Nominees for this award should meet the following criteria:
- An extensive record of research and publication in scholarly journals, books, and other appropriate formats;
- A record of excellence in teaching and advising as evidenced by teaching awards, students advised, and other appropriate measures;
- A record of service contributions to the individual’s educational institution in the form of administrative positions, committee work, and community contact;
- A record of support to the geography profession, whether through formal services to international, national, or regional organizations or informal work in the public domain.
For nomination guidelines, please follow the link to the SEDAAG Awards Page.
The following distinguished Geographers have been awarded the SEDAAG Lifetime Achievement Award since 1987.
| Year | Recipient | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | ||
| 2024 | Joann Mossa | University of Florida |
| 2023 | Michael Pretes | University of North Alabama |
| 2022 | John Kupfer | University of South Carolina |
| 2021 | Bobby Wilson (Posthumous) | University of Alabama |
| 2020 | James (Jim) Campbell | Virginia Tech |
| 2019 | Derek Alderman | University of Tennessee at Knoxville |
| 2018 | Clifton ‘Skeeter’ Dixon, | University of Southern Mississippi |
| 2018 | Allan James | University of South Carolina |
| 2016 | Thomas L. Bell | University of Tennessee |
| 2015 | Kavita Pandit | University of Georgia |
| 2014 | Sally Horn | University of Tennessee |
| 2013 | Carol Harden | University of Tennessee |
| 2012 | Kathleen Parker | University of Georgia |
| 2011 | Gerald Webster | University of Wyoming |
| 2010 | Graham A. Tobin | University of South Florida |
| 2009 | Tyrel G. Moore | University of North Carolina, Charlotte |
| 2008 | Jess McKee | University of Southern Mississippi |
| 2007 | Stephen Walsh | University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill |
| 2006 | Owen Furuseth | University of North Carolina-Charlotte |
| 2006 | Stanley Brunn | University of Kentucky |
| 2005 | C.P. Lo | University of Georgia |
| 2005 | Neal Lineback | Appalachian State University |
| 2004 | Vernon G. Meentemeyer | University of Georgia |
| 2002 | J. Dennis Lord | University of North Carolina, Charlotte |
| 2001 | Risa Palm | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill |
| 2000 | James O. Wheeler | University of Georgia |
| 1999 | Ron Abler | Association of American Geographers |
| 1996 | Morton D. Winsberg | Florida State University |
| 1995 | Stephen S. Birdsall | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill |
| 1994 | Charles F. Kovacik | University of South Carolina |
| 1993 | Karl B. Raitz | University of Kentucky |
| 1989 | Sam B. Hilliard | Louisiana State University |
| 1987 | John Fraser Hart | University of Minnesota |