Major Awards

Presidential Rank of Meritorious Senior Professional

Lou Allamandola – 2006, 2015
Christopher McKay – 2013

NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal

Melinda A. Kahre – 2022
Thomas Bristow – 2020
Ella Sciamma-O’Brien – 2020
Jeff Cuzzi – 1982, 1986, 1999
David Des Marais 1988, 2003
Lou Allamandola – 1992, 2012
Dale Cruikshank – 1994, 2017
David Hollenbach – 1995, 2005
Kevin Zahnle – 1996
Thomas Roellig – 1997
Timothy Lee – 1998, 2011
David Blake – 1998, 2017
Linda Jahnke – 2001
Andrew Pohorille – 2002
Farid Salama – 2003
Lynn Rothschild – 2004
David Hollenbach – 2005
Mark Marley – 2007, 2016
Chris McKay, Scott Sandford – 2009
David Koch, Mike Haas, Aaron Zent – 2010
Scargle, Jeffrey D,  Rowe, Jason – 2011   
George Cooper, Jack Lissauer – 2013
Hioehler, Tori M., Heldmann, Jennifer L., Lissauer, Jack J. – 2015 
Hollingsworth, Jeffery L., Rowe, Jason F. – 2016

NASA Exceptional Service Medal

Emmett Quigley – 2020
Erickson, Edwin F. – 1999
Davis, Sanford S. – 1992
Dale Cruikshank – 2007
Dotson, Jessie L. – 2011
To, Caroline H. – 2014
Fonda, Mark L. – 2015

SAO Exceptional Service Medal

David Koch – 1986

NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal

Tori M. Hoehler – 2022
David Hollenbach – 2002, 2003
David Des Marais – 2003
Chris McKay – 2004
Stoker, Carol – 2008
Tony Colaprete – 2010
David Blake – 2013
Howell, Steve B. – 2017
Hollingsworth, Jeff – 2019

NASA Engineering & Safety Center Director’s Award

Jeff Scargle – 2004

NASA Special Achievements Award

Scott Sandford – 1989, 1993

NASA Exceptional Public Service Medal

Natalie Batalha  – 2011

NASA Distinguished Service Medal

Fred Van Wert – 2013

NASA Exceptional Technology Achievement Medal

Eduardo Bendek Selman – 2016

NASA Group Achievement Award – Numerous

Cosmic – 2022

NASA Ames Associate Fellow

Jeff Cuzzi – 1987
Chris McKay – 1994
Lou Allamandola – 1995, 1996
Timothy Lee – 1997
Scott Sandford – 2000
Kevin Zahnle – 2001
Dale Cruikshank – 2006
Jack Lissauer – 2007
To, Caroline H. – 2015

H. Julian Allen Award for best technical paper

David Blake. – “Characterization and calibration of the CheMin mineralogical instrument on Mars Science Laboratory” published in Space Science Reviews 170, 341-399 (2012).” 2019

Jack Lissauer. – “A closely packed system of low-mass, low-density planets transiting Kepler – 1.” Nature 470, 53 -58, (February 2011).  2018 

Colaprete, Anthony J. – “Detection of Water In the LCROSS Ejecta Plume” 2016

Lissauer, Jack J. – “Models of Jupiter’s growth incorporating thermal and hydrodynamic constraints” 2014

Marley, Mark S. – “Precipitating Condensation Clouds in Substellar Atmospheres” 2011

Pohorille, Andrew – “Calculating Free Energies Using Average Force” 2010

Sandford, Scott & Allamandola, Louis – “UV Irradiation of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Ices: Production of Alcohols, Quinones, and Ethers” 2007

Des Marais, David – “Carbon Isotope Evidence for the Stepwise Oxidation of the Proterozoic Environment” 2000

Scargle, Jeffrey D. – “Studies in Astronomical Time Series Analysis. II: Statistical Aspects of Spectral Analysis of Unevenly Spaced Data” 1997

Cuzzi, Jeffrey N. & Dobrovolskis, Anthony R. – “Particle-Gas Dynamics in the Midplane of a Protoplanetary Nebula” 1996

Allamandola, Louis J.- “Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and the Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands: Auto Exhaust Along the Milky Way!” 1986

McKay, Christopher P. – “Evolution of an Impact-Generated Dust Cloud and Its Effects on the Atmosphere, Geological Implications of Impacts of Large Asteroids and Comets on the Earth” 1983

Erickson, Edwin F. – “Aircraft Observations of Venus Near-Infrared Reflection Spectrum: Implications for Cloud Composition” 1976

David Hollenbach – 1992, 2003

Lupe Ontiveros Dream Award

Dr. Elisa Quintana – 2014

Fellow of the Geochemical Society & European Association of Geochemistry

David Des Marais – 2002

Fellow of the American Physical Society

Timothy Lee – 2001
Lou Allamandola – 2006, 2015

Fellow of the American Geophysical Union

Jeff Cuzzi – 2002
Dale Cruikshank – 2005
Jeff Cuzzi, Chris McKay – 2006
David Des Marais – 2008
Jack Lissauer, Kevin Zahnle – 2011

Fellow of the Meteoritical Society

Scott Sandford 2006

Fellow of the International Society Study Origin of Life

David Des Marais – 2002
Chris McKay – 2005

Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science

Timothy Lee – 2005
Lou Allamandola – 2006, 2015
Dale Cruikshank – 2010

Fellow of the California Academy of Sciences

Dale Cruikshank – 1990
David Des Marais – 2004, 2008
Tori Hoehler – 2007

Chambliss Astronomical Writing Award from the American Astronomical Society

Jack Lissauer – 2007

Listed Among Most Cited Chemists by H-Index

Lou Allamandola (H=57)
Timothy Lee (H=52)

Antarctic Service Medal for Special Service in Antarctic Exploration

Scott Sandford – 1986
Carol Stoker – 1992
Alfonso Davila, Margarita Marinova, Jennifer Heldmann – 2012

Medal of the French Societe d’Encouragement au Progres for Scientific Research

Nathalie Cabrol – 1997

Gold Medal, International Water and Science Award (Unesco/European Parliament)

Nathalie Cabrol – 2000

Dirac Medal, World Association of Theoretical and Computational Chemists

Tim Lee – 1998

Arthur S. Fleming Award

Chris McKay – 1991

Awarded an Asteroid

Dale Cruikshank – 1988 (3531)
Scott Sandford – 2004 (16035)
Diane Wooden – 2006 (17421)

Dirac Medal awarded by WATOC

Timothy Lee – 1998

Gerard P. Kuiper Prize for the Division of Planetary Sciences

Jeff Cuzzi – 2010
Dale Cruikshank – 2006

Muhlmann Prize of the Astro. Soc. of the Pacific

Dale Cruikshank – 1985

Thomas O. Paine Award

Carol Stoker – 1985
Chris McKay – 1995

SSERVI Wargo Award

Darlene Lim – 2021

Harold C. Urey Prize of the Division of Planetary Sciences

Chris McKay – 1989
Jack Lissauer – 1992
Alberto Fairin – 2012

Zeldovich Medal – COSPAR

Max Bernstein – 2000

Spinoza Prize

Xander Tielens – 2012

Leonard Medal Award 

Jeff Cuzzi – 2015

G. K. Gilbert Award

Janice Bishop – 2021
Jeffrey Moore – 2018

Nevada Medal for “outstanding achievement in science and engineering”

Chris McKay – 2015

ASME/AIAA Structures and Material best paper

Sanford Davis – 1980

Lawrence B. Sperry Award, AIAA

Jeff Cuzzi – 1982

Research Fellowship, Max Planck Institute Biochemistry, Martinsried, Germany

Jonathan Trent – 1985

European Molecular Biology Organization Fellowship, Copenhagen University, Denmark & Visiting Scholar Award University of Paris at Orsay, France

Jonathan Trent – 1990

Howard Hughes Fellowship, Boyer Center for Molecular Medicine, Yale Medical School

Jonathan Trent – 1991

Oort Professorship, Leiden University, Netherlands

Louis Allamandola – 2013

Laboratory Physics Prize, AAS Laboratory Astrophysics Division

Louis Allamandola – 2014

Patent Awards

Radiation Shielding Systems Using Nanotechnology – 2011 Christopher McKay

Environmental Monitoring of Microbe Metabolic Transformation – 2013 Lee Bebout, Brad Bebout, Christopher Beasley

2013 NASA Government Invention of the Year Award – Chemistry and Mineralogy (CheMin) X-ray diffraction instrument aboard the Mars Science Laboratory rover Curiosity – David Blake (Ames), Phillipe Sarrazin (SETI Institute, Inxitu Inc.)

2013 Patent Application Awards

Capillary Driven Micro-Organism Cultivation Platform for Human Life Support – Leslie Bebout
Graphene-Based Electrode for a Supercapacitor – Bin Chen
Optimum Solar Conversion Cell Configurations – Christopher McKay, Bin Chen
Solar Powered CO2 Conversion – Bin Chen

2013 NASA Tech Briefs Award

Advanced Sensor Technology for Algal Biotechnology (ASTAB) – Brad Bebout, Lance Delzeit (SCB), Leslie Bebout, Christoper Beasley

Ames Honor Awards              

Davis, Sanford S. – Ames Honor Award: Supervisor/Manager 1998
Nottage, Julie M. – Ames Honor Award: Contractor Employee 2001
Trent, Jonathan D. – Ames Honor Award: Mentor 2001
To, Caroline H. – Ames Honor Award: Administrative Professional 2003
Van Wert, Fredric R. – Ames Honor Award: Administrative Professional 2004
Cabrol, Nathalie A. – Ames Honor Award: Contractor Employee 2005
McKay, Christopher P. – Ames Honor Award: Mentor 2005
Erickson, Edwin F. –  Ames Honor Award: Technology Development 2005
Sandford, Scott A. – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2006
Lee, Lawrence D. – Ames Honor Award: Administrative Professional 2007
Wilhelm, Mary Beth –  Ames Honor Award: Student 2007
Quiqley, Emmett A. – Ames Honor Award: Technician 2007
Blake, David – Ames Honor Award: Commercialization/Tech Transfer 2008
Heldmann, Jennifer – Ames Honor Award: Mentor 2008
Mattioda, Andrew – Ames Honor Award: Mentor 2008
Zent, Aaron – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2008
Fonda, Mark – Ames Honor Award: Supervisor/Manager 2008
To, Caroline H. – Ames Honor Award: Administrative Professional 2008
Mattioda, Andrew L. – Ames Honor Award: EEO 2009
Cruikshank, Dale P. – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2009
Hoehler, Tori M. – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2009
Nottage, Julie M. – Ames Honor Award: Contractor Employee 2010
Mattioda, Andrew L. – Ames Honor Award: EEO 2010
Bebout, Brad M. – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2010
Sandford, Scott A. – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2010
Quigley, Emmett A. – Ames Honor Award: Technician  2010
Blake, David – Ames Honor Award: Commercialization/Tech Transfer 
Lim, Darlene – Ames Honor Award: Contractor Employee 2012
Bebout, Brad M. – Ames Honor Award: Mentor 2012
Lissauer, Jack J. – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2012
Wooden, Diane H. – Ames Honor Award: Mentor 2013
Bendek, Eduardo A. – Ames Honor Award: Contractor Employee 2016
Wilhelm, Mary Beth – Ames Honor Award: Best First Paper 2017
Douglas A. Caldwell – Ames Honor Award: Contractor Employee 2021
Zara L. Mirmalek – Ames Honor Award: Contractor Employee 2021
Sanjoy M. Som – Ames Honor Award: Contractor Employee 2021
George W. Cooper – Ames Honor Award: Mentor 2021
Robert M. Haberle – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2021
Mary N. Parenteau – Ames Honor Award: Scientist/Researcher 2021

Ames Fellows             

Allamandola, Louis –  2011

Ames Associate Fellows

Blake, David – 2016
Marley, Mark – 2016
Lissauer, Jack – 2007
Cruikshank, Dale – 2007
Des Marais, David – 2002
Zahnle, Kevin – 2001
Sandford, Scott – 1999
Lee, Timothy – 1997
Erickson, Edwin F. – 1996
Allamandola, Louis – 1995
McKay, Christopher – 1993
Cuzzi, Jeffrey – 1987
Des Marais, David – 1983

Certificate of Achievement

Farid Salama (SSA) was presented with a Certificate of Achievement from STMD for his work as subtopic Manager with the SBIR/STTR program. – 2018

Early Career Initiative Award

Mary Beth Wilhelm (SST): STMD Early Career Initiative Award for her proposal entitled Extractor for Chemical Analysis of Lipid Biomarkers in Regolith (ExCALiBR). – 2019

Robert H Goddard Award for exceptional achievement for new opportunities

Alfonso Davilla (SSX) and Chris McKay (SS) for their role in developing the ELSAH mission concept and for outstanding achievement advancing life detection capabilities for Planetary Science, displaying technical and science expertise to enable a successful mission – 2019

NASA / SSERVI Angioletta Coradini Mid-Career Award for significant, lasting accomplishments related to exploration

Jennifer Heldmann, 2019

WINGS WorldQuest Women of Discovery Award

Darlene Lim, 2019

Professional Excellence Award in Government by the Association for Women Geoscientists

Jen Heldmann – 2021

Katherine Johnson Trailblazer Award

Kimberly Ennico-Smith – 2021