Loretta Lees, Director of the Initiative on Cities, Boston University, is recognized for her distinguished career in urban geography through groundbreaking international research on the temporality and spatiality of gentrification, outstanding mentorship of postdoctoral scholars and PhD students; and as a Scholar-Activist for her steadfast commitment to collaboration with marginalized communities and in applying geography for social justice in cities. 

James Tyner, professor, Kent State University in Ohio, for his distinguished career in political geography, particularly prolific contributions to our understanding of the political economy of violence in Southeast Asia and the US, and histories and geographies of 20th-century Marxism, dedicated mentoring of graduate students, and longstanding record of service to the discipline.  

Soe W. Myint, Meadows Endowed Chair Professor, Texas State University, is an internationally recognized scholar who holds the Fulbright Canada Research Chair, has earned recognition from the Canadian Association of Geographers, and is an editor or editorial board member of well recognized remote sensing, GIS, and ecology journals. Dr. Myint possesses a long list of well-cited publications and is acknowledged as one of the most influential researchers in the fields of remote sensing and GIS to address environmental issues in urban, forest, and coastal ecosystems advancing understanding of environmental equity in cities. Dr. Myint is recipient of multiple grants from top national research organizations; a dedicated mentor to geography graduate, undergraduate, and postdoctoral students; and an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the discipline. He has served as a member or chair of over 60 PhD committees and has made outstanding contributions to the discipline as a member of the AAG through his exemplary research, teaching, and service.

Anne Bonds, University of Wisconsin Milwaukee, is recognized for her critical studies of race, gender and poverty. She has researched prison expansion as a mode of economic development in the rural mountain West, and more recently post-incarceration survival strategies of women in Milwaukee. She is also recognized for collaborative community-engaged projects that seek to improve racial and economic justice.

Heejun Chang, Portland State University, has established himself as a leading researcher pursuing an understanding of complex transdisciplinary water issues across scales. His high-impact societally relevant geographic research includes comparative studies and collaboration with international colleagues and communities.

2020 Jennifer Collins of the University of South Florida, for her impressive record of high quality scholarship, matched by equally remarkable achievements in teaching, student mentorship, public service, as well as significant contributions to the field of climatology.

2019 John Clark Archer, University of Nebraska Lincoln for his significant contributions to the fields ofpolitical geography (specifically the geography of United States politics), cartography, population geography, and demographics.

2018 Judith A. Tyner, Professor Emerita, California State University, Long Beach for her extensive distinguished, and pioneering career, with significant contributions to the fields of map design, historical cartography, persuasive cartography, textile maps, and lunar cartography and for being a champion women in geography and cartography.

2017 Hui Lin, Chinese University of Hong Kong for his scholarly work, which represents a grand synthesis of human and physical geography, using cutting-edge geospatial technologies.

2016 Mei-Po Kwan, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for her record of research accomplishment, impact, and contribution, particularly in GIScience, human mobility, and environmental health, both within the discipline of geography and beyond.

2015 Qihao Weng, Indiana State University for his pioneering contributions to the field of remote sensing and its geographical applications, particularly in relation to urban environments, through teaching, collaborative research, conferences and high impact publications.

2011 Jane Southworth, University of Florida for her excellence in teaching, amazing dedication to educating and mentoring graduate students at her institution, strong grant and publication record and international visibility of her research in lang-change science

2010 Iain Hay, Flinders University for his international leadership in geographic education, heightening the profile of geography and global education, facilitating and institutionalizing networks of academics and educators,  and enhancing teaching and learning in K-12 and university geography around the world.