Joint North American Initiative Celebrates Mid-Career Excellence and Leadership in Geoscience
Boulder, Colo., USA: The Geological Society of America (GSA) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 50 Under 50 Award honoring mid-career excellence and leadership in geoscience. This award is a joint initiative of the Geological Society of America (GSA), the Geological Association of Canada (GAC-AGC), and the Sociedad Geológica Mexicana (SGM) that honors outstanding mid-career geoscientists across North America who are making significant contributions through research, service, and mentorship.
Recipients were recognized during the International Reception and Awards Ceremony at GSA Connects on 12 October 2026 in Denver, Colorado, USA. Those who were unable to attend this event will be recognized through GAC-AGC and SGM.
The 2026 award recipients are:
- A. Joshua West, Professor, Earth Sciences and Environmental Studies | University of Southern California
- Adam M. Milewski, Department Head, Department of Geology | University of Georgia
- Antonio Pola Villaseñor, Senior Lecturer | Escuela Nacional de Estudios Superiores - Morelia, UNAM
- Barret Kurylyk, Professor, Department of Civil and Resource Engineering, Principal Hydrogeological Engineer | Dalhousie University | BGC Engineering Inc.
- Benjamin Tutolo, Associate Professor, Department of Earth, Energy, and Environment | University of Calgary
- Bradley D. Cramer, Professor, School of Earth, Environment, and Sustainability | University of Iowa
- Brandon Schmandt, Professor, Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences | Rice University
- Britta Jensen, Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair in Quaternary Volcanism | University of Alberta
- Brett M. Carpenter, Associate Professor of Geosciences | University of Oklahoma
- Brian J. Yanites, Associate Professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | Indiana University
- Brian A. Schubert, Director, School of Geosciences | University of Louisiana
- Christy B. Till, Associate Professor | Arizona State University
- Daniel Shugar, Director and Associate Professor, Environmental Science Program | University of Calgary
- Dawn A. Kellett, Research Scientist, Atlantic Division, Natural Resources Canada | Geological Survey of Canada
- Deanne van Rooyen, Associate Professor | Acadia University
- Donnelly B. Archibald, Senior Lab Instructor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences | St. Francis Xavier University
- Doug Edmonds, Professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | Indiana University
- Edwin Nissen, Professor, School of Earth and Ocean Sciences | University of Victoria
- Elizabeth K. Thomas, Associate Professor, Dept. of Earth Sciences | University at Buffalo
- Elisa Fitz Díaz, Tenured Researcher | Instituto de Geología, UNAM
- Fernando Núñez Useche, Researcher, Department of Lithospheric Processes | Instituto de Geología, UNAM
- Heather Wright, Director, USGS Volcano Disaster Assistance Program | U.S. Geological Survey (USGS)
- Isla S. Castañeda, Professor | University of Massachusetts Amherst
- James D. Schiffbauer, Professor, Department of Geological Sciences | University of Missouri
- Jamie Kirkpatrick, Associate Professor, Dept. Geological Sciences and Engineering | University of Nevada, Reno
- Jay P. Zarnetske, Professor, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences | Michigan State University
- Jane Willenbring, Associate Professor, Earth and Planetary Sciences | Stanford University
- Jessica Pilarczyk, Associate Professor, School of Earth & Ocean Sciences | Simon Fraser University
- John M. Cottle, Professor of Earth Science | University of California, Santa Barbara
- J. Kim Welford, Professor, Department of Earth Sciences, Memorial | University of Newfoundland
- Kyle Larson, Associate Dean and Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Director | University of British Columbia | Fipke Laboratory for Trace Element Research
- Luke Beranek, Professor, Department of Earth Sciences | Memorial University of Newfoundland
- Marina B. Suarez, Associate Professor & Director, KPESIL |University of Kansas
- Matthew Steele-MacInnis, Professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences | University of Alberta
- Michael M. McGlue, Director and State Geologist, EES Alumni Endowed, Full Professor, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences | Kentucky Geological Survey | University of Kentucky
- Michelangelo Martini, Professor | Instituto de Geología, UNAM
- Nadia S. Santini, Senior Researcher | Instituto de Geología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM)
- Nicholas Schmerr, Associate Professor, Department of Geology | University of Maryland
- Pamela Lee Sullivan, Professor, College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science | Oregon State University
- Peter C. Lippert, Associate Professor, Dept. of Geology & Geophysics | University of Utah
- Phoebe A. Cohen, Professor, Department of Geosciences | Williams College
- Raquel Negrete-Aranda, Researcher, Department of Geology | Centro de Investigación Científica y de Educación Superior de Ensenada (CICESE)
- Ricardo Ferreira Louro Silva, Assistant Professor, Department of Earth Sciences | The University of Manitoba
- Sara B. Pruss, Esther Cloudman Dunn Chaired Professor of Geosciences | Smith College
- Simon M. Jowitt, Director and Nevada State Geologist, Professor of Economic Geology | Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology (NBMG) | University of Nevada, Reno
- Stephan Kolzenburg, Assistant Professor, Department of Geology | University at Buffalo (UB)
- Stéphanie Larmagnat, Research Scientist | Geological Survey of Canada | Natural Resources Canada
- Tom Darrah, Professor, School of Earth Sciences | The Ohio State University | Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer | Koloma, Inc.
- Timothy Glotch, Professor, Department of Geosciences, Joint Appointee | Stony Brook University | Brookhaven National Laboratory
- Tyrone O. Rooney, Professor, Dept. of Earth & Environmental Sciences | Michigan State University
Read their full biographies: https://www.geosociety.org/what-we-do/international/awards/50-under-50
For more information, contact gsa_international@geosociety.org.
About the Geological Society of America
The Geological Society of America (GSA) is a global professional society with more than 18,000 members across over 100 countries. As a leading voice for the geosciences, GSA advances the understanding of Earth's dynamic processes and fosters collaboration among scientists, educators, and policymakers. GSA publishes Geology, the top-ranked geology journal, along with a diverse portfolio of scholarly journals, books, and conference proceedings—several of which rank among Amazon’s top 100 best-selling geology titles.
