Citation by Michael Hochella
Dr. Frederick Day-Lewis, formerly with the USGS, and now Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, has been selected as the 2024 Public Service Award recipient due to his scientific contributions and his success in directly translating that science into information and tools for ready use by applied scientists, engineers, and decision makers who directly serve the public good. He has published his hydrogeophysics methods and computer codes in the public domain, thus equipping more end users more quickly, and he regularly provides training and support for these tools for both government and industry. His groundbreaking research revolutionized our understanding of the information content of near-surface geophysical images, providing insight into the capabilities and limitations of geophysical information for addressing many longstanding unknowns of groundwater movement and behavior. Few, if any, can match his commitment to expanding the capabilities of this critical near-surface geophysical field in its service to humankind. Congratulations Fred!
Response by Frederick David Day-Lewis
I am greatly honored to accept the 2024 GSA Public Service Award and want to thank the Geological Society of America and the Awards Committee for the recognition. I am also grateful to Mike Hochella and Kamini Singha for their efforts in nominating me for this honor. The work that this award acknowledges was not mine alone but was performed by teams of scientists from government, academia, and industry working together on software, technology transfer, and training to bridge the gaps between scientific research and the end users of that research and information. While I cannot individually list all of my collaborators, managers, and support staff whose efforts made this work possible, I have had the great honor and privilege to have spent my career working for Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the U.S. Geological Survey, two organizations that put public service front and center—both in terms of mission and culture.