The Geological Society of London has recognised Professor David Selby and Dr Richard Brown for their contributions to the field of earth science.
Two members of our Department of Earth Science have been granted lifetime achievement awards for their incredible work.
Dr Richard Brown will be awarded the Dewey Medal, which is given to a geologist who has made significant contributions to geology through fieldwork. Professor David Selby is this year’s recipient of the William Smith Medal for his work on applied and economic geology.
The formal presentation of awards will be celebrated on President’s Day, 11 June 2025, at Burlington House in London.
Dr Brown’s work is primarily on the ground. His research focuses on the transport of pyroclastic flows, lava and volcanic ash during volcanic eruptions and the growth and evolution of volcanoes and volcanic provinces.
His work has taken him all around the world to work on some of the biggest eruptions the planet has produced. He’s mapped out the deposits of recent eruptions in El Salvador, investigated ancient volcanoes in southern Africa that erupt diamonds, and co-produced a geological map of Ascension Island in the South Atlantic with colleagues at the British Geological Survey.
Through this work, he seeks to understand the physical processes that occur during volcanic eruptions to mitigate the hazards for nearby populations.
Prof David Selby is a world leader in the field of geochronology, or determining the age of materials in the Earth, through rhenium-osmium isotope dating.
His research tells us about the geologic materials that form some of our most critical natural resources.
Since the start of his career in 1999, David has developed global partnerships and contributed over 200 research publications to the field. His work also has applications in volcanism, ice sheet dynamics and pollution.
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