A Prize Response
by Chris Russell
June 2004
The American Geophysical Union awards the John
Adam Fleming medal in honor of "original research
and technical leadership in geomagnetism, atmospheric
electricity, aeronomy, space physics, and related
sciences." It is one of the highest honors of the
AGU. The 2003 Fleming medal was awarded to
Professor Christopher T. Russell of the University of
California at Los Angeles for his “unequaled record
of scientific accomplishment in space physics,”
notably in the field of planetary magnetospheres
and their interactions with the solar wind. The citation
for his award can be found at http://www.agu.org/
inside/awards/russell_ct.html. We have chosen to
reproduce his response in STATUS because of his advocacy
that more honors be awarded to women scientists.
I am very pleased to receive this award named
for a fellow geomagnetician, John Adam
Fleming, who was once very influential but is
now somewhat less known. For those interested
in his career, I refer you to an excellent biography
written by Merle Tuve and published in the
National Academy's Biographical Memoirs in
1967. Fleming was “an indefatigable worker and
a prolific writer.” He served as General Secretary
of AGU for a full solar magnetic cycle, or 22
years. In addition to geomagnetism, the Fleming
Medal recognizes work in atmospheric electricity,
aeronomy, space physics, and related sciences.
Awards, however, are often defined more by the
recipients than any other factor. The 35 men who
have received this award before me include some
of the most brilliant I have ever met. They also
include the only scientist who has ever hit me, but
that story is better left for another time.
"I have many people to thank for helping me
during my career, but none more than my mother,
who at 89 years of age is still a very bright
woman. She, like myself, was strongly attracted
to science, but her father would not allow a
young girl to pursue such a career. She was directed
to study to be a secretary. Fortunately times have
changed, and last year in the United States more
doctorates were awarded to women than men.
"We have many excellent female scientists in
our profession, and I have been lucky enough to work with some of the best. Among these have
been Marcia Neugebauer, Joan Feynman,
Margaret Kivelson, and Janet Luhmann. But
where are names like these in the list of AGU
Fleming medalists? Where are the Carols,
Nancys, Patricias, Michelles, and Peggys? It is
time for AGU awards to become more inclusive.
One way to begin this process is to rename some
of the awards. For example, Marcia Neugebauer
would be just as appropriate a role model for
today's scientists as John Adam Fleming was for
scientists in the 1960s.
"In closing, let me stress that I am very grateful
for being selected for this award, but I would
have also been quite happy to wait while some of
my equally deserving colleagues were honored."
-C. T. Russell, University of California, Los Angeles
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