The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Claudia Benitez-Nelson on her selection as a Fellow. The citation on her certificate recognizes her outstanding contributions to understanding marine biogeochemical cycling and her exceptional commitment to mentoring and increasing diversity in ocean sciences.

The nomination materials noted that Dr. Benitez-Nelson is “one of the leading oceanographers of her generation…the world leader in the global phosphorus cycle, the use of isotopes (thorium) for quantifying export processes, and how carbon is transformed as it flows from coastal systems to the deep sea.” Additionally, it was noted that she has “worked hard to promote women and people of color across the geosciences, including coordinating award nominations, seminar invitations, and committee diversification in her role as an elected member of various organizations and in service to federal agencies.”

Dr. Benitez-Nelson earned a Ph.D. in Marine Chemistry and Geochemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology/Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Joint Program. Her research largely focuses on understanding the mechanisms that influence particle formation, composition, and the flux of particles from the surface ocean to the seafloor. Related to this broad theme is an emphasis on understanding carbon and phosphorus biogeochemistry under changing ocean conditions.

She is currently a Senior Associate Dean at the University of South Carolina where she directly oversees 13 interdisciplinary units and institutes and handles all strategic initiatives for the College, encompassing faculty research travel grants, and mentorship programs, and oversees the College’s Strategic Planning.

Dr. Benitez-Nelson’s achievements will be celebrated during The Oceanography Society’s Honors Breakfast taking place on February 21, 2024, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Susan B. Cook on her selection as a Fellow. The citation recognizes her for pivotal contributions toward expanding and strengthening ocean programs in higher education and for documenting and promoting the involvement of women and underrepresented groups in ocean science.

Dr. Cook’s contributions to the ocean sciences community extend well beyond her impactful service to The Oceanography Society, where she held the position of Secretary from 2007 to 2018. As one example, she expanded the focus of ocean education to the national level, first playing a pivotal role as an original participant in the workshop in 2000 that laid the groundwork for The Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE). Then, as a program officer for the COSEE initiative at the National Science Foundation (NSF), Dr. Cook coordinated program design efforts, managed the proposal peer review process, and provided oversight for the community during the implementation of the first COSEE cohort. Prior to her work at the national level, Dr. Cook expanded and strengthened ocean education programs and administered scholarship and fellowship programs at the Bermuda Biological Station for Research (now the Bermuda Institute for Ocean Sciences), and at Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. After her service at NSF, she continued her national work as Education Director for the Consortium for Ocean Leadership (formerly the Consortium for Ocean Research and Education) in Washington, DC.

Dr. Cook is currently Senior Education Associate at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association in Vero Beach, Florida. She received a dual B.S. with honors in biology from Newcomb College and Tulane University in 1966 and a Ph.D. from Duke University in 1970.

Dr. Cook’s achievements will be celebrated during The Oceanography Society’s Honors Breakfast on February 21, 2024, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Frank Müller-Karger on his selection as a Fellow. The citation recognizes him for extraordinary contributions and leadership in furthering our understanding of Earth and, in particular, the ocean, through the use of remote sensing and field work.

Frank Müller-Karger’s work encompasses a broad range of satellite observations and field time series in biological oceanography in open ocean, coastal, and benthic ecology applications. His research has laid the groundwork for the use of multi- and hyperspectral observations collected from space and airborne platforms to address fundamental questions about the role of ocean life on Earth’s biogeochemical cycling and the interplay between physical and biological systems, from the coast to the ocean interior, from the surface to the bottom.

Dr. Müller-Karger is a Distinguished University Professor at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science, where he directs the Institute for Marine Remote Sensing (IMaRS). He earned his Ph.D. in Marine and Estuarine Sciences from the University of Maryland Center for Environmental and Estuarine Studies (UMCEES), College Park, Maryland, working at the Center’s Horn Point Environmental Laboratories in Cambridge, Maryland. In addition to a Master of Science degree in Oceanography from the University of Alaska in 1979, he earned a Master of Science in Management from the University of South Florida College of Business Administration.

Dr. Müller-Karger’s achievements will be celebrated during The Oceanography Society’s Honors Breakfast taking place on February 21, 2024, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Phillip R. Taylor for being named a Fellow. The citation on Dr. Taylor’s certificate recognizes him for the “expansion and diversification of the ocean sciences at national and international levels and for building cooperative interactions among agencies and scientific fields.”

Dr. Taylor’s nomination noted his “singular strength was a willingness to work with agency partners (within and outside of NSF) and science community leaders to develop novel programs that attracted additional investment, broadened opportunities in the ocean sciences, and produced stunning results. Ocean sciences became deeper, broader, more interdisciplinary, and generally flourished because of Phil’s leadership.”

Dr. Taylor received his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Irvine in 1981. In 1985, he joined the National Science Foundation (NSF), serving in several leadership positions culminating in his position as Head, Ocean Section, in the Division of Ocean Sciences. From 2011 to 2019 he served first as the Executive Director, Research Advancement and Federal Relations, and then as Associate Dean for Research Advancement at the University of Southern California, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences. He is currently a member of the Board of Trustees and Treasurer of the California Ocean Sciences Trust, beginning in 2015. He recently ended three terms (2014-2022) as an elected member and Treasurer of the Board of Directors of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography.

Dr. Taylor’s achievements will be celebrated during The Oceanography Society’s Honors Breakfast taking place on February 21, 2024, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Emeritus Professor Mitsuo Uematsu on his selection as a Fellow. The citation for this honor recognizes his pioneering research on long-range atmospheric transport of Asian dust across the Pacific Ocean and its impact on marine biogeochemistry.

The nomination materials noted that Dr Uematsu’s research is of the highest quality and notable for its interdisciplinarity and international leadership, as well as its pioneering and continuing nature. These contributions are exemplified through his service on several international scientific committees such as Future Earth and the Executive Planning Committee that designed the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.

Dr. Uematsu is currently the President of the Center for Environmental Science in Saitama, Japan. Previously, he was a Professor at the Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Japan, serving as Director of the Center for International Collaboration. He received an M.S. in 1977 and a Ph.D. in Geochemistry in 1980 from Hokkaido University, Hakodate, Japan.

Dr. Uematsu’s achievements will be celebrated during The Oceanography Society’s Honors Breakfast on February 21, 2024, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates N. Ross Chapman for being selected as the 2024 recipient of The Oceanography Society’s Walter Munk Medal. The citation on his certificate recognizes him for applications of advanced signal processing approaches to acoustical oceanography and contributions to geo-acoustic inversions.

Among Dr. Chapman’s many achievements, the Medal Selection Committee noted his extraordinary contributions to geo-acoustic inversions, acoustic propagation modeling, ambient noise measurements, detection and characterization of gas hydrate deposits in marine sediments, and early innovation of advanced signal processing techniques to enable advances in acoustical oceanography and underwater acoustics. The committee was also impressed with his strong overall publication record and commitment to excellence in advising and mentoring the next generation of Ocean Acousticians.

Dr. Chapman is Professor Emeritus at the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, University of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. He received his BSc in physics from McMaster University and a Ph.D. in physics from the University of British Columbia. He is a Fellow of the Acoustical Society of America and the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers, and was Editor in Chief of the IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering.

His achievements will be celebrated during The Oceanography Society’s Honors Breakfast taking place on February 21, 2024, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Prof. Charitha Bandula Pattiaratchi for being selected as the most recent recipient of The Oceanography Society’s Mentoring Award. The citation on Dr. Pattiaratchi’s certificate recognizes him for an enviable record of mentoring students and young scientists. Over the course of his career, he has developed a world-renowned research and training program for early career researchers and graduate students in coastal oceanography at The University of Western Australia. To date, he has supervised more than 300 people including direct supervision of 277 dissertations.

Pattiaratchi is currently Professor of Coastal Oceanography, Oceans Graduate School and The UWA Oceans Institute at The University of Western Australia. He leads the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) Ocean Glider facility. He earned several degrees from the University College of Swansea (University of Wales): BSc (joint hons), Oceanography and Applied Mathematics, 1979; MSc (Coastal Oceanography), 1981; PhD (Coastal Oceanography), 1985; Postdoctoral Fellow, Oceanography, 1986–1988. He has been at the University of Western Australia since 1988.

His achievements will be celebrated during The Oceanography Society’s Honors Breakfast taking place on February 21, 2024, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting.

The Oceanography Society (TOS) congratulates Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership (RUCOOL) team on its selection as the recipient of the TOS Ocean Observing Team Award. This award recognizes innovation and excellence in sustained ocean observing for scientific and practical applications. The citation on the team’s certificate recognizes RUCOOL for transforming oceanography by sharing their pioneering sampling platforms, sensing methods, and their integration in models and education.

Rutgers University Center of Ocean Observing Leadership has for over thirty-one years been a leader in oceanography innovating new technologies, exploring the ocean, developing integrated ocean observing/modeling networks, and educating the next generation of oceanographers. RUCOOL is a multi-generational group of senior and junior faculty that together have formed a transdisciplinary group addressing societal needs, promoting public outreach, and helping create an ocean-literate society. RUCOOL has distinguished itself with a focus on data transparency and open access.

The representative members of the RUCOOL team recognized for this award are Scott Glenn, Thomas Grothues, Josh Kohut, Alex Lopez, Janice McDonnell, Travis Miles, Daphne Munroe, Grace Saba, and Oscar Schofield.

The RUCOOL team’s achievements will be celebrated during The Oceanography Society’s Honors Breakfast taking place on February 21, 2024, during the Ocean Sciences Meeting.