George Van Biesbroeck Prize
The Van Biesbroeck Prize is normally awarded every two years and honors a living individual for long-term extraordinary or unselfish service to astronomy, often beyond the requirements of his or her paid position. The AAS assumed responsibility for the prize in 1997.
Eligibility: Unrestricted.
Criteria:
• Length of service -- nominee engaged for many years in serving the astronomical community.
• Service exceeded the requirements of the nominee’s paid position.
• Impact – their service benefited a significant part of the astronomical community.
Self-nominations are allowed. Nominations are due on 30 June.
View Nomination Checklist View Ethics Self-Disclosure Form
2024 - Frederick Seward
For the establishment and implementation of the first open, peer-reviewed Guest Observer program for a Principal-Investigator-led NASA space-based observatory.
2022 - Donald York
For exceptional vision in the conception and design of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), a major imaging and spectroscopic survey that has created the most detailed three-dimensional maps of the universe ever made.
2020 – Roc Cutri
For his long-standing and selfless service and support for ground- and space-based infrared astronomy, including his leadership, development, and management of public data products.
2018 – Debra Meloy Elmegreen
For her unselfish service to astronomy on regional, national, and international scales, including strengthening public appreciation and support for astronomy, making our community more diverse and inclusive, and acting as a role model and mentor to genera
2016 – Richard (Rick) A. Perley
For his tireless and unrelenting career-long service to the global astronomical community, and the dedication of his unparalleled expertise in radio interferometry to the design, commissioning, and optimization of the world’s premier radio telescope, the
2014 – Michael Hauser
For strategic vision that guided first his early career involvement in the IR space missions when he established and led the IR group at Goddard, and later his role as the STScI deputy director playing a key part in turning STScI into a multi-mission inst
2012 – C. Megan Urry
For her tireless efforts to enhance the participation of women in astronomy and other scientific disciplines, through the organization of meetings, written works, lectures and effective mentoring, done outside and in addition to her work as a scientist.
2011 – David S. Leckrone
For three decades of selfless dedication to the instrumenting, servicing, and science programs of the Hubble Space Telescope, through informed advocacy, technical management, and outreach to diverse constituencies in education, government, the science com
| Year | Recipient(s) | Citation |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | Virginia Trimble | For her many years of dedicated service to the national and international communities of astronomers, including her expert assessments of progress in all fields of astrophysics and her significant roles in supporting organizations, boards, committees and foundations in the cause of astronomy. |
| 2009 | Father George V. Coyne | For the diversity and scientific richness he has brought to the astronomical community through his visionary leadership of the Vatican Observatory Summer School (VOSS) and its long-term mentoring program, and for the unique role he has played at the juncture of science and religion. |
| 2008 | Peter Stetson | For his life-long efforts to enable, counsel, and help others do effective research wit the tools that he has developed, specifically the DAOPHOT family of reduction programs for the analysis of astronomical images. |
| 2007 | Stephen P. Maran | For his outstanding and unselfish long-term contribution to the astronomical community as Press Officer for the American Astronomical Society. |
| 2005 | Eric Greisen | For the initiation, development, and maintenance for twenty-five years of the Astronomical Image Processing System (AIPS). |
| 2004 | Rodger Doxsey | For his outstanding, unselfish dedication to making HST one of the most scientifically productive telescopes of all time. |
| 2003 | Donat G. Wentzel | For outstanding and sustained contributions during three decades to astronomy education in this country. |
| 2002 | Victor M. Blanco | For outstanding service in building the Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory and in leading its scientific, technical and support staff. |
| 2001 | Michael J. Kurtz | For being the visionary designer of the Astrophysics Data System (ADS) which clearly has revolutionized for over a decade the speed and thoroughness in which astronomers now can search and access the vast and still growing technical literature. |
| 2000 | D. Harold McNamara | |
| 1999 | Barry M. Lasker | |
| 1998 | Frank J. Lovas | |
| 1997 | Helmut A. Abt |
Awarded by Van Biesbroeck Award, Inc.
| Year | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|
| 1996 | Dave Crawford |
| 1995 | Arlo U. Landolt |
| 1994 | Wayne H. Warren, Jr. |
| 1993 | Janet Mattei |
| 1992 | Bob Kurucz |
| 1991 | Barry Clark |
| 1990 | Aden Meinel |
| 1989 | Brian Marsden |
| 1988 | Dorrit Hoffleit |
| 1987 | No award given |
| 1986 | John Hill |
| 1985 | Mark Giampapa |
| 1984 | John Stocke |
| 1983 | No award given |
| 1982 | Erick Young |
| 1981 | Marc Aaronson, Jeremy Mould |
| 1980 | Marcia Rieke |
| 1979 | Scott Davis |