Deadline: 31 December yearly

The Meredith F. Burrill Award was established to commemorate Meredith “Pete” Burrill’s many and varied contributions to the profession of geography as an academic, senior government official, and officer of the Association of American Geographers (AAG). After serving as a professor of geography for 15 years, Burrill came to Washington, D.C. during World War II. He was soon appointed Executive Secretary of the United States Board on Geographic Names, and began a 32-year career that became global in scope. During those years, Burrill was a mainstay of the evolving AAG. He played a critical role in the transformation of the small, elite society into the open, dynamic organization it has become today, with a headquarters and full time staff in Washington. Burrill served as president of the AAG in 1965.

The purpose of the Burrill Award is to stimulate and reward talented individuals and groups whose accomplishments parallel the intellectual traditions Burrill pursued as a geographer, especially those concerned with fundamental geographical concepts and their practical applications, especially in local, national, and international policy arenas. The funds that underwrite the award come from a bequest by Burrill, a gift from his wife Betty, and donations in his memory from colleagues and friends. The award, consists of a certificate and cash honorarium, at the Association’s Annual Meeting.

The Burrill Award Committee solicits nominations of individuals and teams that have completed work of exceptional merit and quality that lies at or near the intersection of basic research in geography on the one hand, and practical applications or policy implications on the other. The committee shall give special consideration to research that addresses the basic role of geography in:

1) inter- and multi-disciplinary work on the interrelationships of significant cultural phenomena;

2) place name standardization, especially with reference to maps, gazetteers, and other publications; and

3) promoting local, national, and international collaboration on such problems and topics. One award may be given annually; the committee may choose not to make an award in any given year at its discretion.

Applications: Digital submissions are encouraged. Please submit complete application in an email attachment to grantsawards@aag.org with Burrill Award as the Subject line. Alternatively, nine copies of the completed application can be sent to:

Association of American Geographers, attn: Burrill Award, 1710 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20009-3198.

Please provide a curriculum vitae for the nominee as well as a nomination statement (two pages maximum) that describes the ways the nominee meets the award criteria. Up to three supporting letters from other individuals may also be submitted.

Previous Burrill Award Winners

2007
The Louisiana State University GIS Clearinghouse Cooperative(Jacqueline Mills, Andrew Curtis, John Pine, Barret Kennedy, Michael Leitner)

2006
William Graf and the NRC Platte River Committee

2004
Joel .L. Morrisson