Fred Day-Lewis Receives Public Service Award
The Geological Society of America recognizes PNNL geophysicist for Earth-science contributions
Frederick Day-Lewis, Lab Fellow and chief geophysicist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), was named the 2024 recipient of the Geological Society of America (GSA) Public Service Award.
The award, created in honor of Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker, was established by the GSA council in 1988. It honors outstanding contributions to public awareness of the Earth sciences and contributions to the scientific resolution of Earth-science problems of significant societal concern.
“I was surprised and honored to receive this award. It feels especially good because of what it recognizes,” said Day-Lewis. “Much of my work the last 20 years has aimed to make geophysics more accessible, bridge the gap between scientists and practitioners, and connect potential end users, either in government or industry, with new technology and information to address societal challenges.”
Day-Lewis’s research focuses on applied and basic science in hydrogeophysics for groundwater resources, environmental remediation, climate impacts, critical minerals, and other problems.
“Most of my work involves geophysics and seeing into the subsurface with different types of measurements,” said Day-Lewis. “We’re applying the same kinds of physics used for medical imaging to the Earth—to see the structure and plumbing of the subsurface, where groundwater is and where it's moving, and where contamination is and where that's moving. This information is critical to designing systems to manage and control different subsurface processes for environmental remediation and responsible resource extraction.”
PNNL Lab Fellow and Earth Scientist Michael Hochella nominated Day-Lewis for his dedication to developing and disseminating educational and technology transfer materials for use by non-scientists, including government agencies, decision makers, students, and the general public. Geophysical software developed by Day-Lewis has been published as public domain and open-source tools to maximize access and scientific impact.
"Dr. Day-Lewis is a brilliant scientist, with the added superpower of allowing his genius in shallow-Earth hydrogeophysics to flow directly to application scientists and engineers who are directly serving the public good,” said Hochella. “I’d say that this makes him truly invaluable."
Day-Lewis holds a joint appointment at the Colorado School of Mines. Kamini Singha, distinguished professor and associate dean of Earth and Society Programs at the Colorado School of Mines, supported Hochella in nominating Day-Lewis.
“Day-Lewis has published some of the most important papers in near-surface geophysics over the past 20 years. He frequently shares ideas and data with many folks in the field—myself included—who have benefited remarkably from his selflessness,” said Singha. “He is humble, cares about the next generation, and brilliant—a combination that is too rare in science.”
The GSA Public Service Award will be presented at the GSA Annual Fall Meeting taking place from September 22–25, in Anaheim, California.
Published: June 13, 2024