Near-Surface Honors and Awards

The Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG) Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section has committed to honoring the great men and women who have made contributions to the discipline of near-surface geophysics. 

Near-Surface Honors and Awards

Honors and Awards are based on nominations received for each current year. Nominations for awards are open from 1 November through 3 January based on award schedule.

Nomination packages should include the CV of the nominee and three letters of recommendation, ideally from various institutions/companies that identify the nominee’s qualifications for each award.

Completed nomination packages should be submitted to [email protected].

Frank Frischknecht Leadership Award

The Frank Frischknecht Leadership Award is jointly presented by the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section and the Environmental and Engineering Geophysical Society (EEGS). The inaugural award was presented to Susan Pullan in 2005 at the EEGS annual meeting, the Symposium on the Application of Geophysics to Engineering and Environmental Problems (SAGEEP). The award alternates (on an approximately 18-month interval) between the SAGEEP meeting and the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section Reception at the IMAGE meeting.

The Frank Frischknecht Leadership Award is established to recognize an individual who shows extraordinary leadership in advancing the cause of near-surface geophysics through long-term (greater than or equal to 10 years), tireless, and enthusiastic support of the near-surface geophysics community. Such leadership is often boldly displayed by an invention, a new methodology or technique, a theoretical or conceptual advancement, or a unique innovation that transforms the nature and capabilities of near-surface geophysics.

Prior to 2005, the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section presented its own Frank Frischknecht Award in recognition of long-term, tireless and enthusiastic support of the near-surface geophysics community.

View Frank Frischknecht Leadership Award Recipients

Harold Mooney Award

The Harold Mooney Award is presented by the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section during its reception at the IMAGE meeting. The honoree is chosen by his or her peers through nominations from the membership and recommendation to the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section Leadership.

The Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section Harold Mooney Award was originally presented in recognition of scientific and technical excellence and innovation leading to the advancement of near-surface geophysics. Starting in 2005, the award definition was expanded and is now presented to an individual in recognition of long-term (greater than or equal to 10 years), tireless, and enthusiastic support of the near-surface geophysics community through education, outreach efforts, professional service, or development of opportunities with other professional disciplines that employ geophysics.

View Harold Mooney Award Recipients

Honorary Life Memberships

Honorary Life Memberships are presented by the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section during the IMAGE meeting at the Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section reception. Honorary Life Memberships may be extended to any member who has active status; who has made a distinguished contribution deserving of exceptional recognition, to exploration geophysics, a related field, or to the advancement of the profession of exploration geophysics through service to the SEG; and who has voluntarily rendered exceptionally meritorious service to the SEG Near-Surface Geophysics Technical Section.

View SEG Near Surface Honorary Life Membership Recipients

Near-Surface Research Award

The Near Surface Geophysics Section of SEG is the founding supporter of the SEG Near-Surface Geophysical Research Award endowment. The SEG Near-Surface Geophysical Research Endowment helps potential key contributors in the field of near-surface geophysics.

The Near-Surface Research Award is open from 1 January – 31 March annually.

Intent

• Provides research grants to support undergraduate or graduate students in good standing and enrolled in a relevant academic program at an accredited institution.
• Student recipients must be engaged in near-surface geophysics research.
• Awards are intended to offset expenses directly related to the awardee’s near-surface geophysics research.
• Near surface geophysics typically involves the application of geophysical techniques to the study of subsurface targets other than oil and gas. Depths of investigation may range from less than a meter to greater than a kilometer, and applications include (but are not limited to): hydrogeologic studies, earthquake hazard assessment, geotechnical evaluation, archeological investigations, and agricultural studies.
• Award funds may be used to offset expenses relating to field data acquisition, laboratory studies, specialized computer software, or other activities relating to the completion of a student’s research program.

Selection of Recipients

• Recipients must be current undergraduate or graduate students in good academic standing, attending an accredited institution, and enrolled in a relevant academic program.
• Recipients will be selected by the SEG Travel Grant Committee according to established committee procedures.
• Research Award applicants must submit their application online.
• Applications must include the most recent transcript, signed letter of support from the student’s primary faculty research advisor, a research proposal (max. 2 pages) outlining merits of the research and a brief statement of the need for funding.
• Selection will be based primarily on the quality of the research proposal, considering:
  • Relevance and importance of proposed research;
  • Likelihood of proposed research approach to yield meaningful answers to proposed research.
  • The likely impact of the research grant on the student’s ability to conduct the proposed research (financial need).
• Selection will also consider the applicant’s capability for conducting the proposed research as well as their academic credentials, as determined from their transcript and their faculty research advisor’s letter of support.
• Preference will be given to students pursuing a graduate degree.
• Strong preference will be given to proposals addressing research topics other than oil and gas exploration.

Near Surface Research Award Recipients

View Near Surface Research Award Recipients

Near-Surface Views Student Article Prize

SEG student chapters have the chance to win a prize of US$250 for submitting an article to the near-surface geophysics newsletter Near-Surface Views. In order to encourage submissions of SEG student chapter articles to the near-surface newsletter Near-Surface Views, a prize for the best student chapter article in the amount of US$250 will be issued annually at the SEG Near-Surface business meeting, held at the IMAGE meeting.

Near-Surface Views Student Article Prize Recipients

• 2017 Boise State University
• 2016 Eötvös Loránd University
• 2015 University of Kansas

How You Can Help

Join the team! We welcome your help in providing much needed research funding to our near-surface students around the globe. Please consider making a contribution now to the SEG Near-Surface Geophysical Research Award endowment fund through the SEG Foundation.

Online giving is made easy by clicking SEG Program Support on the Foundation’s donation page, and then choosing the “SEG Near-Surface Geophysical Research Award” from the donation fund drop-down list. If making a gift by check, please make it payable to SEG Foundation, include NS Research Award on the memo, and mail it to 125 West 15th Street, Suite #100, Tulsa, OK 74119. Thank you for your support!

Support the Near-Surface Geophysical Research Endowment

Support the SEG Near-Surface Geophysical Research Endowment and help undergraduate or graduate students in the field of near-surface geophysics.