We were delighted to host our annual event, welcoming Society Award winners and their friends and family, our members and our new President.
Last Wednesday 17 June, Burlington House was abuzz with the Geological Society’s annual President’s Day. Following a lively lunch, we gathered for our Society Awards, Medals, and Funds ceremony, followed by a set of short lectures by our senior medallists. We closed the day in our Upper Library, raising a toast to our award winners with their friends, families and members.
Outgoing President Professor Jon Gluyas's warm words marked the day throughout, from the 2026 Annual General Meeting to the presentation of the awards and his welcome to our new incoming President, Jessica Smith.
A year in review and a new President
The day began with the Annual General Meeting, where Officers and Geoscientist’s Editor-in-Chief shared reports on the Society's wide range of activities and achievements in 2025. Highlights included a growing impact across our education and outreach programmes and the launch of our flagship ‘This is Geoscience’ campaign, steady growth in membership and Chartered Fellows, as well as a record year for our publishing and information services. You can find more details in our 2025 Annual Review.
Explore our 2025 Annual Review
We were delighted to welcome our new incoming President, Senior Engineering Geologist Jessica Smith. She is the fourth, and youngest, woman to take on the Society's presidency, a milestone worth celebrating. You can discover more about Jessica, her career, and her hopes for the Society's future in this interview in Geoscientist.
Dr Caroline Gill also stepped into a new role on the day as Vice President, Foreign and External Affairs, and EDIA Council Champion and Paul Winrow as Treasurer-Elect. He will become a Council Member and Treasurer following the 2027 AGM.
We wish them all a warm welcome, and look forward to their support in the coming years.
Society Awards ceremony
Celebrations began after lunch, with congratulations to the recipients of the geoscience awards organised by our Specialist and Regional Groups, Early Career Network, and the Society's journals. Their achievements span the applied, industrial and academic sectors, a brilliant reflection of the breadth of talent in our geoscience community.
Following these, Professor Gluyas and Vice-President, Science Dr Chiara Petrone, formally presented the Society Awards, Medals and Funds, announced in spring but formally celebrated on President’s Day to well-deserved applause.
Once again, we would like to heartily congratulate all award winners for their prestigious achievements and outstanding contributions to geoscience:
- Wollaston Medal - Prof Rory Mortimore
- Lyell Medal - Prof Margaret Collinson
- Murchison Medal - Prof Peter Cawood
- William Smith Medal - Dr Christopher Morley
- Prestwich Medal - Prof Andy Gale
- Dewey Medal - Prof David J A Evans
- Coke Medal - Ron Daniel
- Coke Medal - Prof Georg Zellmer
- Distinguished Service Award - Prof Silvia Peppoloni
- R H Worth Award - Luisa Hendry, @scottishgeologist
- Bigsby Medal - Dr Jakob Vinther
- Wollaston Fund - Dr Nemi Walding
- Lyell Fund - Dr Elias Rugen
- William Smith Fund - Dr Martin Li
- President’s Award - Dr Alice Paine
- President’s Award - Dr Emma Watts
To mark the outstanding contributions of our senior medallists, three of this year's senior medallists delivered short talks. Each one offered a thoughtful and inspiring look at their work and its impact.
Thank you to all who joined us for an evening of celebrations!