2023 Hayward Geocommunication Award winner:
Ben Kennedy and his volcano science communication team
This year’s award recognises two outstanding contributions towards geocommunication and outreach. The first relates to the provision of accurate and honest advice and answers following the 2019 Whakaari eruption, involving multiple TV and radio interviews, science advice for the Netflix documentary, expert witness work, and support provided to the affected communities.
The second contribution relates to the highly successful Volcanofest, which saw more than 200 Rotorua locals, teachers and students engage with volcano science and meet and learn from volcanologists. It included the development of engagement tools and activities, including hands-on experiments, card and computer games, virtual fieldtrips, and online courses, many of which have been used to engage hundreds to thousands of students beyond just Volcanofest.
Past Hayward Geocommunication Award winners
Year | Recipient |
2022 | Julian Thomson, Out There Learning |
2021 | Oliver McLeod, University of Waikato |
2020 | Hikurangi Subduction Margin Project Team |
The Hayward Geocommunication Award
Offered for the first time in 2020, the Hayward Geocommunication Award is awarded to a New Zealand-based geoscientist or geoscientists for the most meritorious contribution to geocommunication in the previous 3 calendar years.
The award seeks to recognise and promote excellence, innovation and accuracy in “geocommunication” to “public” audiences by a New Zealand “geoscientist” or group of geoscientists.
This award has been made possible thanks to the generosity of GSNZ Life Member Bruce Hayward.