Report of the Honors Committee (1999)

Southeastern Geographer Vol. XXXIX, No. 1, May 1999, pp. 116-117 REPORT OF THE HONORS COMMITTEE Howard G. Johnson Criteria for the special awards presented by the SEDAAG Honors Committee are published in the Southeastern Geographer, Vol. 37, No. 1, May 1997, pp. 109110 . DISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD Thomas L. Bell The University of Tennessee The 1998 Honors Committee of the Southeastern Division, Association of American Geographers, on behalf of its members, is proud to present its 1998 Outstanding Service Award to Dr. Thomas L. Bell of the Department of Geography, The University of Tennessee. This award is given to those who have a solid record ofdedicated and quality service to the Division, the AAG, and the discipline. Tom's extensive and unselfish service to the Division exemplifies the spirit and purpose of the award. Tom has held each of the Division's executive offices, serving as Secretary (1978-1980), Vice President and Program Chair (1985-1986), President (19871989 ), and Past President (1989-1991). He also served on the Editorial Board ofthe Southeastern Geographer from 1984 to 1988, served on the Program Committee three times (1974, 1977, and 1988), twice (1974 and 1976) on the Honors Committee , and was elected twice to the office of Tennessee State Representative to the Steering Committee (1976-1977 and 1997-1998). He currently chairs the SEDAAG Endowment Committee and, at times over the past 25 years, has been a member of the Data Sharing and Non-Academic Employment Committees. Tom's service commitment to his profession knows no Division bounds. He serves as regular contributor and reviewer for eight professional journals and is an active participant in meetings and programs ranging in scope from the Tennessee Geographic Alliance to the Thunen Society ofNorth America. At Tennessee, Tom has served on countless committees from the department to the university level and has been recognized for his outstanding efforts at undergraduate advising. We take pride in Tom's superb record of sustained support and dedication to SEDAAG and to his institution and to his profession. Dr. Johnson is Professor and Chair ofthe Department ofPhysical and Earth Sciences, Jacksonville State University, Jacksonville, AL 36265. VOL. XXXIX, No. 1 117 RESEARCH HONORS AWARD Owen J. Furuseth The University ofNorth Carolina at Charlotte The 1998 Honors Committee of the Southeastern Division, Association of American Geographers, on behalf of its members, is proud to present the Research Honors Award to Owen Furuseth, Department of Geography of North Carolina at Charlotte. Owen's research is substantial in both quantitative and qualitative dimensions . From the quantitative standpoint, his record includes the following: co-editor of six books and the co-author ofone monograph; author or co-author of 1 1 chapters in books; author or co-author of 35 articles in refereed journals; 45 presentations at professional meetings in locations including the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Israel, and New Zealand; 1 6 presentations to universities and other organizations; and the authorship of a dozen reports for local communities. Three major themes can be found in his extensive research output: farmland preservation policies; environmental hazards and planning-related issues; and growth management and sustainable development. Owen's international reputation as an important scholar in rural land use planning , environmental hazards, and growth management policy attests to the quality of his research. This stature is reflected in his numerous publications in journals with an international scope and rigorous review procedures, invitations from overseas editors and publishers to disseminate his research in their books, and his active involvement in research and study groups with international participation. The breadth of Owen's research in terms of its target audience ranges from the scholarly academic community to local governments in the Charlotte region. His research is often closely intertwined with both his teaching and service activity. The involvement of his graduate students in some of his applied research illustrates the research/teaching connection. His research/service work as chair of the Mecklenburg County Soil and Water Conservation District is an example of the research/service connection involving his environmental interests. Owen has received several awards or grants that attest to his research productivity . In 1980-1981, he received a NATO Postdoctoral Fellowship to study resources...