The Eugene LaFond Medal

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Last Updated on Tuesday, 23 August 2011 08:30

Next meeting at which the LaFond Medal will be awarded is the IAHS/IAPSO/IASPEI Joint Assembly in Gothenburg, Sweden, 22 - 26 July 2013.


Eugene LaFond Medal recepient 2011

The 2011 Eugene LaFond Medal was awarded to Dr. Towhida Rashid from Bangladesh for  her  oral  presentation  "Holocene  relative sea  level  change  in  Bangladesh"  on July 1, 2011 in the IAPSO symposium "Global and regional sea-level change" during IUGG General Assembly “Earth on the Edge: Science for a Sustainable Planet” in Melbourne, Australia.

The work is an important contribution to the study of the sea level change in Bangladesh in the Holocene.  The research reveals sea level variations relative to the present level caused by transgressions and regressions in the Bangladesh region.  The results substantially contribute to the reconstruction of Holocene paleoenvironment of this area.


The Eugene LaFond Medal shall be awarded to an ocean scientist from a developing country making a presentation (poster or oral) in a IAPSO-sponsored or co-sponsored symposium at the IUGG or IAPSO assemblies.

 

Recipients of the medal have been:

  • 2003 Margarita V. Chikina from Russia
  • 2005 Maria del Carmen Grados from Peru
  • 2007 Catia Motta Domingues from Brazil
  • 2009 Bamol A. Sow from Senegal
  • 2011 Towhida Rashid from Bangladesh


The criteria for selection of the recipient are as follows:

  1. The recipient shall be a scientist who was born in a developing country (as defined by the IAPSO Executive at the time of the award).
  2. The recipient should have gained a significant part of their education in a developing country.
  3. Preference should be given to candidates who are in the early stages of their career.
  4. The research presented should have been carried out at an institution in a developing country or should be of significant importance for developing countries.


Selection procedure:

  • In the call for papers at IAPSO meetings, scientists shall be invited to identify their presentation as being eligible for the LaFond Medal. This is done by sending an E-mail, including a brief CV describing their education and research activities, to the IAPSO Secretary General and with a copy the President, (here you can mail them). At meetings where this is not possible, session convenors shall identify candidates they believe to be eligible.
  • A subset of the IAPSO Executive shall undertake to view posters and attend oral presentations by eligible candidates. They shall select the award winner based on the clarity and quality of the presentation and the significance of the research. In the case of jointly-authored presentations the selection committee shall ensure that the award winner has made a seminal contribution to the research.
  • The recipient shall be informed of the award by the IAPSO Secretary General who shall ensure that an appropriate citation is prepared to accompany the medal. The award shall be publicised by IAPSO through appropriate channels.