A. I. Levorsen Memorial Award
The A. I. Levorsen Memorial Award recognizes the best paper presented at each AAPG Section meeting, with particular emphasis on creative thinking toward new ideas in exploration. The award is made at the Section meetings for papers presented at the previous year’s meetings.
Nominations are now open
Submit your nominations today to recognize outstanding contributions. This is your chance to
highlight individuals or groups making a difference.
Recent Recipients
Recipients by Year
| Year | Recipient |
|---|---|
| 2020 | Michael Shoemaker |
| 2019 | Duncan McIntosh, Gregory Ferguson, James Pasley, Jesse Zwennes, James McDonald, Jingyao Meng, Kurt Rottmann, Peter Nielsen, Brian Toelle, Scott Ritter, Jeffrey Bader, John Pigott, John Hornbuckle, Travis Moreland, Lisa Alpert |
| 2018 | George Kear, Anish Kumar, Juan Herrera, Robert Laronga, Yannick Wirtz, Mark Zoback |
| 2017 | Alan Brittain, Marwan Wartes, David LePain, Paul Lillis, Richard Stanley, Michael Lewan, John Dribus, Paul Hackley, Thomas Parris, Stephen Greb, Christopher Fielding, Andrew Hutsky, Jesse Korus, Robert Trentham |
| 2016 | Gregory Gordon, Stuart Gordon, Mark Tobey, David Blood, Cian O'Reilly, James Keay, Jason Kegel, Glenn Winters |
| 2015 | Elizabeth Watkins, Mauro Becker, Buddy Price, Thomas Parris, Daniel Schwartz, William Ambrose |
| 2014 | John Snedden, Joseph Fagan, Mark Millard |
| 2013 | Brian Wilhite, Salvatore Mazzullo, Jonathan Parker, Robert Baskin |
| 2012 | Michael Hudec, Timothy Nesheim |
| 2011 | Shane Matson, John Lorenz, Paul Pause, David Houseknecht, Charles Wickstrom, David Houseknecht, Kenneth Bird, Gregory Flournoy |
| 2010 | Robert Loucks, Charles Bartberger, Martin Selznick, Ira Pasternack, Jaime Kostelnik, Stephen Ruppel, Ursula Hammes, James Boles, Tim Ruble |
| 2009 | Shane Matson, John Wagner, Stephen Whitaker, Karen Canter, Brian Romans, Jacob Covault, Michael Pyrcz, Henry Posamentier, Bruce Schonert, Janet Brenizer, Andrea Fildani |
| 2008 | Scott Hector, Langhorne Smith, Rick Turner, Brian Cunningham, Matthew Pranter |
| 2007 | Frank Ettensohn, Alton Brown, Michael Hudec, Vincent Rigatti, Timothy Carr |
| 2006 | Robert Loucks, John Goodson, Stephen Ruppel, Geoffrey Thyne, Mary Barrett, Robert Loucks, Frank Ettensohn |
| 2005 | Jacob Covault, Daniel Jarvie, Raymond Sorenson, J. Read |
| 2004 | Roger Young, Langhorne Smith, Dale Julander, Stephen Ruhl, Robert Lamarre, Robert LoPiccolo |
| 2003 | Jimmy Thomas, Alan Chamberlain, Leonard Brown, Kenneth Ehman, Khaled Fouad, William Ambrose, Langhorne Smith, Mario Aranda, Alton Brown, Ulises Hernandez-Romano, Russell Davies, Edgar Guevara, Morgan Sullivan, Russell Davies |
| 2002 | David Pyles, Steven Knapp, Ronald Broadhead, Albert Wylie |
| 2001 | Bob Hardage, James Drahovzal, Lawrence Wickstrom, David Carr, Robert Elphick, Kevin Hill, Wan Yang, John Rupp, Timothy Carr |
| 2000 | Robert Krantz, Peter Hennings, John Hogg, Fuping Zhu, Dana Coffield, Russell Davies, Mark Barton, Laird Thompson, Dalton Lockman |
| 1999 | Kenneth Johnson, William Almon, Brian Casey, Kurt Constenius, William Dawson, Louis Mazzullo, David Morse |
| 1998 | Thomas Ewing, Lawrence Wickstrom |
| 1997 | Rodney Nahama, M. Thomasson, R. Bustin, Arie Speksnijder, Jerry McCaskill, Lawrence McPeek |
| 1996 | George Asquith, Michael Hendricks, James Drahovzal |
| 1995 | Mary Broussard, Nicholas Harris, John Armentrout, Paul B Anderson, Brian Lock |
| 1994 | Salvatore Mazzullo, Michael Campbell, John Rhodes, Stephen Nowaczewski |
| 1993 | Wayne Carew, Mark Shuster, Eric Johnson, Paul Ostendorf |
| 1992 | David Brewster, Rick Sarg, John Stafford, Donald Medwedeff, Timothy Carr, Harry Roberts, J. Tyler, Lisa Goetz, Mark Sheedlo |
| 1991 | John Lohmar, James Castle, Steven Veal, Gregory Brown, Michael Hendricks, Emily Hundley-Goff, Andrew Davidoff |
| 1990 | John Lorenz, Louis Mazzullo, Michael Prescott |
| 1989 | Edmund Gustason, John McPherson, Neil Hurley, Laura Wray, Edward Pittman, Donald Miller |
| 1988 | Timothy Maxwell |
| 1987 | David Houseknecht, Alan Chamberlain, Alan Chamberlain, Robert Finley, Ronald Kreisa, , Lori Hathon |
| 1986 | Edmund Gustason, Salvatore Mazzullo |
| 1985 | Robbie Gries, John Leethem, William Galloway |
| 1984 | Henry Halpern, Richard Drozd, Dean Hamilton, Richard Boyd, Gary Mitchell, Gary Kinsland, Richard Blake |
| 1983 | Salvatore Mazzullo |
| 1982 | Thomas Ewing, Craig Caldwell, Mark Longman |
| 1981 | Ben Law, Mark Kuhn, David Houseknecht, David Steyaert, Naresh Kumar |
| 1980 | Ernest Mancini, Edward Dolly, Lee Krystinik |
| 1978 | Douglas Patchen, Randi Martinsen, Charles Siemers |
| 1977 | William Galloway, William Galloway, William Almon |
| 1976 | Michael Ammerman, G. Keller, Roger Soderberg |
| 1975 | B. Schreiber, Donald Owen |
| 1974 | Ralph Horak, Douglas Patchen |
| 1973 | James Coleman |
| 1972 | Sigmund Snelson |
| 1971 | Richard Volk, Terrence Donovan |
| 1970 | Edward Tegland |
| 1969 | James Fassett |
| 1967 | Philip Withrow, John Harms |
Nomination Guidelines
Restrictions
The recipient must be a Member of the Association. A candidate must be living at the time of selection and willing to be present to receive the medal and certificate at the time and place designated by the Executive Committee, normally at the Annual Convention. The recipient is ineligible for consideration or receipt of the Michel T. Halbouty Outstanding Leadership Award.
Guidelines for Consideration of Candidates
Consideration should emphasize contributions to petroleum geology – not necessarily service to the Association. Contributions may have been in a variety of forms or combinations, such as a significant development in geologic concepts, advancement in discovery thinking, leadership in exploration and the development of explorationists, inspiration and academic preparation of petroleum geologists, etc. Publication is not a necessary criterion; it is recognized that in today’s competitive world, publication may not be feasible for many very able explorationists.
Honorary Membership is not a prerequisite for consideration, but it may serve as a useful checklist for potential candidates.
Procedure for Recommendation
Nominations for this award should be submitted, along with documentation, to the Chairman of the Honors and Awards Committee at Association Headquarters. The Committee’s recommendations will be submitted to the Advisory Council, which in turn will submit its selection to the Executive Committee for final action.
Description of Award
The gold plated medal features a bas-relief likeness of Sidney Powers and the name of the Association on the obverse side. On the reverse side are inscribed the words, “Awarded for Distinguished Achievement in Petroleum Geology,” along with the name of the recipient. The medal is mounted in multi-sided acrylic and is presented along with an embossed certificate and a lapel pin tack. Honorary Membership is automatically bestowed upon recipients of the Sidney Powers Memorial Award, if they have not already received that honor.
History
The Powers Medal was first awarded in 1945 to Wallace E. Pratt.
Sidney Powers was a founding member and 14th President of the Association. He died in 1932 at the age of 42. Frank R. Clark, in his memorial to Sidney Powers said, “Sidney Powers will be known by future generations for his able contributions to pure and applied geology, but, important as are his scientific achievements, his character was greater, because it typified service to others.”
Funding
The AAPG provides funding for the Sidney Powers Memorial Award.