The Peter T. Kissinger SEAC Service Award was created by the SEAC Board of Directors in 2023 and will recognize individuals who have distinguished themselves through outstanding service to the society since its establishment in 1984. We recognize that there are many individuals who have selflessly contributed time and talent to the Society and should be acknowledged with a separate award. The award is intended to honor a lifetime of service or a major accomplishment in benefit of the Society.
Current Awardee – 2027
Samuel Kounaves is a Professor of Chemistry at Tufts University, an Affiliate Scientist at the NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and a Visiting Professor in the Department of Earth Sciences at Imperial College London. He received his B.S./M.S. from Cal State-San Diego in 1978 and a Ph.D/D.Sc. from Université de Genève in 1985. After post-doc fellowships at SUNY-Buffalo and Harvard University, he joined the faculty at Tufts in 1988. His research interests are in planetary science and astrobiology using the techniques of modern analytical chemistry, with a focus on the search for biomarkers for life on Mars and Enceladus.
He has co/authored over 115 top-tier publications and received over 35 grants from NASA, NSF, and EPA. Among other honors, he received the ACS-Kavli Award for Innovations in Chemistry; he is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; Geological Society; Royal Society of Chemistry; and has received several NASA awards.
Sam served as the webmaster for SEAC for many years and his contributions sustained the organization for decades.
Award Sponsors
SEAC
Award Nominations
Nominations for the Peter T. Kissinger SEAC Service Award should include a letter of nomination describing the individual’s significant contributions to SEAC, at least two seconding letters of support, and a curriculum vitae for the individual. All nomination materials will be retained by SEAC. Once nominated, the nominee will be considered for the Reilley Award for a total of three years without being re-nominated. However, an updated vitae should be given to the chair of the award’s committee. The submission of additional supporting information or a re-nomination is welcome at any time prior to the award nomination deadline listed below.
Nominations should be e-mailed as a single PDF attachment to the Award’s Committee Chair,
Awardee History
| Year | Awardee | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Samuel Kounaves | Tufts University |
| 2026 | Johna Leddy | University of Iowa |
| 2025 | Jonathon Howell | Bioanalytical Systems, Inc. – Retired |
| 2024 | Peter Kissinger | Phlebotics, Inc. + Purdue + Inotiv, Inc. |