Place, AAPG 2014 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2014 - Javier Sanchez, PhD Candidate, UH, 3rd Place, AAPG 2014 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2014- Dan Coleff, PhD Candidate, UH: 1st Place, GCSSEPM Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Robert Stewart 2014- Bryan Ott, PhD Candidate, UH: 3rd Place (tie), GCSSEPM Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2014- Karilys Castillo, MS Candidate, UH: 3rd Place (tie), GCSSEPM Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2014- Marie de los Santos, Undergraduate geology major, UH: Honorable Mention, GCSSEPM Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Peter Copeland 2014- Jiangbo Yu, MS candidate, UH: Honorable Mention, GCSSEPM Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Bob Wang 2014- Kurt Sundell, PhD Candidate, UH: Honorable Mention, GCSSEPM Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Joel Saylor 2013- Bryan Ott, PhD Candidate, UH: 1st Place, AAPG 2013 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2013 - Luis Carlos Carvajal, MS Candidate, UH: 2nd Place, AAPG 2013 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2013 - Lucia Torrado, MS Candidate, UH: 3rd Place, AAPG 2013 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2013 - Kyle Reuber, PhD Candidate, and the UH Imperial Barrel Award Team (co-advisors: John Castagna, Paul Mann): 3rd Place; Gulf Coast Imperial Barrel Award Regional Competition 2013 - Elizabeth Thompson, Undergraduate senior thesis student, Outstanding Undergraduate Poster Presentation Award, Geological Society of America South-Central Section Meeting, Austin, Texas, Jon Snow 2012 - Javier Sanchez, PhD Candidate, UH: 1st Place, Post-Graduate Category; Midland Valley's 2012 Student Structural Competition, Paul Mann 2012, Matthew Loocke, MS Candidate, UH: Outstanding student paper award, Fall AGU meeting, Jon Snow 2012 - Guy Fitz, MS Candidate, UT Austin, Outstanding student paper award, Fall AGU meeting, Paul Mann 2012 - Bryan Ott, MS Candidate, and the UH Imperial Barrel Award Team (co-advisors: John Castagna, Paul Mann): 3rd Place; Gulf Coast Imperial Barrel Award Regional Competition 2011- Henry Campos, MS Graduate, UT Austin: 1st Place, AAPG 2011 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2011 - Rocio Bernal, PhD Candidate, UT Austin: 3rd Place, AAPG 2011 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2009 - Tricia Alvarez, PhD Candidate, UT Austin: 3rd Place, AAPG 2009 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2008 - David Contreras, MS Graduate, UT Austin: 1st Place, AAPG 2008 Annual Meeting Student Poster Competition, Paul Mann 2008 - Xiangyun Jiang, Postdoctoral Researcher, UT Austin: Award of Excellence, "Top 10" Presentation, AAPG 2008 Annual Meeting, Paul Mann
In Memoriam
Kevin Burke	2013: European Geosciences Union Arthur Holmes medal winner for 2014 (one of the three most prestigious awards from the European Geosciences Union) 2007: The Geological Society of America's Penrose Medal (The Geological Society of America's Highest Award). 2004: Geological Society of America Structural Geology and Tectonics Career Award. 1982-1983: American Association of Petroleum Geologists Distinguished Lecturer. 1990-92: Director, Board on Earth Sciences and Resources, National Research Council.
Robert Sheriff	1998: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Maurice Ewing Medal of for lifetime work in geophysics, SEG's highest medal. 1997: Quest for Excellence Award, University of Houston College of Natural Sciences and Mathematics 1997: Society Of Exploration Geophysicists: Distinguished Achievement Award to the Allied Geophysical Laboratories (Sheriff-Director), Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Houston. The longest running petroleum industrial consortium at the University of Houston. The award is given from time to time to a company, institution, or other organization for a specific technical contribution or contributions that have, in the opinion of the SEG Honors and Awards Committee and the Executive Committee, substantially advanced the science of exploration geophysics. 1996: Special Commendation Award, Society of Exploration Geophysicists 1993: Australian Society of Exploration Geophysics Distinguished Lecturer 1980: Honorary Membership in Geophysical Society of Houston 1979: Honorary Membership in Society of Exploration Geophysicists 1977: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Distinguished Lecturer 1969: Society of Exploration Geophysicists Virgil Kauffman Gold Medal for outstanding contribution to geophysics
Robert Talbot	2009: Group Achievement Award for the ARCTAS Field Campaign, National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2006: Group Achievement Award for the INTEX-B/MILAGRO Field Campaign, National Aeronautics and Space Administration 2005: Group Achievement Award for the INTEX-NA Airborne Expedition, National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1998: Group Achievement Award for the SONEX Airborne Expedition, National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1995: Group Achievement Award for the GTE/PEM-West A & B Airborne Expeditions, National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1993: Group Achievement Award for the GTE/ABLE – 3A and B Airborne Expeditions, National Aeronautics and Space Administration

People

Recipient

Award

Best student paper and poster awards at national and international meetings and AAPG Imperial Barrel Award competition