Two UH researchers received the 2009 J. Clarence Karcher Award, presented Sunday during the Society of Exploration Geophysicists’ annual conference at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston.
Haiyan Zhang, a mechanical engineering graduate student, and UH research assistant professor Bogdan Nita received the award for pioneering seismic research at the UH Physics Department’s Mission-Oriented Seismic Research Program.
Each year, the SEG names winners who have made major contributions to the exploration geophysics field.
According to the M-OSRP Web site, seismic research seeks to find the challenge in locating and defying ‘hydrocarbon targets beneath complex media such as salt, basalt and karsted sediment.’
The Karcher Award is considered one of the most prized international awards in exploration geophysics.
‘A defining characteristic of a top tier university research program is high-impact, game-changing fundamental research,’ M-OSRP Director Arthur Weglein said in press release Tuesday. ‘Receiving this kind of international recognition for our graduate students and young faculty is an indication of their research quality and impact.’
Six of Weglein’s students have received the award, four of which were given since he came to UH in 2001.
