Honors & Awards
The GRC Awards recognize distinguished colleagues in the geothermal community from around the world and have been a highlight of the geothermal calendar since the late 1970s. The recipients of these awards have significant achievements in the geothermal academic, scientific, and commercial communities. The award winners will be recognized during the 2023 Geothermal Rising Conference (GRC) on October 1-4, 2023. All nomination forms and supporting documents must be submitted no later than July 31, 2023, in order for your nominee to be considered.
New in 2022 and returning for 2023 is the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Champion Award to acknowledge individuals whose exemplary efforts are helping make the geothermal community a more inclusive space.
The Young Professional Award will again be awarded in two separate categories in order to recognize different fields of influence -- one focused on leadership and one on scientific contributions.
If you have questions, please contact either Awards Committee Chair Jaclyn Urbank at jaclyn.urbank@gmail.com or Awards Committee Liaison Anita Collins at anita@geothermal.org
Past Award Winners
Joseph W. Aidlin Award
Joseph W. Aidlin was a groundbreaking lawyer, who co-founded Magma Power Company, which went on to develop the first geothermal steam production for commercial electric power generation in the Western Hemisphere at The Geysers in California. Aidlin also co-founded the Geothermal Resources Council (GRC), now Geothermal Rising. Aidlin was a key leader in writing state and national legislation relating to geothermal resources, including drafting the world's first geothermal lease.
The Geothermal Rising President recognizes an individual who has helped they/them during their time in office, mentoring/supporting them in their role. This would be at the full discretion of the President.
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2022 Andrew E. Sabin |
2000 Richard Campbell & Yuri Esaki 1999 Ben Holt 1998 Susan Hodgson 1997 Subir Sanyal 1996 Gerald Huttrer 1995 W.A.J. (Tony) Mahon 1994 John E. (Ted) Mock 1993 Jacob M. Rudisill 1992 John Rowley 1991 Don Falcone 1990 Harry Olson 1989 Jim Combs 1988 Patrick Muffler 1987 James B. Koenig 1986 Bob Greider 1985 Robert Fournier 1983 David N. Anderson 1982 William Byrd 1979 Joseph W. Aidlin |
Geothermal Pioneer Award
Recognizes an outstanding achievement and contributions to the development of geothermal resources. This would recognize individuals with a dedicated service to the industry that has led the way for the rest of us.
| 2022 Karen R. Christopherson 2021 Susan Petty 2020 Bill Rickard 2019 Leland “Roy” Mink 2018 Zvi Krieger 2017 James B. Koenig 2016 Wilfred Elders 2015 Alfredo Lahsen 2014 Joseph LaFleur 2013 Gustavo Cuéllar 2012 Tsuneo Ishido & Darrell L. Gallup 2011 Trevor M. Hunt 2010 John Pritchett 2009 Patrick Browne & Joe Moore 2008 Stuart Johnson & Dick Benoit 2007 Paul Hirtz 2006 Tsvi Mediav 2005 John Featherstone 2004 Carl F. Austin 2003 Luis F. De Ande Flores 2002 Alfred Truesdell 2001 Gary Shulman |
2000 Gerardo Hiriart 1999 Peter Cartwright 1998 Larry Jones 1997 Paul Lienau & John Lund 1996 Dita and Lucien Bronick 1995 H. Christopher Armstead 1994 Henry J. Ramey, Jr. 1994 Joseph W. Aidlin 1993 James McNitt 1992 Ben Holt 1991 Comision Federal de Electricidad (Mexico) 1990 Japan Metals &Chemical Co., Inc. 1989 ENEL (Electric Energy Authority of Italy) 1988 Gunnar Bodvarsson & Johannes Zoega 1987 Donald White 1986 Carl Otte 1985 New Zealand DSIR & Ministry of Works 1983 Giancarlo Facca 1982 Reid Stone 1980 B.C. McCabe |
Henry J. Ramey, Jr. Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Award
Henry “Hank” J. Ramey, Jr. was a pioneer in the development of geothermal resources, working as a Professor of Petroleum Engineering in the School of Earth Sciences at Stanford University, where he taught and conducted research for 27 years. Ramey conducted the first steam well test at The Geysers geothermal field in California and helped to establish the Stanford Geothermal Program in 1972.
Recognizes outstanding achievement in subsurface geoscience and engineering and impacts on geothermal development.
| 2022 Ghazal Izadi 2021 Henry Johnston 2019 Dennis Kaspereit 2018 Peter Rose 2017 Sabodh K. Garg 2016 John Pritchett 2015 Thomas Kohl 2014 Anthony (Tony) J. Menzies |
2013 Subir K. Sanyal 2011 Michael J. O’Sullivan 2010 Malcolm Grant 2009 Cal Stroebel 2008 Ladislaus Rybach 2007 Karsten Pruess 2006 Roland N. Horne |
Ben Holt Geothermal Power Plant Award
Ben Holt was an engineer who worked to develop commercial-scale geothermal power plants. In the 1980s, Holt’s firm, Ben Holt Co., designed and built one of the nation’s first binary geothermal plants at Mammoth Lakes, California.
This award recognizes outstanding achievement in the field of geothermal power plant design and construction, direct use, and other surface utilization focusing on innovation.
| 2022 Monte C. Morrison 2021 Kevin Wallace 2019 William Harvey 2017 Kevin Kitz 2016 Dan Hoyer 2015 Robert Tucker 2014 John R. Brugman |
2013 Kenneth A. Phair 2011 Nobuhiko Hara 2010 Bill Lewis 2009 Richard Campbell 2007 Ronald DiPippo 2006 Kenneth Nichols |
Geothermal Special Achievement Award
Recognizes special or outstanding achievement in any aspect of geothermal energy development and related areas.
| 2022 Karl Urbank 2021 Douglas Blankenship 2020 Daniela Blessent and Ladislaus Rybach 2019 Vincent J. Signorotti and Bruce Levy 2018 Roy Baria, Virgil Welch and Kasumi Yasukawa 2017 Dennis J. Gilles, Elizabeth Johnson, Joseph "Skip" Matlick, Mack Kennedy 2016 Dale Merrick, Paul Spielman, Aroha Campbell 2015 Roland Horne, Ryuichi Itoi and Al Waibel 2014 Colin Goranson, Jill Robinson Haizlip & Ann Robertson-Tait 2013 Ingvar Birgir Fridleifsson, Doone Wyborn, Connie and Bernie Karl, & William Cumming 2012 Doug Powell, Jack A. Frost, Ahmad Ghassemi, & Patrick Dobson 2011 Greg Mines, Joseph J. Beall & Jefferson W. Tester 2010 Toni Boyd & Steve Enedy 2009 Tom Box, Jim Lovekin, & Roy Mink 2008 Gordon Bloomquist 2007 Karl Gawell |
2006 Jeffrey Hulen & Charlene Wardlow 2005 Orhan Metroglu, Joseph Moore, John Sass, & Mike Shook 2004 David D. Blackwell and Marnell Dickson 2003 Tsuneo Ishido, Douglas Jung, Tom Champness, & Luis Guiterrez Negrin 2002 Enrico Barbier, Richard Hoops, & Russell James 2001 Sabodh Garg, Marcelo Lippmann, Eugene Premuzic, & Luis Quijano 2000 John Pritchett, Dan Schochet, Bob Sullivan, & Franco Tonani 1999 Dick Benoit, Gene Culver, Tsvi Meidav, & P. Michael Wright 1998 Angus Brodie, David Glowka, Harry Veizades, & Tatsuo Yamasaki 1997 Jack Adrian, Mark Dellinger, & Nazario Vasquez 1995 George A. Frye 1993 Derek Freeston, Geo-Heat Center, & Marilyn Nemzer 1991 Bob Forest & John E. (Ted) Mock |
Outstanding Research Award
Recognizes excellence in research and potential impact on the geothermal industry
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2022 Patrick Dobson |
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Champion Award
The Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Champion Award recognizes individuals creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive environment for historically excluded groups in the STEM disciplines (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), especially those in which geothermal is a key factor.
2022 Caity Smith
Young Professional Award (Leadership)
Recognizes young innovators, entrepreneurs, researchers, and up and coming leaders, under the age of 35, who have had an impact on the geothermal community. This would recognize individuals who have devoted significant time, effort, thought and action that has resulted in meaningful impact to the Geothermal Rising organization and the geothermal industry.
| 2022 Moones Alamooti |
Young Professional Award (Applied Research)
Recognizes young innovators and researchers, under the age of 35, whose applied research contributions have helped advance knowledge and innovation in the geothermal industry or geothermal community.
| 2022 Nicole Taverna |
Young Professional AwardPrior to 2022, no differentiation was made between Leadership and Technical accomplishments in the Young Professional Awards.
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