Each year the Geological Society of America (GSA) recognizes outstanding scientific achievement and distinguished service to the geoscience profession.<\/p>\n
In a typical year, honorees are recognized at the Presidential Address and Awards Ceremony as part of the Society\u2019s Annual Meeting. During the pandemic, the meeting has transitioned to an online event for scientific exchange, and plans are currently under development for the most appropriate way to spotlight these outstanding individuals.<\/p>\n
Highest honors go to Penrose Medalist James G. Moore,<\/strong> U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Menlo Park, California; Arthur L. Day Medalist Ariel D. Anbar, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona; and Donath Medalist (Young Scientist Award) Christopher Spencer, Queen\u2019s University, Kingston, Ontario, Canada.<\/p>\n Selected by immediate Past President Donald I. Siegel (Syracuse University) for The President\u2019s Medal of The Geological Society of America is Solomon Hsiang,<\/strong> professor at the University of California, Berkeley, where he runs the renowned global policy laboratory.<\/p>\n \u201cDr. Hsiang blends earth science with economics and social science in ways that few people do,\u201d said Siegel. \u201cSolomon is involved with artificial intelligence, and he earned his reputation by writing a series of papers equating past climate disruption with global warfare (arguing that most wars in the past relate to climate). His important work is stimulating new ways of thinking about geoscience in the context of social issues.”<\/p>\n Penrose Medalist James G. Moore<\/strong> <\/em>, scientist emeritus, USGS, was nominated by Keith Howard, also of the USGS. Howard cited Moore\u2019s visionary, highly innovative discoveries as having opened major new geologic research fields and advances in determining lithosphere strength, how volcanoes work, and how batholiths evolve. \u201cThe far-reaching impacts of his achievements place him among the giants of geology,\u201d said Howard. <\/p>\n Ariel D. Anbar<\/strong> is named the Arthur L. Day Medalist in recognition of his outstanding research contributions, mentoring for generations of students, and vigorous promotion of science in the public sphere. He is President\u2019s Professor at Arizona State University. Nominator Thomas Algeo (University of Cincinnati) describes Anbar as a leader in the development of high-mass isotopic systems (Fe, Mo, U) that have yielded new insights into biogeochemical cycles. \u201cAriel Anbar is a world-class geoscientist and educator,\u201d said Algeo. <\/p>\n Christopher J. Spencer <\/strong>earned the Young Scientist Award (Donath Medal) and a cash prize of $10,000 for outstanding achievement as an early career professional. Spencer is an assistant professor at Queens University. He was nominated by Brendan Murphy (St. Francis Xavier University) for outstanding contributions to the understanding of fundamental tectonic processes: from global to local in scale and from Archean to Cenozoic in age. <\/p>\n \u201cSpencer\u2019s research has incorporated a wide range of cognate disciplines including petrochronology, geophysics, geodynamics, stable and radiogenic isotope geochemistry, and stratigraphy,\u201d said Murphy.<\/p>\nGold medalists<\/h2>\n