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Beno Gutenberg Lecture

Information on the Lecture

The Beno Gutenberg Lecture is presented annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to the field of seismology. The lecture is named to honor the life and work of renowned seismologist Beno Gutenberg and is presented during the AGU Fall Meeting.

The Gutenberg Lecture is also part of the Bowie Lecture Series, established in 1989 to commemorate the 50th presentation of the William Bowie medal, AGU’s highest honor.

Aerial view of a fault line in Turkey

Lecturer Benefits

AGU is proud to recognize our section honorees. Recipients of the Beno Gutenberg Lecture will receive the following benefits with the honor:

  • 1

    Lecture certificate

  • 2

    Recognition in Eos

  • 3

    Recognition at the AGU Fall Meeting during the award presentation year

  • 4

    An invitation to present the Gutenberg Lecture at the AGU Fall Meeting during the award presentation year

Eligibility

To better understand eligibility for nominators, supporters and Gutenberg Lecture Committee members, review AGU’s Honors Conflict of Interest Policy.

  • The nominee is required to be an active AGU member.
  • The nominee must be primarily affiliated with the Seismology section.
  • 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;
    • Gutenberg Lecture Committee members; and
    • All full-time AGU staff

  • Nominators are required to hold an active AGU membership.
  • 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;
    • Beno Lecture Committee members; and
    • All full-time AGU staff.

  • Individuals who write letters of support for the nominee are not required to be active AGU members.
  • 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;
    • Beno Lecture Committee members; and
    • All full-time AGU staff.

The following relationships need to be identified and communicated to the Award 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 award 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.

Nomination Process

Named section lectures are not required to follow a nomination cycle process. Sections have the flexibility to adopt the process that will best serve their communities. For nomination requirements, please contact Martha Savage, Seismology Section President.

Rocky cliffs above the water
January in Panamint Range, California

Nomination Package

Your nomination package must contain all of the following files, which should be no more than two pages in length per document.

  • A nomination letter that states how the nominee meets the selection criteria. It should include details about the nominee’s significant contributions to the field of seismology. Nominator’s signature, name, title, institution, and contact information are required and letterhead is preferred;

Submissions

The 2023 nomination cycle will open on 18 January. Check back to submit a nomination. 

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Recipients

Philippe Henri Lognonné

2022

Video

Lecture Title

A Biased Tour of Geophysical Inversion

Video

Emily E Brodsky

2019

William L Ellsworth

2018

Shuichi Kodaira

2017

Karen M Fischer

2016

Kazushige Obara

2015

Susan L Beck

2014

Michael H Ritzwoller

2013

Thomas H Jordan

2012

Thorne Lay

2011

Michael G Bostock

2010

John Emilio Vidale

2009

Michel Campillo

2008

Kerry Sieh

2007

Goran Ekstrom

2006

Peter M Shearer

2005

Barbara A Romanowicz

2004

Francis A. Dahlen

2002

Don L Anderson

1999

James N Brune

1998

Adam M Dziewonski

1997

Hiroo Kanamori

1996

Guust Nolet

1994

Leon Knopoff

1992

Honors Contacts

AGU Staff Headshot Rosa Maymi

Rosa Maymi

Director, Engagement and Membership

202-777-7322 | [email protected]

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Leah Bland

Manager, Honors

202-777-7389 | [email protected]

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Hannah Hoffman

Program Manager, Fellows

[email protected]