Awards

Bowie Lectures

Overview

The William Bowie Lecture honors the life and work of geodetic engineer and AGU’s first president, William Bowie.

This Geodesy section named lecture is the premier scientific activity of the Geodesy section held during the AGU Fall Meeting. The Bowie Lecture is webcast and made available as an archived presentation on the AGU website.

The Bowie Lecture series was inaugurated in 1989 to commemorate the 50th presentation of the William Bowie medal, which is AGU’s first medal and highest honor given annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and unselfish cooperation in research. Section named lectures that are established in honor of a past Bowie medalist are also categorized as part of the Bowie Lecture series.

The Bowie Lecture series was inaugurated in 1989 to commemorate the 50th presentation of the William Bowie medal, which is AGU’s first medal and highest honor given annually in recognition of outstanding contributions to fundamental geophysics and unselfish cooperation in research. Section named lectures that are established in honor of a past Bowie medalist are also categorized as part of the Bowie Lecture series.

The Bowie Lecture is by invitation only – nominations are not accepted.

2022

Lecturer: Bridget R. Scanlon, University of Texas at Austin
Title: TBD

2021

Lecturer: Glenn A. Milne, University of Ottawa
Title: Combining geodetic and geologic observations to identify and solve geophysical problems

2020

Lecturer: Maria T. Zuber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Title: Geodetic Clues in Planetary Treasure Hunts

2019

Lecturer: Veronique M.A. Dehant, Royal Observatory of Belgium

2018

Lecturer: Byron Tapley

2017

Lecturer: Tonie M. van Dam

2010

Lecturer: Gerald Bawden
Title: Ultra-High Resolution Four Dimensional Imaging Across the Earth Sciences

2009

Lecturer: Jeffrey T. Freymueller
Title: Geodetic Constraints on the Tectonics of Alaska and the North Pacific

2008

Lecturer: Eric Rignot
Title: Glaciological studies of the evolution of ice sheets in a warming climate

2007

Lecturer: Kristine M.Larson
Title: High-Rate GPS Earthquakes, Ice Sheets, and Volcanoes

2006

Lecturer: Richard D. Ray
Title: Tidal Friction in the Earth and Ocean

2005 

Lecturer: R. Steve Nerem
Title: The Record of Sea Level Change from Satellite Measurements: What Have We Learned?

2004

Lecturer: Michael M. Watkins
Title: Time-Variable Gravity Measurements Come of Age

2003

Lecturer: Herb Dragert
Title: Episodic Tremor and Slip in the Cascadia Subduction Zone: A Story of Discovery

2002

Lecturer: Gilles Peltzer
Title: Towards Imaging the Earth’s Surface in 4 Dimensions

2000

Lecturer: James L. Davis
Title: GPS Investigations of Postglacial Crustal Motions for Mantle Dynamics, Sea Level Change, and Paleoclimate Studies

1999

Lecturer: Anny Cazenave
Title: Satellite Geodesy and Global Climatic Changes

1998

Lecturer: David E. Smith
Title: Lasers in Earth and Planetary Exploration

1997

Lecturer: Jean-Bernard Minster
Title: Geophysical Geodesy: A Peek into the Crystal Ball

1995

Lecturer: David Sandwell
Title: Ocean Basin Tectonics Revealed with Declassified Geosat Altimeter Data

1994

Lecturer: John Wahr
Title: Geodesy and Global Change

1993

Lecturer: Jean O. Dickey
Title: Earth Rotation: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Earth System Science

1992

Lecturer: Richard H.Rapp
Title: The State of Estimation of the Earth’s Gravity Field

1990

Lecturer: Irwin I. Shapiro
Title: Probing Underfoot by Looking Overhead

1989

Lecturer: James C. Savage
Title: Interseismic Crustal Deformation in Subduction Zones

1988

Lecturer: Tom A. Herring
Title: Applications of Space Geodesy: Results and the Future