Honorary Fellows

SEG recognizes senior economic geologists with honorary fellowship for extraordinary contributions, particularly those who have not already received an SEG medal or award. Honorary fellowship is limited to a maximum of 1% of the total number of SEG Fellows.

Bylaws and Guidelines

In addition to the SEG Bylaws, SEG Council ratified guidelines in 2012 as to what constitutes "extraordinary service" to the Society or to the science and practice of economic geology, and other details as follows:

• Guideline 1: Honorary Fellow status should be considered for people who have "rendered extraordinary service to the Society or to the science and practice of economic geology", but - in many cases - have not received an SEG honor and are now unlikely to do so because of age. For many reasons, people deserving of an honor were not considered for an SEG medal or award, including a low-profile personality, or professionals in industry where contributions are less public.
• Guideline 2: In order that honorary fellowship be deemed to be prestigious, the total number of Honorary Fellows should be limited to a maximum of 1% of the present Fellow numbers.
• Guideline 3: SEG Council members and SEG Foundation trustees are invited by SEG Past President to nominate candidates in April of each year, with a 100-word justification. To broaden the pool of nominees, SEG Fellows and Members may also nominate Honorary Fellows with letters of justification that are accompanied by support from at least three SEG Fellows. A person may be nominated a maximum of four times. The past president will submit a report, including the slate of nominations for Honorary Fellows, to the SEG Executive Director not later than May 31 of each year. Nominations will be circulated to the SEG Executive Committee, and voting will take place for at least one new Honorary Fellow each year if there is a vacancy as per guideline 2. With the past president serving as chair, a two-thirds majority of the SEG Executive Committee will be sufficient to recommend a new Honorary Fellow to SEG Council for approval.
• Guideline 4: The term "extraordinary" is to be stressed, and commented upon in the nomination of each candidate. Honorary fellowship should know no geographic boundaries; those in industry who are accepted to have had a critical role in the discovery of a major ore deposit or deposits should also be candidates. Non-membership of SEG should not hinder nomination, while noting that there are many SEG members who are deserving of such recognition.