Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture
Information on the Lecture
The Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture is presented annually. It recognizes significant and innovative contributions by mid-career scientists to the hydrologic sciences through research aimed at socially important problems and through mentoring of young scientists. The award is named to honor the life and work of Paul A. Witherspoon, an accomplished hydrologist who was a leader in the field for more than 50 years.
Lecturer Benefits
AGU is proud to recognize our section honorees. Recipients of the Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture will receive the following benefits with the honor:
-
1
Lecture certificate
-
2
Recognition in Eos
-
3
An invitation to present at the AGU Fall Meeting during the lecture presentation year
-
4
Travel expenses covered (up to $2,000) to attend the meeting during the lecture presentation year
-
5
Complimentary meeting registration the year the lecture is presented
-
6
Complimentary ticket to the Hydrology section luncheon that occurs at the AGU Fall Meeting during the lecture presentation year
Eligibility
To better understand eligibility for nominators, supporters and Witherspoon Lecture Committee members, review AGU’s Honors Conflict of Interest Policy.
Nominee Eligibility
- The nominee is required to be an active AGU member.
- 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;
- Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture Committee members;
- All full-time AGU staff; and
- Hydrology Section leadership (President, President-Elect, Secretary, Past President is ineligible until one year after completion of service)
Nominator Eligibility
- Nominators are not 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;
- Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture 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;
- Paul A. Witherspoon Lecture Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff.
Relationships to a Nominee
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
The Hydrology Section has adopted a two-round process for its Section Awards to allow a more flexible, open and efficient development of the Section’s talent pool. The first round of nominations requires only a letter from the lead nominator, the nominee’s CV and optionally, a Selected Bibliography. The Witherspoon Lecture committee will review the first round nominations and request full nomination packages from a select number of applicants (nominally 5) for further consideration. The procedures and requirements for both first and second round packages are outlined below:
First Round nomination packages must be submitted through the online platform and received no later than midnight, EST, 28 February 2023.
First Round Requirements:
- Nomination letter, no more than two pages in length, stressing the nominee’s qualifications to meet the selection criteria and qualifications as stated in the award description. The nomination letter must also list at least three potential writers of letters of support.
- The nominee’s CV, no more than two pages in length, and containing the following information as a minimum: CVs must list all the following candidate information: name, mailing and email address, history of employment, degrees, research experience, honors, memberships, service to the community through committee work, advisory boards, etc.
- A Selected Bibliography, no more than two pages in length, may be included in the first round nomination package, but is not required for first round consideration. The Selected Bibliography should briefly state the total number and types of publications; specify the number published in AGU publications. For example: “Jane Doe is the author of 92 publications, 86 in peer-reviewed scientific journals, 14 of which have been published in AGU journals and books. The following selected list best supports Jane’s nomination for AGU Fellow.”
Second round notifications to all nominators will occur around mid-to-late March 2023. Nomination materials for the second round must be submitted through the online platform.
Second Round Requirements
- The nomination letter may be up to two pages in length and should stress the nominee’s qualifications to meet the selection criteria and qualifications. The nomination letter should clearly document the contributions to the science of hydrology, education, or societal impacts at an early stage in their careers.
- The nominee’s CV will be no more than two pages in length and contain the following information as a minimum: CVs must list all the following candidate information: name, mailing and email address, history of employment, degrees, research experience, honors, memberships, service to the community through committee work, advisory boards, etc.
- A Selected Bibliography, no more than two pages in length, must be included. The Selected Bibliography should briefly state the total number and types of publications; specify the number published in AGU publications. For example: “Jane Doe is the author of 92 publications, 86 in peer-reviewed scientific journals, 14 of which have been published in AGU journals and books. The following selected list best supports Jane’s nomination for AGU Fellow.”
- Up to three letters of support, each no more than two pages in length.
For any questions on the process, timing or any issues, please contact [email protected].
Nominations are Open!
Recipients
Nandita B Basu
Kamini Singha
Junguo Liu
Video
Giuliano Di Baldassarre
Lecture Title
Hydrological Extremes and Human Society
Field Photo
Video
Patrick M Reed
Elizabeth W Boyer
Thorsten Wagener
Paolo D'Odorico
Honors Contacts
