Scripps Scientists, Diving Officer Receive Honors

CONTACT: Mario Aguileraor Cindy Clark858/534-3624[email protected]

FOR RELEASE: June 6, 2001

Scripps Scientists, Diving Officer Receive Honors

Three scientists and a diving officer with Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego, recently received distinguished honors from a variety of organizations.

Jeremy Jackson, professor of oceanography with Scripps's Geosciences Research Division and Marine Biology Research Division, has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was recognized for "world-class scholarship, teaching, and leadership in marine biology and ecology, ecologic and evolutionary theory, and paleontology."

Jackson, who lives in La Jolla, Calif., is among 185 new Fellows from across the nation and 28 Foreign Honorary Members named to the academy, an international society of the world's leading scientists, scholars, artists, business people, and public leaders.

John Largier, an associate research oceanographer with the Scripps Marine Life Research Group and the Center for Coastal Studies, has been awarded a fellowship from the Aldo Leopold Leadership Program. Named for environmental scientist Aldo Leopold, the Oregon State University-operated program is designed to improve scientific communication about environmental issues to the media, policy makers, and the private sector.

Largier, whose primary research interests include coastal oceanography and ecology, is one of 20 environmental scientists who will participate in this year's third annual Leopold Leadership Program.

"Each of the 22 new fellows is a talented, articulate, and recognized environmental scientist," said Judith Vergun, project director. "They will receive advanced leadership and communication training during the coming year, and improve their ability to share scientific expertise with a broad array of interested parties beyond academia."

Largier lives in La Jolla, Calif.

The Navy League of the United States has honored Walter Munk, IGPP research professor of geophysics at Scripps, with the 2001 Albert A. Michelson Award. Bestowed in honor of Michelson, the first American Nobel laureate, the award recognizes scientists whose research has significantly improved the nation's maritime forces or the U.S. industrial technology base.

"Munk has served the Navy for over fifty years as one of the founding greats of modern oceanography," the Navy League noted in the award announcement. "His improvement of the bathythermograph during the 1940s revealed that the ocean's temperature profile was not smooth, and he saw the importance this fact held for underwater acoustic propagation and the entire field of submarine and antisubmarine warfare."

The award announcement also recognized Munk's contributions in Project Cabot, the Heard Island experiment, Project Mohole, and the Acoustic Thermometry of Ocean Climate project.

He lives in La Jolla, Calif.

Jim Stewart, Scripps diving officer emeritus, has been selected to receive the 2001 Roger Revelle Trophy of the San Diego Oceans Foundation. The award annually recognizes significant contributions to the Oceans Foundation's mission of advancement of stewardship of the oceans.

"Your accomplishments in the field of safe scientific diving over many years have contributed not only to the advancement of underwater science, but also to the safety of all who dive in San Diego waters," the Revelle citation notes.

Associated with Scripps since 1952, Stewart managed the nation's oldest and largest non-governmental research diving program at Scripps from 1960 to 1991. The program became the model for the safe and effective conduct of international research diving programs. He remains active in the Scripps diving program.

Stewart, who lives in San Diego, will receive the Roger Revelle Trophy June 9 at the San Diego Oceans Foundation's Oceans Benefit Dinner.

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