
Harald Sverdrup Lecture
Information on the Lecture
The Harald Sverdrup Lecture is presented biennially in even-numbered years and recognizes outstanding contributions to, as well as unselfish promotion of cooperation in, atmospheric and oceanographic research. This lecture was named in honor of the life and work of the geophysicist, Harald Sverdrup.
The Sverdrup Lecture is also a part of the Bowie Lecture Series, established in 1989 to commemorate the 50th presentation of the William Bowie medal, AGU's highest honor. The Bowie medal is named in honor of AGU's first president and Sverdrup was a recipient of the medal.
The Sverdrup Lecture is presented at both the AGU Fall Meeting and the Ocean Sciences section meeting.

Lecturer Benefits
AGU is proud to recognize our section honorees. Recipients of the Harald Sverdrup Lecture will receive the following benefits with the honor:
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Lecture certificate
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Recognition in Eos
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Recognition at the AGU Fall Meeting during the lecture presentation year
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Complimentary meeting registration the year the lecture is presented
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An invitation to present the Sverdrup Lecture at the AGU Fall Meeting during the lecture presentation year
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Complimentary ticket to the Ocean Sciences section luncheon at the AGU Fall Meeting during the lecture presentation year
Eligibility
To better understand eligibility for nominators, supporters and Ocean Sciences Honors Committee members, review AGU’s Honors Conflict of Interest Policy.
Nominee Eligibility
- The nominee is not 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;
- Ocean Sciences section leadership;
- Ocean Sciences Honors Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff.
Nominator Eligibility
- Nominators are not required to hold an active AGU membership.
- 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;
- Ocean Sciences section leadership;
- Ocean Sciences Honors Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff.
Supporter Eligibility
- 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;
- Ocean Sciences section leadership
- Ocean Sciences Honors 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.

Nomination Package
Named section lectures are not required to follow a nomination cycle process (i.e. submit a nomination package). Sections adopt the process that will best serve their communities in seeking the lecture recipients. Your nomination package for the Sverdrup Lecture must contain 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 significant contributions to atmospheric and oceanographic research. Nominator’s signature, name, title, institution, and contact information are required and letterhead is preferred.
- A curriculum vitae for the nominee.
- One additional letter of support. Supporter’s signature, name, title, institution, and contact information are required and letterhead is preferred. We encourage letters from individuals not currently or recently associated with the candidate’s institution of graduate education or employment.
Submission process

Recipients
Verena Tunnicliffe
Citation
Response

Arnold L Gordon
Lecture Title
Tropical Ocean to Southern Ocean coupling: Indonesian Throughflow and Weddell Sea Bottom Water

Mary-Louise Timmermans

Raymond W Schmitt

Sybil Seitzinger

Fiammetta Straneo

Susan Anne Wijffels

Steven R Emerson

Dennis A Hansell

Lisa A Levin

Deborah K Steinberg

Robert F Anderson

Charles C Eriksen

Victoria J Fabry

Rana A Fine

Edouard G Bard

Barbara M Hickey

Alice L Alldredge

Lawrence A Mysak

William J Jenkins

Jorge L Sarmiento

Cindy Lee

Michael J McPhaden

Paul Quay

Margaret L Delaney

Michael S McCartney

Russ E Davis

Kenneth S Johnson

Mark A Cane
