Young Professionals Exemplary Service Award

Young Professionals Exemplary Service Award is given to members who have promoted growth, awareness, and expanded opportunities within the organization for young professionals. The award will help recognize the importance of AAPG volunteers dedicating themselves to helping inspire, retain and recruit future geoscientists within the Association as well as to the organization and profession in general.

Nominations for all awards are currently closed and will open again in early 2027.

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

David Lankford-Bravo
David Lankford-Bravo
2026 Winner
Paula Ramirez
Paula Ramirez
2025 Winner
Maria Elena Veliz Zambrano
Maria Elena Veliz Zambrano
2025 Winner
Stefanie Sugey Hormaza Barcia
Stefanie Sugey Hormaza Barcia
2024 Winner
Abdullah Al Kandari
Abdullah Al Kandari
2024 Winner

Recipients by Year

YearRecipient
2026David Lankford-Bravo
2025Paula Ramirez, Maria Elena Veliz Zambrano
2024Stefanie Sugey Hormaza Barcia, Abdullah Al Kandari, Ricardo Alevato
2023Andrea Lopez Vega, Philip Ajaebili
2022Ricardo Vargas, Heba Askar, Hala Alwagdani, David Eastwell
2021Lizbeth Calizaya Carlan, Anna Phelps
2020Sean Kimiagar, Kristen Wooden
2019Low Wan Ching, Tunbosun Afolayan, James Lockhart
2018Dwandari Ralanarko, Ola Dawood
2017Aisha Al-Bulushi, Ryan Lemiski, Nick Lagrilliere

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.

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