The Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology Division presents awards to both student and professional members. Some of these awards are administered by the Division, while others are administered by GSA. This page gives an overview of the awards presented by the Division and links to past award winners and how to apply for or nominate a colleague for an award.
Professional Awards
QG&G Awards
Kirk Bryan Award
Given for a publication (within past 5 years) of distinction advancing the science of geomorphology or Quaternary geology.
This award is the GSA award officially associated with the Division (only one such named GSA award is allowed per division).
Past award winners.
How to nominate a publication.
Nomination deadline: February 1 annually
Distinguished Career Award
Given to Quaternary geologists and geomorphologists who have demonstrated excellence in contributions to science.
This is a Division award.
Past award winners.
How to nominate someone for the award.
Nomination deadline: April 1 annually
Farouk El-Baz Award for Desert Research
Given for an outstanding body of work in the field of warm desert research.
This is a Division award.
Past award winners.
How to nominate someone for the award.
Nomination deadline: April 1 annually
Additional GSA Awards
*We highly encourage QG&G members to nominate their QG&G colleagues for the following awards given by GSA
Gladys W. Cole Memorial Research Award
The Gladys W. Cole Memorial Research Award is given each year to a GSA Member between 30 and 65 years of age for proposed work on geomorphology of semiarid and arid terrains in the United States and Mexico. The amount of the Gladys Cole Award varies depending on the amount available in the GSA Foundation Fund, the proposed budget, and the decision of the award selection committee, but generally ranges from about $7000-$10,000.
This is a GSA award. The division management board evaluates the Cole Research Award Proposals.
Past award winners.
Apply for this award.
Nomination deadline: February 1 annually
GSA Penrose medal
The Penrose Medal was established in 1927 by R.A.F. Penrose, Jr., to be awarded in recognition of eminent research in pure geology, for outstanding original contributions or achievements that mark a major advance in the science of geology.
Application Deadline: February 1st annually (March 1st for international nominations)
Past awards winners
How to nominate someone for this award
Nomination deadline: February 1 annually
GSA Fellow
(more info)
Society Fellowship is an honor bestowed on the best of our profession by election at the spring GSA Council meeting. GSA members are nominated by existing GSA Fellows in recognition of a sustained record of distinguished contributions to the geosciences and the Geological Society of America through such avenues as publications, applied research, teaching, administration of geological programs, contributing to the public awareness of geology, leadership of professional organizations, and taking on editorial, bibliographic, and library responsibilities.
Current GSA Fellows
How to nominate someone to become a GSA Fellow
Nomination deadline: February 1 annually
Student Awards
Student award winners are chosen on the basis of GSA student research grant applications. Any research grant application that has “Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology” selected as the General Field of Research Project will be automatically eligible for consideration for our three awards. Please note that a single application can be considered for both the Morisawa and either the Howard or Mackin Award at the same time. The application for student research grants is available www.geosociety.org/grants.
Application deadline for all student awards: February 1 annually
The Peter Birkeland Soil Geomorphology Award
Awarded to M.S. or Ph.D. students with a research focus in soil geomorphology.
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
The Donald R Coates Award
Awarded to a MS or PhD student in Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
The Denton, Andrews, Porter Glacial Geology Award
Awarded to undergraduate and graduate students in glacial geomorphology
About the Award and Past Award Winners
The Arthur D. Howard Award
Awarded to M.S. students.
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
The J. Hoover Mackin Award
Awarded to Ph.D. students.
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
The Marie Morisawa Award
Awarded to women-identifying M.S. or Ph.D. students in geomorphology.
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
Troy Péwé Award
Awarded to MS or Phd students with a research focus on periglacial or environmental geomorphology.
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
The Stanley A. Schumm Research Grant Award
Awarded to M.S. or Ph.D. students with a research focus in fluvial geomorphology.
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
The Shroder Mass Movement Award
Awarded to MS or Phd students with a research focus on mass movement.
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
The Waitt Award
Awarded to MS or Phd students with a research focus in physical volcanology or surface geology with a significant fieldwork component.
About the Award and Past Award Winners.
GSA Student Research Grants in the Areas of Quaternary Geology and Geomorphology
Winners of named GSA awards are selected by the GSA Committee on Research Grants from applicants to the general student research grants program. The Division recognizes the winners of these awards at the Awards Ceremony at the Annual Meeting. The application for student research grants is available www.geosociety.org/grants.
Application deadline: February 1.
Robert K. Fahnestock Memorial Research Award
The Robert K. Fahnestock Award honors the memory of Dr. Fahnestock, a former member of the Research Grants Committee, who died indirectly as a result of service on the committee. The grant is awarded for the best proposal in sediment transport or related aspects of fluvial geomorphology, Dr. Fahnestock's field.
John A. Black Award
Supports graduate student field-based research on coastal processes. All field-based coastal geomorphology research should be located in the USA, Puerto Rico or Canada. In the event there are no worthy graduate student field-based research projects in coastal geomorphology, the award may be used to support graduate student field-based research in volcanology. All field-based volcanology research should be located in the USA, New Zealand or Iceland.
More Information on Awards
An important distinction among awards that concern the Division is the difference between Division awards and GSA awards. The QG&G Division Management Board and Panel administer nomination, application, selection, and awarding of the Farouk El-Baz Award and the QG&G Distinguished Career Award. They also administer these aspects of the Kirk Bryan Award, which is the GSA award officially associated with the Division (only one such named GSA award is allowed per division). For all other division affiliated awards, the application is managed by GSA. The selection and awarding of the Cole, Mackin, Howard, and Morisawa awards are made by the division, while the Fahnestock, Montagne, and Black awards are selected by the GSA Committee on Research Grants.
All awardees are recognized during the QG&G award ceremony at the GSA Annual Meeting.
Nominations for the Kirk Bryan, Distinguished Career, and Farouk El-Baz Awards are accepted throughout the year, but nomination packages received after the deadlines will not be considered until the following year. Nomination packages ( PDF attached to email) are to be submitted electronically to the committee chair.