Awards
March 16, 2023
Professor Steven Grand was awarded the 2022 Inge Lehmann Medal by the American Geophysical Union. The prestigious medal recognizes outstanding contributions to the understanding of the structure, composition, and dynamics of Earth’s mantle and core. Grand joined The University of Texas at Austin in 1986. His research has focused on seismically imaging Earth’s mantle. This has included an effort to develop a 3-D image of shear velocity throughout the mantle with the ultimate goal to determine the dynamics of flow in the mantle.
After a decade of working to better understand drought from a plant’s perspective, Daniella Rempe, an assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, recently received a Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award from the National Science Foundation. Rempe will use the funding to expand a network of sites monitoring the critical zone — the area just below the surface — throughout the semi-arid western United States and explore the links between field measurements and satellite data.
Timothy Goudge is among five scientists selected by NASA’s Planetary Science Division to receive an Early Career Award. The award honors upand- coming planetary scientists and provides up to $200,000 to support research and professional development over five years. An assistant professor in the Department of Geological Sciences, Goudge plans to use the funds for a research project that combines planetary science and student outreach. Goudge studies the geological history of Mars and has been involved with prior NASA explorations of the red planet, including successfully advocating for Jezero Crater as the landing spot of the Perseverance Rover.
Ian Dalziel, a senior research scientist at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, has been awarded the Polar Medal by the British Monarchy for outstanding contributions to knowledge of the polar regions. Although Dalziel has spent most of his career in the U.S., he was born in Scotland and holds dual U.S.-UK citizenship. He has led several important joint U.S.-UK research efforts in Antarctica with scientists of the British Antarctic Survey, including an investigation of South Georgia that revealed the island was once attached to the southern Andes. The award will be presented by King Charles III at Buckingham Palace later in 2023. The Polar Medal comes less than two years after Dalziel received the Penrose Medal, which is widely considered to be geology’s most prestigious career award.
Chris Lowery, a research associate at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, has received the James Lee Wilson Award from the Society for Sedimentary Geology (SEPM). The award recognizes significant research accomplishments by an early career scientist. Lowery’s work has led to advancements in understanding the environment of Earth’s ancient oceans and its marine life. His research has revealed key moments in the Gulf of Mexico’s past including the recovery of life after the extinction of non-avian dinosaurs. He is also highly active in the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) and recently co-founded a workshop to engage young scientists with scientific ocean drilling.