Past National Award Recipients

Ben H. Parker Memorial Distinguished Service Medal

The Ben H. Parker Memorial Medal is the Institute’s most distinguished award. It was established by the Executive Committee, in 1969, in posthumous honor of a truly great leader and one of the most articulate and effective advocates for the improvement of the profession of geology. The medal is awarded to individuals who have long records of distinguished and outstanding service to the profession. It is a tribute to Ben H. Parker, a person who gave much of his life to improve the quality of geology, geologists, and the services they provide. The following outstanding geologists have been awarded the Ben H. Parker Memorial Medal.

Martin Van Couvering Memorial Service to the Institute Award

The Martin Van Couvering Memorial Award was established by the Executive Committee, in 1979, in posthumous honor of the first President of the Institute. Martin Van Couvering made the presidency a full-time occupation for the first two years of the Institute’s history. His dynamic leadership, diplomacy, and organizational abilities established the solid foundation from which the Institute has grown. Few, if any, have given so much to the Institute. The following outstanding persons have been recipients of the Martin Van Couvering Memorial Award.

John T. Galey, Sr., Memorial Public Service Award

The Public Service Award was established by the Executive Committee, in 1982, in recognition of one of its primary purposes; service to the public. In 1992, it was renamed the John T. Galey, Sr., Memorial Public Service Award, in posthumous honor of our fourth President, whose long professional career was a continuum of service to both the geological and the general public. This recognition is important because so many members have distinguished themselves and the Institute by giving expert testimony to governmental units, by serving on governmental commissions and committees, and by providing geological expertise where it was needed by the public at large.

Award of Honorary Membership

For the first time in its history, AIPG in 1984 conferred Honorary Membership on one of its most distinguished and illustrious members. This special honor, provided for in the Institute’s Constitution and Bylaws, had long been available but had never before been granted. The most important criterion for this award is an exemplary record of distinguished service to the profession and to the Institute.

John Stewart Memorial Early Career Professional Award

The John Stewart Memorial Early Career Professional Award was established by the Executive Committee in 2019 in posthumous honor of John Stewart, who graciously gave his time and experience to AIPG and in encouraging early career geologists in their early careers and professional growth. This award is to honor an Early Career Professional member who had demonstrated an ongoing commitment to the geologic profession and AIPG at the section and/or national level, and in particular, to mentoring and aiding in the advancement of Early Career Professional members in their early careers and within AIPG.

This award is to assure that active and ambitious Early Career Professional member geologists are honored as the future of AIPG.

Presidential Certificate of Merit

Each year, the President of the American Institute of Professional Geologists may award one or more certificates of merit to individuals who, through dedicated and meritorious service, have made an outstanding contribution to the Institute. The award, the Presidential Certificate of Merit, is announced and presented to the recipient at the Annual Meeting.

Outstanding Achievement Award Major Contribution to the Profession

The Outstanding Achievement Award Major Contribution to the Profession was established by the 1989 Executive Committee to honor a non-member of AIPG who is widely recognized as a major contributor to the profession of geology. The award is not necessarily given annually, but only when the Awards Committee recommends an outstanding candidate to the Executive Committee for their consideration.