The Lehi Hintze Award is presented annually to an individual who has demonstrated "Outstanding Contributions to the Geology of Utah." This prestigious award recognizes excellence across all areas of the geosciences, with recipients potentially hailing from academia, government, the private sector, or the general public.
Background
The Lehi Hintze Award, established in 2003, is named after its first recipient, Lehi F. Hintze. Hintze dedicated his life to the study, mapping, writing, and teaching of Utah's geology. He earned his degree from the University of Utah and a doctorate from Columbia University. After 37 years as a faculty member at Brigham Young University, Lehi Hintze worked for the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) for nearly a decade, and even after retirement, he continued his work on Utah's geology.
Nomination Process
Anyone can nominate an individual for the Lehi Hintze Award. Nominations should highlight the nominee's "outstanding contributions" and MUST include:
- A letter of nomination detailing the nominee’s significant contributions.
- A curriculum vitae.
- A bibliography.
- A minimum of two and a maximum of four supporting letters. At least one of these letters must be from someone not currently or recently associated with the nominee’s employment.
Nominations should be mailed OR emailed to the following address before September 22, 2025:
Director
Utah Geological Survey
PO Box 146100
Salt Lake City, UT 84114-6100
Selection Process
The Utah Geological Association (UGA) and the UGS Director coordinate the award process. Nominations are requested annually in May and reviewed by a selection panel in September.
The selection panel will evaluate all nominations and is comprised of the following members (or their designees):
- Director, Utah Geological Survey (panel co-chair)
- President, Utah Geological Association (panel co-chair)
- Chair, Geology Department, Brigham Young University
- Chair, Geology and Geophysics Department, University of Utah
- Head, Geology Department, Utah State University
- A private sector geologist, selected annually by the UGA Board (this individual does not need to be a UGA member).
Each member of the selection committee will rank the nominations, and these rankings will be tallied to determine the award winner. Nominations remain valid for three years. However, you have the option to renominate an individual annually if desired.
Award
The award recipient will receive an engraved plaque. A master plaque, listing all past recipients, is kept in the UGS Main Office. The UGS and UGA are responsible for acquiring and updating these plaques. The UGA announces the winner publicly during its October luncheon, which aligns with Earth Science Week in Utah. This announcement includes a press release in the quarterly UGS Survey Notes. A public function will be held at the November UGA luncheon to present the award and honor the recipient. The recipient is expected to deliver a short (35-40 minute) presentation on a geological topic of their choosing.
Past Winners:
| Awardee | Specialty | Type of Work | Year |
| Lehi Hintze | Geology | Academia | 2003 |
| Hellmut Doelling | Geology | Government | 2004 |
| William T. Parry | Geochemistry | Academia | 2005 |
| John C. Osmond | Oil Exploration | Industry | 2006 |
| Robert B. Smith | Geophysics | Academia | 2007 |
| Peter D. Rowley | Geology | Government/Consulting | 2008 |
| Myron G. Best | Geology | Academia | 2009 |
| Gary E. Christenson | Geology | Government | 2010 |
| Ted Arnow | Hydrology | Government | 2011 |
| William R. Lund | Geology | Government | 2012 |
| Robert Q. Oaks, Jr. | Geology | Academia | 2013 |
| Paul B. Anderson | Geology | Consulting | 2014 |
| Douglas Sprinkel | Geology | Government | 2015 |
| Genevieve Atwood | Geology | Government/Consulting | 2016 |
| Thomas C. Chidsey, Jr. | Geology | Government | 2017 |
| Marjorie A. Chan | Geology | Academia | 2018 |
| Grant Willis | Geology | Government | 2019 |
| David Simon | Geology | Consulting | 2020 |
| Thomas H. Morris | Geology | Academia | 2021 |
| Ken Krahulec | Ken Krahulec | Government | 2022 |
| Adolph Yonkee | Geology | Academia | 2023 |
| Robert F. Biek | Geology | Government | 2024 |