Call for Nominations — GSG Faculty Awards (Marcus • Gilbert • Graf) | Due Dec 5, 2025
Amobichukwu Amanambu
Dear colleagues,
The Geomorphology Specialty Group (GSG) Awards Committee invites nominations for three faculty awards to be presented at the 2026 AAG Annual Meeting. Each award’s purpose, scope, and evidence of excellence are summarized below so nominators can match candidates appropriately.
Awards overview & intent
1) Melvin G. Marcus Distinguished Career Award
Honors a sustained record of field-defining contributions to geomorphology. Ideal nominees demonstrate: A cumulative scholarly impact (theory, methods, data, or synthesis) recognized across subfields; and may include evidence of long-term influence (citations, adoption of approaches, or data/software reuse). Nominations remain active for five (5) years.
2) Grove Karl Gilbert Award for Excellence in Geomorphological Research
Recognizes a single publication in the past three years (book, refereed article, or monograph; emphasis on refereed articles) that substantially advances the field of geomorphology. Strong cases typically show: Clear novelty or decisive clarification of a long-standing question; Methodological rigor and transparency (data, code, or reproducible workflows when applicable); or Demonstrable scholarly or practical uptake (citations, applications, and/or policy/management relevance). Nominations remain active for two (2) years.
3) William L. Graf Early Career Award
Celebrates outstanding contributions by an early-career scholar through research, teaching, and/or public engagement. Eligibility: GSG members at the rank of Assistant Professor or comparable career stage. Compelling nominations document: Independent research vision and high-quality outputs (articles, datasets, software, tools etc.); Teaching or mentoring innovations that broaden participation and skills in geomorphology; and/or Outreach, translation, or partnership activities that extend geomorphic science beyond academia.
What to submit (single PDF per nomination)
Name files “LastName_Award_2026.pdf” (e.g., Doe_Marcus_2026.pdf).
- Marcus (Distinguished Career)
i. Brief description of the candidate’s contributions and their long-term significance
ii. Brief biographical sketch
iii. Select bibliography (highlighting landmark works)
- Three letters of support
- Gilbert (Single Publication)
i. A copy of the nominated publication (published within the last 3 years)
ii. A statement explaining the contribution’s novelty, rigor, and impact
iii. (Optional) Supporting letters
- Graf (Early Career)
i. A nomination letter with the nominee’s name, affiliation, and contact info; summarize key research/teaching/outreach contributions and leadership potential
ii. Current CV
How the committee evaluates
Across all awards, the committee weighs significance, originality, and impact; clarity of evidence; and contributions that strengthen the geomorphology community (e.g., mentoring, open science, collaboration, or broader impacts). Please tailor statements to these criteria.
Deadline & submission
- Deadline: December 5, 2025 (11:59 PM local time)
- Submit to: Amobichukwu Amanambu, GSG Awards Committee Chair (acama...@ua.edu)
Awards will be announced at the GSG Business Meeting (AAG 2026).
With appreciation,
GSG Awards Committee
Amobichukwu C. Amanambu, The University of Alabama (Chair)
Zach Hilgendorf, University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire
Derek Martin, Appalachian State University