Four individuals and one committee have been selected by President Ken Tubman to receive the SEG Presidential Award in 2023. Established in 2008, the SEG Presidential Award is bestowed at the discretion of the SEG president to recognize those who have contributed outstanding service to the Society. This year’s recipients include Ellie Ardakani, Peter Cramer, Maria Angela Capello, Mandi Duckworth, and the Middle East Regional Advisory Committee.
Ellie Ardakani is recognized for her service to the Society by improving ways to connect with members and provide a sense of belonging. She not only brought forward ideas, but also stepped up and took action. She has been instrumental in the establishment, development, and functioning of the SEG Community on Slack. With almost two thousand younger and more global members, it represents the demographics to which SEG needs to appeal.
Peter Cramer’s continues to make significant contributions to SEG. Pete has provided crucial business insights for SEG’s financial analysis and functioning, options for strategy, and for SEG’s Transformation. He also led the impactful SEG/Foundation Alignment team. His efforts have had appreciable impacts on SEG’s path forward and its future success.
Maria Angela Capello is someone who has brought her huge passion, energy, and creativity to multiple roles in SEG. Maria Angela continuously brings unique perspectives and ideas to SEG’s activities. From multiple committees to taking a leading role with Geoscience in Action, sustainability atlas Maria Angela is a consistent force and outstanding contributor to the SEG.
Mandi Duckworth is recognized for consistently delivering tremendous value to SEG. This year she went above and beyond her usual excellence and has established a strong position as a leader in the organization. Mandi plays a critical role evaluating and modifying bylaws, policy, and procedures. She brings a much needed and very appreciated willingness to look at things differently and propose possibilities. She makes meaningful contributions to the direction of SEG, and its strong culture.
The Middle East Regional Advisory Committee (SMAC) has played a pivotal role in the success of SEG’s Middle East activities. Representatives from major stakeholders ensure seamless execution of technical exchanges, student initiatives, and forums. SMAC has also secured generous sponsorships allowing large numbers of workshops, conferences and training courses. This has yielded significant benefits to members in the region and around the globe. SMAC is a role model for excellent regional activity in SEG.
Presidential Awards will be presented alongside SEG’s established awards during the SEG 2023 Honors and Awards Ceremony on 29 August 2023 at IMAGE 2023. Recipients for all of SEG’s awards can be found on the SEG website.