
William Bowie Lecture
Information on the Lecture
The William Bowie Lecture is presented annually and recognizes significant contributions to the fundamentals of geophysics, as well as unselfish cooperation in research. It is presented by invitation only and is named to honor the life and work of William Bowie, a geodetic engineer who also served as AGU’s first president.
The Bowie Lecture is part of the Bowie Lecture Series, established in 1989 to commemorate the 50th presentation of the William Bowie medal, AGU's highest honor. Section lectures established in honor of a past Bowie medalist are part of the Bowie Lecture series.
This lecture is the premier scientific activity of the Geodesy section during the AGU Fall Meeting.

Lecturer Benefits
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1Lecture certificate
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2Recognition in Eos
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3Recognition at the AGU Fall Meeting during the lecture presentation year
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4An invitation to present the Bowie Lecture at the AGU Fall Meeting during the lecture presentation year
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5Complimentary ticket to the Geodesy section event at the AGU Fall Meeting during the lecture presentation year
Eligibility
Nominee Eligibility
- The nominee is required to be an active AGU member.
- Self-nominations are not accepted.
- The following individuals are not eligible to be candidates for the award during their terms of service:
- AGU President;
- AGU President-elect;
- Council Leadership Team members;
- Honors and Recognition Committee members;
- Bowie Lecture Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff
Nominator Eligibility
- Members of the general public can submit nominations for the Bowie Lecture
- Multiple nominators for a single candidate are encouraged to collaborate on the nomination package.
- The following individuals are not eligible to be nominators for the award during their terms of service:
- AGU President;
- AGU President-elect;
- Council Leadership Team members;
- Honors and Recognition Committee members;
- Bowie Lecture Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff
Supporter Eligibility
- Members of the general public can write letters supporting nominees for the Bowie Lecture.
- The following individuals are not eligible to be supporters for the award during their terms of service:
- AGU President;
- AGU President-elect;
- Council Leadership Team members;
- Honors and Recognition Committee members;
- Bowie Lecture Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff
Relationships to a Nominee
- The following relationships need to be identified and communicated to the Lecture Committee but will not disqualify individuals from participating in the nomination or committee review process. These apply to committee members, nominators, and supporters:
- Current dean, departmental chair, supervisor, supervisee, laboratory director, an individual with whom one has a current business or financial relationship (e.g., business partner, employer, employee);
- Research collaborator or co-author within the last three years; and/or
- An individual working at the same institution or having accepted a position at the same institution.
- Individuals with the following relationships are disqualified from participating in the lecture nomination process as a nominator or supporter:
- Family member, spouse, or partner.
- A previous graduate (Master’s or Ph.D.) and/or postdoctoral advisor, or postdoctoral fellow may not write a nomination letter but may write a supporting letter after five years of terminating their relationship with the nominee beginning on 1 January after the year the relationship was terminated.
- A former doctoral or graduate student, or a former postdoctoral fellow may not write a nomination letter for a former advisor but may write a supporting letter after five years of terminating their relationship with the nominee beginning on 1 January after the year the relationship was terminated.
Submissions
The 2023 nomination cycle will open on 18 January. Check back to submit a nomination.

Recipients

Bridget R Scanlon

Glenn A. Milne
Video

Maria T Zuber
Lecture Title:
Geodetic Clues in Planetary Treasure Hunts
Video

Veronique M A Dehant

Byron D Tapley

Tonie M van Dam

Mark Simons

Daniel Dzurisin

Jerry X Mitrovica

Don P Chambers

Reinhard F Rummel

Kosuke Heki

Gerald W Bawden

Jeffrey Todd Freymueller

Eric J Rignot

Kristine M Larson

Richard D Ray

R Steven Nerem

Michael M Watkins

Herb Dragert

Gilles Peltzer

James L Davis

Anny A Cazenave

David E Smith

Jean-Bernard Honore Minster

David T Sandwell

John M Wahr

Jean O Dickey

Richard H Rapp

Irwin I Shapiro
