William T. Pecora Award Recipients
Presented annually since 1974 the award was established to recognize outstanding individuals or teams working toward understanding the Earth (land, oceans and air), educating the next generation of scientists, informing decision makers or supporting natural or human-induced disaster response.
2024
- Jack A. Kaye, PhD (Individual Award)
- Optical Oceanography Lab, University of South Florida (Team Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2024
2023
- Dr. Russell G. Congalton (Individual Award)
- Dr. Matthew C. Hansen (Individual Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2023
2022
- Professor Susan L. Ustin (Individual Award)
- The Aqua Mission Team (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2022
2021
- Dr. Frank Muller-Karger (Individual Award)
- AmericaView (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2021
2020
- Ms. Kass Green (Individual Award)
- Landsat 5 Flight Operations Team (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2020
2019
- Dr. Thomas R. Loveland, USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science Center (Individual Award)
- Terra, NASA (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2019
2018
- Barbara J. Ryan, former Director of the Group on Earth Observations (GEO) (Individual Award)
- Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI) International Team (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2018
2017
- Dr. Darrel Williams, Global Science & Technology, Inc. (Individual Award)
- International Charter for Space and Major Disasters Team (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2017
2016
- Curtis E. Woodcock, Boston University (Individual Award)
- Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM), NASA (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2016
2015
- Steven W. Running, University of Montana (Individual Award)
- EOSDIS, NASA (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
2014
- Christopher O. Justice, University of Maryland (Individual Award)
- Landsat 8, DOI USGS and NASA (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2014
2013
- Dudley B. Chelton, Oregon State University (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
2012
- Gilberto Cámara, National Institute for Space Research, Brazil (Individual Award)
- Leung Tsang, University of Washington (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
2011
- Alan H. Strahler, Boston University (Individual Award)
- Canada Centre for Remote Sensing (CCRS) (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
2010
- Marvin Bauer, University of Minnesota (Individual Award)
- U.S. Air Force Eagle Vision Team (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
2009
- Forrest Hall, University of Maryland - Baltimore County (Individual Award)
- CERES International Team (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
2008
- Samuel N. Goward, University of Maryland-College Park (Individual Award)
- QuikSCAT Mission Team (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
2007
- Stanley A. Morain, University of New Mexico (Individual Award)
- Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Team (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
2006
- John R. Jensen, University of South Carolina (Individual Award)
- Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) Team (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
2005
- Jeff Dozier, University of California, Santa Barbara (Individual Award)
- John R. G. Townshend, University of Maryland (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
2004
- William Krabill, NASA (Individual Award)
- Staff of the USGS EROS (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
2003
- Thomas J. Jackson, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
2002
- Ichtiaque Rasool, NASA/International Geosphere-Biosphere Program (Individual Award)
- Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) Team (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2002
2001
- Ronald J.P. Lyon, Stanford University (Individual Award)
- Landsat 7 Satellite Team (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2001
2000
- Fawwaz T. Ulaby, University of Michigan (Individual Award)
- SeaWiFS Project Team (Group Award)
- Pecora Award Press Release, 2000
1999
- John E. Estes, University of California, Santa Barbara (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1998
- John R. Apel, Global Ocean Associates (Individual Award)
- TOPEX/Poseidon Team (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
1997
- Compton J. Tucker, NASA (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1996
- Crofton B. Farmer, Jet Propulsion Laboratory (Individual Award)
- M. Patrick McCormick, Hampton University (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1995
- Philip N. Slater, University of Arizona (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1994
- J. Robert Porter, Earth Satellite Corporation (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1993
- Ray D. Jackson, U.S. Department of Agriculture (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1992
- Shelby G. Tilford, NASA (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1991
- David S. Simonett, University of California, Santa Barbara (posthumously) (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1990
- David A. Landgrebe, Purdue University (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1989
- Moustafa T. Chahine, NASA (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1988
- William J. Campbell, USGS (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1987
- Francis P. Bretherton, National Center for Atmospheric Research (Individual Award)
- Vincent V. Salomonson, NASA
- [no press release available]
1986
- Allen H. Watkins, USGS (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1985
- Charles Elachi, NASA (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1984
- Archibald B. Park, Globex, Inc. (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1983
- Floyd F. Sabins, Jr., Chevron Oil Field Research Co. (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1982
- Alexander F.H. Goetz, NASA (Individual Award)
- Lawrence C. Rowan, USGS (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1981
- Leonard Jaffe, NASA (Individual Award)
- James R. Anderson, USGS (posthumously) (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1980
- Verner E. Suomi, University of Wisconsin (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1979
- John M. DeNoyer, USGS (Individual Award)
- Virginia T. Norwood, Hughes Aircraft Co. (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1978
- David S. Johnson, National Environmental Satellite Service, Dept. of Commerce (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1977
- Robert N. Colwell, University of California, Berkeley (Individual Award)
- Michel T. Halbouty, The Halbouty Center (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1976
- Environmental Research Inst. of Michigan and Laboratory for Applications of Remote Sensing of Purdue University (Group Award)
- [no press release available]
1975
- William Nordberg, NASA (Individual Award)
- Carlos Brockmann, Landsat-Bolivia Project (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
1974
- William A. Fischer, USGS (Individual Award)
- [no press release available]
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William T. Pecora Awards
William T. Pecora award nominations are now being accepted. Nominations for the 2025 award will be accepted until May 30, 2025.William T. Pecora Awards
The William T. Pecora Award is presented annually to individuals and teams using satellite or aerial remote sensing imagery which make outstanding contributions toward understanding the Earth's surface, educating the next generation of scientists, informing decision makers or supporting natural or human-induced disaster response. Nominations are being accepted from Feb. 3 thru May 30, 2025.
