PGS ANNUAL AWARDS

College/University Distinguished Teacher Award.  The nominee must have documented evidence of long-term excellence in teaching as well as innovative and effective classroom methods in Geography, Earth Science, Environmental Science or any other course (s) with a consistent and substantive geographic base.  There may be more than one recipient each year.  Recipients must be members of PGS, but an exception can be made if a nominee has recently presented research at a PGS annual meeting or has published an article in The Pennsylvania Geographer.

John J. Katana K-12 Distinguished Teacher Award.  The K-12 nominee must have documented evidence of sustained excellence in teaching as well as innovative and effective methods in Geography, Earth Science, Environmental Science or any other courses with a consistent and substantive geographic base.  The nominee will submit a vita, letters of recommendation, and one unique lesson plan, activity or exercise that he or she created.  There may be more than one recipient each year, and the nominee need not be a member of PGS.

Distinguished Scholar Award.  Given to an individual with substantive research, publications and professional development in Geography.  There may be more than one awardee per year, and the nominee must be a member of PGS, but an exception can be made if a nominee has recently presented research at a PGS annual meeting or has published an article in The Pennsylvania Geographer.  This award may not be bestowed each year, but is dependent on the quality of the nominees or self-nominees.

Distinguished Service Award.  Given to any individual who has given substantive and long-term service to both the discipline of Geography and to the PGS.  There may be more than one award per year, and the nominee must be a member of PGS.  This award may not be given each year, but is dependent on the quality of the nominees and self-nominees.

Dr. William B. (“Bill”) Kory Distinguished Mentor Award.  This award honors Geography or Earth Science faculty who have demonstrated exceptional commitment and accomplishments in the mentoring of undergraduate or graduate students as well as fellow faculty members.  Nominators should consider that there are many forms of mentoring such as serving on many theses or dissertation committees, creating a supportive environment for scholarship and research, or assisting students in their pursuit of graduate degrees or career opportunities.  There may be more than one awardee per year, and the nominee must be a member of PGS, but an exception can be made if a nominee has recently presented research at a PGS annual meeting or has published an article in The Pennsylvania Geographer.   The nominee must provide a curriculum vitae, and a minimum of three (3) letters of support from colleagues and/or students.

Ruby S. and E. Willard Miller Lifetime Achievement Award.   This award recognizes exemplary individual contributions to either the Pennsylvania Geographical Society (PGS), the discipline of Geography, or a related discipline.  Typically, the nominee is a retiree (or emeritus/emerita professor) who has made lifetime contributions to the PGS and/or the discipline of Geography or related discipline.  The nominee must have been a member of the PGS or its predecessor, the Pennsylvania Council for Geographic Education.  The award may be given posthumously.  The nomination requires the approval of both the PGS Awards Committee and the PGS Executive Board.

Nominations for the professional awards should be submitted to the award committee chair no later than July 31st each year.