EERI is now accepting nominations for the 2025 Alquist Medal! Click here to submit a nomination. The nomination deadline is June 17, 2024 at 11:59pm Pacific Time.
The Alfred E. Alquist Special Recognition Medal is to be presented to an individual, company, or organization that has made substantial contributions to the field of seismic safety and earthquake risk reduction, having directly affected the seismic safety of the general population. The Medal may be awarded to recognize career contributions or notable and /or singular achievements. A significant contribution to the public good is the primary selection criterion. The award is not restricted to EERI members. Prior to 2010, EERI gave out an award called the "Special Recognition Award". Starting in 2010, EERI assumed stewardship of the Alfred E. Alquist Medal, which had until then been dispensed by the California Earthquake Safety Foundation. The Special Recognition Award was merged with the Alquist Medal to create the present award.
Nomination and Selection Procedures
The Honors Committee shall make nominations to the board prior to the final Board meeting of the calendar year. In some years no nominations may be made, while in other years several nominations may be submitted to the Board for action. If no candidates are recommended, the Board should be so notified in writing. From the list of candidates, the Board may elect no awardees or several, as it determines appropriate in a particular year.
Nomination Protocol
- Nominations shall be requested from the membership via the EERI Pulse Newsletter. Nominations can be submitted starting May 1 of each year. The nomination period will be about 1 month long.
- All nominations shall be submitted in written format using an online form. A short justification is required and further documentation is optional.
Selection Protocol
- Candidates shall be reviewed and selected annually by the Honors Committee for recommendation in confidence to the Board of Directors.
- Conflict of interest and bias in the selection of awardees shall be avoided with the utmost of care. Nominees for any of the awards that are also serving as members of the Board of Directors, the Honors Committee, or the Editorial Board for Earthquake Spectra, shall be precluded from all deliberations concerning the selection of candidates for the award for which they have been nominated. Should preclusion of a Board Member or Committee Chair be required, Board and Committee activities required to nominate and select candidates for the award shall be chaired by an ad hoc chairperson selected by other members of the Board or committee. All oral and written deliberations concerning selection of the ad hoc chairperson and candidates for the corresponding award shall be kept in the strictest of confidence from award nominees.
- Written justifications for one nominee and one alternate may be recommended to the Board each calendar year. Citations for each candidate will be prepared prior to consideration by the Board by prominent and well-qualified members of the Institute. If no candidates are recommended by the Honors Committee, the Board should be so notified in writing.
Award Protocol
- The recipient shall be notified prior to the Annual Meeting by the President of the Institute.
- The award shall be announced and presented at the EERI Annual Meeting. Note, the 2025 Medalist will be presented with their award at the 13th National Conference on Earthquake Engineering in 2026.
- The award, together with pictures of the recipient, shall be announced in the Newsletter.
- The recipient shall receive
- a framed citation
- an engraved medal
- registration fee for the EERI Annual Meeting
- Citation materials for recipients selected by the Board at their last meeting of the year shall be reviewed immediately by the Executive Director in order that they might be resubmitted to the original authors, if necessary, for improvement in time for printing, framing, and presentation at the EERI Annual Meeting.
