The UCGIS Awards Program identifies and honors members of our geospatial community who have extraordinary records of accomplishments, including service to the mission of UCGIS. Scholars worldwide can be nominated for any of these awards, but the nominations themselves can only come from individuals affiliated with current UCGIS member institutions.  

UCGIS Research Awards

UCGIS offers two research awards, the Research Award, and the Early/Mid-Career Research Award.

Our Research Award is given to an individual who has made a particularly outstanding research contribution to geographic information science. This may include an outstanding peer-reviewed research work, or series of works, though other modes of expression will be considered, including patents, software packages, and non-refereed publications. This award is not for lifetime achievement, but for a single contribution or a series of research works that are seminal and have significant impacts on Geographic Information Science community, made at any time prior to the award year.

Award Criteria: All researchers worldwide are eligible for the award. Current members of the Research Committee or other individuals currently holding an elected or appointed UCGIS leadership position are not eligible during their tenure with UCGIS. Nominees need not be affiliated with a UCGIS member institution.

Nominators must be delegates or members of a UCGIS member institution, former Research Award winners, or a UCGIS Fellow. UCGIS particularly encourages nominations from under-represented and marginalized groups.

2024 Nominations are now open  

Nomination Process

To nominate a researcher for the award, please prepare the following documents:

1. A letter that details the specific research contribution to GIScience for which the nominee is being nominated, including a justification for why this contribution is deserving of the Award (3 pages or less).
2. A current CV for the nominee, or a link to a current one online.
3. At least one letter of support (not from the nominator) with additional letters optional.

Review Process: The main criterion for choosing the awardee(s) is impacts of the research achievement on the theory and/or practice of GIScience or geographic information technology. The Research Award Committee reserves the right not to make an award in a given year. The award will be presented during the 2024 CaGIS+UCGIS Symposium.

The deadline to submit a nomination is April 12, 2024.

UCGIS Research Award Recipients

				Nina Lam 2023
Alan MacEachren 2022	Brian Berry 2021	Helena Mitasova 2020	Keith Clarke 2019	Helen Couclelis 2018
Dan Griffith 2017	Serge Rey 2016	Harvey Miller 2015	Richard Church 2014	Luc Anselin 2013
Michael Batty 2012	Michael Goodchild 2010	Hanan Samet 2009	Mike Worboys 2008	Ron Eastman 2007
Frederico Fonseca 2006	Mei-Po Kwan 2005	David Mark 2004	Max J. Egenhofer 2003	Reg Golledge 2002

Our Early/Mid-Career Research Award is given to an individual who has made a particularly outstanding research contribution to geographic information science. This may include an outstanding peer-reviewed research work, or series of works, though other modes of expression will be considered, including patents, software packages, and non-refereed publications. This award is not for lifetime achievement, but for a single contribution or a series of research works that are seminal and have significant impacts on Geographic Information Science community, made at any time prior to the award year. 

Eligibility: All researchers in the Early/Mid-Career level that is 15 years or less after the terminal degree or within 15 years of accumulated professional service, worldwide are eligible for the award. Current members of the Research Committee or other individuals currently holding an elected or appointed UCGIS leadership position are not eligible during their tenure with UCGIS. Nominees need not be affiliated with a UCGIS member institution.

Nominators must be delegates or members of a UCGIS member institution, former Research Award winners, or a UCGIS Fellow. UCGIS particularly encourages nominations from under-represented and marginalized groups.

2024 Nominations are now open   

Nomination Process

To nominate a researcher for the award, please prepare the following documents:

1. A letter that details the specific research contribution to GIScience for which the nominee is being nominated, including a justification for why this contribution is deserving of the Award (3 pages or less).
2. A current CV for the nominee, or a link to a current one online.
3. At least one letter of support (not from the nominator) with additional letters optional.

Review Process: The main criterion for choosing the awardee(s) is innovative ideas or methods that lead to impacts of research on the theory and/or practice of GIScience or geographic information technology. The Research Award Committee reserves the right not to make an award in a given year. The award will be presented during the 2024 CaGIS+UCGIS Symposium.

The deadline to submit a nomination is April 12, 2024.

UCGIS Early/Mid-Career Research Award Recipients

Chunyuan Diao 2023

Song Gao 2022

UCGIS Education Awards

UCGIS offers two education awards, for Lifetime Achievement and for Innovation, that alternate biennially.

The UCGIS Lifetime Achievement in GIScience Education Award (offered in odd years) is intended to recognize a career of professional contributions of both national and international significance to GIScience education. Such contributions may be reflected in (but not limited to):

2024 Nominations are now open   

Michael DeMers 2023	Joseph Kerski 2021	John Wilson 2019	Jochen Albrecht 2018	Ann Johnson 2017
Diana Sinton 2016	Shashi Shekhar 2015	Ken Foote 2013	William Huxhold 2012	Robert McMaster 2010
David M. Mark 2009	Michael Phoenix 2008	Duane Marble 2007	David Unwin 2006	David DiBiase 2005
Karen Kemp 2004	Keith Clarke 2003	Michael Goodchild 2002	Barbara Buttenfield 2001

The UCGIS Innovation in GIScience Education Award was first offered in 2020, and will continue to be offered in even-numbered years. The award was designed for individuals who have contributed outstanding innovations to GIScience education. The award is intended to recognize innovative contributions of both national and international significance to GIScience education. GIS education innovations may include, but are not limited to:

• Implementing new ways to be inclusive and equitable in GIS Education, including access to geospatial technologies, including desktop, cloud, or high-performance computing.
• Developing innovative learning techniques (online and/or in classrooms or beyond).
• Enabling students to analyze new types of geospatial data or use emerging geospatial technologies (for example, mining geospatial content in social media, using cyberinfrastructure, or collecting data using drones).
• Developing opportunities that enable students to create rapid turn-around results to meet pressing community needs (e.g., developing protocols and strategies that allow students to quickly assist non-profit organizations or government entities in local emergencies)
• Creating curricula or coursework that embed opportunities for GIS students to participate in finding solutions to global crises (e.g., disease outbreaks, refugee crises, UN Sustainable Environment Goals, or Wicked Problems).
• Equipping GIS students to effectively disseminate authoritative geospatial scientific findings regarding complex societal issues (e.g., through training in science communication or visualization).

Recipients of the UCGIS Innovation in GIScience Education Award:

The Carolyn Merry Mentoring Award is given to an individual who has demonstrated exceptional mentoring abilities and practices. Dr. Carolyn Merry, a professor emerita of Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering at The Ohio State University, embodied the spirit of a mentor by sharing her wisdom and experience with colleagues, particularly junior scholars, as a scientist, educator, and academic leader. In addition to leadership roles as department chair at her university and president of the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS), she served from 2002 to 2004 on the executive committee of UCGIS. While UCGIS President, Carolyn’s leadership style reflected her strengths as a mentor. During and after meetings, she was known for her engagement with participants and careful listening during every conversation.

The goal of the Carolyn Merry Mentoring Award is to recognize her commitment to mentoring and the investment of others who share this philosophy.  Evidence of exceptional mentoring service may include (but not be limited to):

• Distinguishing characteristics of mentoring activities such as: 
• Offering sound counsel and valuable information that positively advances the career of mentees;
• Generously sharing his/her time to evaluate and critique scholarship and/or instruction; 
• Publicly promoting the activities of the mentee;
• Involving mentees in research projects such as grants and publications; 
• Behaving as a role model by promoting excellence within the discipline and to the broader community;
• The reach and long-term impact of the mentoring efforts;
• The efforts made toward supporting women and other underrepresented minorities involved with GIScience.

Eligibility: Individuals worldwide are eligible for the award (excluding any individuals currently holding an elected or appointed UCGIS leadership position). Nominees need not be affiliated with a UCGIS member institution, though nominators must be. UCGIS particularly encourages nominations from minority and under-represented groups.

2024 Nomination Form  

Nomination process: Nominations for the award can only be made by individuals from UCGIS member institutions (www.ucgis.org/members). To nominate an individual for the Mentoring Award, prepare the following documents:

1. A nomination letter that details the ways in which the nominee has demonstrated excellence in mentoring (<3 pages),
2. One or two other letters of support from an additional colleague (maximum of two), and
3. A current CV for the nominee, or a link to where a current one is online.

Review process: The main criterion for choosing the awardee is demonstrated impact on and commitment to mentoring activities. The Mentoring Award Review Committee reserves the right to not make an award in a given year. The award will be presented during the 2024 CaGIS+UCGIS Symposium.

The deadline to submit a nomination is April 12, 2024.

UCGIS Carolyn Merry Mentoring Award Recipients

Alan Murray 2023	Libby Wentz 2022	Beth King 2021	Sara McLafferty 2020	Guido Cervone 2019
Keith Clarke 2018	Budhu Bhaduri 2017	Nina Lam 2016

UCGIS Service Awards

The Service Award, first established by the UCGIS Board of Directors in 2014, recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to the growth, development and ongoing success of the organization. This Award is made only at the discretion of the UCGIS President. 

UCGIS Service Award Recipients