|
Macelwane Medal Committee
2010–2012 term
Chair
Joyce Penner, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan
Members
Amy Clement, University of Miami RSMAS, Miami, Florida
Shaul Hurwitz, United States Geological Survey, Menlo Park, California
Joseph L. Kirschvink, CALTECH, Pasadena, California
Lou-Chuang Lee, National Central University, Taoyuan, Taiwan
Raymond Pierrehumbert, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois
Staff Liaisons
Beth Paredes
Established in 1961 and renamed in 1986 in honor of James B. Macelwane, this medal recognizes significant contributions to the geophysical sciences by an outstanding young scientist (less than 36 years of age). Macelwane, the thirteenth president of AGU (1953–1956), was renowned not just for his contributions to geophysics but also for his deep interest in teaching and encouraging young scientists. The first recipient of this medal was James N. Brune. As many as three medals may (but need not) be given annually and up to five medals may be given annually under exceptional circumstances on the unanimous vote of the selection committee.
James B. Macelwane was a seismologist at Saint Louis University. During the 1920s and 1930s, working with students and colleagues, he used seismic P waves to derive early velocity models of the mantle, developed travel time curves for numerous seismic phases, developed methods for hypocentral determinations of deep earthquakes, and showed that 4- to 10-s microseisms are traveling waves originating from storms at sea. He was a leader in establishing seismology on a firm theoretical basis, and published the textbook Introduction to Theoretical Seismology in 1936. He was renowned for both his numerous contributions to research and his interest in education.
Committee Charge
- Select the recipient of the Macelwane Medal; the final decision is subject for approval of the Executive Committee.
- Interpret the scope of the award broadly and to keep in mind that as a Union medal, it should reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the Earth and space sciences.
- Be especially mindful of the diversity of the community of individuals encompassed by AGU.
- Do not depend solely on unsolicited nominations but should be proactive by encouraging nominations through committee member contacts.
- State, as part of their recommendation to the Executive Committee, the number of candidates considered, how many of these were holdovers and how many were new, and whether the new candidates were nominations from general call or were actively encouraged by the committee.
- Define the process used for reaching the decision.
Work Plan for 2010–2012
In addition to selecting Macelwane Medalists,
- Review data from Macelwane Medal's selection processes for the past several years to determine if the program is operating maximally in terms of the relevant goals of the Union's strategic plan.
- Work with Section and Focus Group committees to increase the number of nominations of viable candidates in underrepresented groups so that newly elected medalists reflect the diversity of the Union membership; and
- Work with the Meetings and Honors and Recognition Committees to review formats for the award ceremonies at AGU meetings and to recommend revisions to award ceremony formats as necessary.
–July 2010