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Faculty Honors, Awards, and Distinctions

A.G. Huntsman Award

Recognizing excellence of research in marine sciences.

  • Adina Paytan

Alexander Von Humboldt Foundation Research Award

The Alexander von Humboldt Foundation is endowed by the German government to award young scientists and distinguished senior scientists from abroad. It plays an important role in attracting foreign researchers to work in Germany and enabling German researchers to work abroad for a period.

  • Robert Coe (emeritus)
  • James Gill (emeritus)
  • James Zachos (emeritus)

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellows

The Sloan Research Fellowships seek to stimulate fundamental research by early-career scientists and scholars of outstanding promise. These annual, two-year fellowships are awarded to researchers in recognition of distinguished performance and a unique potential to make substantial contributions to their field.

  • Rob Coe (emeritus)
  • Ian Garrick-Bethell
  • Elise Knittle (emeritus)
  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)
  • Slawek Tulaczyk

American Academy of Arts and Sciences Members

The American Academy of Arts and Sciences is one of the nation's most prestigious honorary societies and a center for independent policy research. The following members of the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences have been honored as elected members:

  • Gary Glatzmaier (emeritus)
  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)
  • James Zachos (emeritus)

American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows

Election as a fellow of AAAS is an honor bestowed upon members by their peers in recognition of meritorious efforts to advance science or its applications. A fellow is defined as "a member whose efforts on behalf of the advancement of science or its applications are scientifically or socially distinguished."

  • Andrew Fisher
  • Paul Koch (emeritus)
  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)
  • Jim Zachos (emeritus)

American Astronomical Society Harold C. Urey Prize

This annual prize was established to recognize and encourage outstanding achievements in planetary science by a young scientist.

  • Erik Asphaug (emeritus)
  • Francis Nimmo

American Geophysical Union Fellow

To be elected an AGU fellow is a special tribute for those who have made exceptional scientific contributions. Nominated fellows have attained acknowledged eminence in the Earth and space sciences through a major breakthrough, discovery, and paradigm shift. The following members of the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences have been honored as elected fellows:

  • Emily Brodsky
  • Robert Coe (emeritus)
  • Andrew Fisher
  • Jim Gill (emeritus)
  • Gary Glatzmaier (emeritus)
  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)
  • Francis Nimmo
  • Adina Paytan
  • Susan Schwartz (emeritus)
  • Eli Silver (emeritus)
  • Quentin Williams
  • James Zachos (emeritus)

AGU Beno Gutenberg Lecture

  • Emily Brodsky - Seismology Section 2019
  • Thorne Lay - Seismology Section 2011

AGU Dansgaard Award

  • Adina Paytan

AGU Emiliani Lecture

  • Jim Zachos (emeritus)

AGU Fleming Medal

  • Rob Coe (emeritus)

AGU Inge Lehmann Medal

  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)

AGU James B. Macelwane Medal

This award, established in 1961 and renamed in 1986 in honor of James B. Macelwane. Renowned for his contributions to geophysics, Macelwane was deeply interested in teaching and encouraging young scientists. This medal recognizes significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist.

  • Emily Brodsky
  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)
  • Francis Nimmo
  • Quentin Williams

AGU Ocean Sciences Early Career Award

  • Adina Paytan

AGU Ronald Greeley Early Career Award in Planetary Science

  • Ian Garrick-Bethell
  • Xi Zhang

AGU William Gilbert Award

This award was established in 2003 to recognize outstanding and unselfish work in magnetism of earth materials and of the earth and planets.

  • Robert Coe (emeritus)

AWIS (Association of Women in Science) Ellen Weaver Award

Awards are presented annually to two women who have combined scientific achievement and support of other women in science.

  • Adina Paytan

California Academy of Sciences Fellows

Elected fellows are distinguished scientists in one of the fields of natural history or a related field.

  • Gary Griggs
  • Paul Koch (emeritus)
  • James Zachos (emeritus)

Earthscope Distinguished Lecturer

  • Emily Brodsky

European Geosciences Union (EGU) - Biogeosciences Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky Medal

  • Adina Paytan

European Geosciences Union (EGU) - Milankovic Medal

This medal was established by the Climate: Past, Present & Future Division in recognition of the scientific and editorial achievements of Milutin Milankovic.

  • James Zachos (emeritus)

Farinella Prize

The Paolo Farinella Prize is named after Paolo Farinella. The prize recognizes significant contributions in the fields of planetary sciences, space geodesy, fundamental physics, science popularization, security in space, weapons control, and disarmament.

  • Francis Nimmo

Fulbright Scholars

The Fulbright Program is the flagship international educational exchange program sponsored by the U.S. Government and is designed to "increase mutual understanding between the people of the united states and the people of other countries." Participants are chosen for their academic merit and leadership potential and given the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns.

  • Gary Griggs

Geological Society of America Fellows

Geological Society of America Fellowship is an annual honor bestowed in recognition of distinguished contributions to the geosciences.

  • Emily Brodsky
  • Matthew Clapham
  • Andrew Fisher
  • Paul Koch (emeritus)
  • Casey Moore (emeritus)
  • Eli Silver (emeritus)
  • Slawek Tulaczyk
  • James Zachos (emeritus)

Geological Society of America (GSA) Kirk Bryan Award

  • Noah Finnegan

Geological Society of America (GSA) George P. Wollard Award

  • Emily Brodsky

Geological Society of America (GSA) O.E. Meinzer Award

  • Andrew Fisher

Geological Society Of Japan International Prize

  • Casey Moore (emeritus)

Geological Society Of London President's Prize

  • Francis Nimmo

GeoPrisms Distinguished Lecturer

  • Emily Brodsky

Ida Benson Lynn Endowed Chair of Ocean Health

  • Jim Zachos (emeritus)

IODP Distinguished Lecturer

  • Emily Brodsky
  • Andrew Fisher

IRIS/SSA Distinguished Lecuturer

  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)

IUGG Fellow

  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)

Jack Oliver Distinguished Visiting Professor, Cornell University

  • Emily Brodsky

JOI-USSAC Distinguished Lecturer

  • Andrew Fisher

Merle A. Tuve Senior Fellow, Carnegie Institute of Washington

  • Emily Brodsky
  • Francis Nimmo

Mineralogical Society of America Award

  • Quentin Williams

NASA Early Career Award

  • Myriam Telus

National Academy of Sciences Members

Members are elected annually in recognition of their distinguished achievements in original research. Election is considered one of the highest honors that can be accorded a scientist or engineer. The following members of the Department of Earth & Planetary Sciences have been honored as elected members:

  • Emily Brodsky
  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)
  • Gary Glatzmaier (emeritus)
  • Francis Nimmo
  • Jim Zachos (emeritus)

Nemmers Prize in Earth Sciences

  • Emily Brodsky

NSF CAREER Award

  • Nicole Feldl

NSF-RIDGE Distinguished Lecturer

  • Andrew Fisher

Phi Beta Kappa Northern California Association Teaching Excellence Award

Teaching Excellence Award is conferred to honor those who have been outstanding teachers and mentors. Recipients are those who have taught an especially memorable course, or who have had a special impact on the education, career, life, or who have been found inspiring or particularly admirable.

  • Patrick Chuang
  • Quentin Williams

Royal Astronomical Society's Harold Jeffreys Lectureship

  • Francis Nimmo

Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Member

  • Jim Zachos (emeritus)

Seismological Society of America Harry Fielding Reid Medal

  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)

Seismological Society of America Richter Award

The Charles F. Richter Early Career Award honors outstanding contributions to the goals of the society by a member early in her or his career.

  • Emily Brodsky

Sigma Xi Distinguished Lecturer

  • Andrew Fisher

Star on the Mountain Award, City of El Paso, Texas

  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)

UCSC Alumni Distinguished Teaching Award

  • Gary Griggs

UCSC Dean McHenry Award

  • Quentin Williams

UCSC Excellence In Teaching Award

The Excellence in Teaching Awardees are selected annually by the Academic Senate's Committee on Teaching. Faculty are initially nominated by students who have been inspired by their instructor's excellence, and evaluation by the Committee on Teaching. 

  • Andrew Fisher (2011-12 and 2016-17)
  • A. Russell Flegal (1997-98)
  • Hilde Schwartz (2005-6)

UCSC Hellman Fellows Program

  • Terry Blackburn
  • Ian Garrick-Bethell
  • Xi Zhang
  • Margaret Zimmer(emeritus)

UCSC Physical & Biological Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award

  • Rob Coe (emeritus)
  • Jim Gill (emeritus)
  • Gary Griggs
  • Thorne Lay (emeritus)

UCSC Physical & Biological Sciences Ron Ruby Award for Teaching Excellence

  • Hilde Schwartz