Nominated Awards
Gabriel Dengo Memorial Award
Best International Paper
RECIPIENTS
The Gabriel Dengo Memorial Award is given each year at the Annual convention in recognition of the best AAPG paper presented at the previous year’s International conference.
Restrictions
The recipient of the Gabriel Dengo Memorial Award is not required to be an AAPG Member. Selection of the winning paper is made only from among papers presented during the International Conference & Exhibition. Since a significant part of the scoring is based on quality of presentation, only the individual presenting the paper receives the award. Co-authors, if any, receive a certificate and are acknowledged in press releases announcing the winner.
Guidelines for Consideration of Candidates
The chairman of the International Paper Award Committee is appointed by the General Chairman of the conference.
The chairman of the committee chooses a group of judges who select the winning paper according to the quality of scientific content and excellence of presentation .
Procedure
The Committee’s decision is conveyed by the Chairman to the General Chairman as soon as possible following the meeting. The General Chairman then informs the President of the Association who notifies the winner.
Description of Award
The recipient is given an engraved plaque with a miniature replica of a silver trophy cup, suitable for hanging on the wall. The name of each recipient is engraved on a silver trophy cup, donated by Pinar O. Yilmaz, which is retained at AAPG headquarters.
History
This award is given each year through the generosity of the Dengo family, in memory of Gabriel Dengo. Gabriel Dengo was one of the "gentlemen geologists" who became a geologist for the love of field geology, for mystery of the earth and to belong to an era of total devotion to the science of geology. He was a role model to hundreds of young geologists and was a superb friend and associate to many.
Gabriel Dengo worked on Coast Ranges of Venezuela, including the geological study for the Caracas-La Guaira highway. He was among the first of Harry Hess' students working in Venezuela for what became the very successful Princeton Caribbean Research Program. After graduation, he returned to Venezuela to work for the Ministry of Energy and Mines, during which time he helped discover one of the largest iron deposits in the Guyana Shield.
Early in 1952, Gabriel returned to Costa Rica as field geologist for Union Oil Company of California, mapping mostly in the jungle. In 1956, the company moved him to Guatemala as resident geologist. In 1962, they transferred him to New Orleans as subsurface geologist. Because returned to Guatemala in 1962 to work for the General Secretariat for Central American Economic integration, where he was later appointed deputy secretary. In 1965, he transferred to the Central American Research Institute for Industry (ICAITI) to organize a geological research group. While in this position, he worked in several countries of Central and South America and in the Caribbean. Later he was appointed deputy director, and in 1975, director of ICAITI. He founded the Center for Geological Studies of Central America as a means to channel many of his scientific contributions.
This award was established as the International Paper Award in 1990 by Executive Committee action. The name of the award was changed to the Gabriel Dengo Memorial Award beginning with the 2001 award.
Funding
Funding for the award is provided through the AAPG Foundation Awards Fund through a generous contribution by the Dengo Family as a lasting memorial to Gabriel Dengo.