Nomination Deadline: June 1st

This award was established by the Geotechnical Engineering Division (now the Geo-Institute) of the Society in memory of Professor H. Bolton Seed, Hon.M.ASCE. It was officially instituted by action of the Board of Direction on October 23, 1993 and was funded by friends and colleagues of Professor Seed and the U.S. National Society Endowment Fund.

Professor Seed made many significant contributions to teaching, research and the practice of geotechnical engineering especially as related to geotechnical earthquake engineering and embankment dams. Dr. Seed, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, was recognized with many awards, including ASCE's Norman Medal (twice), Croes Medal (three times), Middlebrooks Award (five times), the Terzaghi Award and the Terzaghi Lectureship. In 1985, he was the first recipient of the Nash Medal of the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). In addition to his numerous technical contributions, Professor Seed devoted considerable time and effort to the profession through the activities of the Geo-Institute of ASCE and through ISSMGE. He served as Permanent Secretary, U.S. National Society (USNS) of the ISSMGE for more than 10 years.

Recent winner

  • 2025: Ahmed-Waeil Elgamal, Ph.D., M.ASCE

View all winners

Rules

  1. The H. Bolton Seed Medal is awarded for outstanding contributions to teaching, research, and/or practice in geotechnical engineering.
  2. The medal ordinarily will be awarded for cumulative distinguished contributions to the designated subject area. In exceptional cases, it may be awarded for a single contribution of outstanding merit.
  3. The first medal and alternating medals thereafter will be awarded for contributions to geotechnical earthquake engineering. The intervening medals may be awarded for contributions in any area of geotechnical engineering.
  4. The medal may be awarded every year, at the discretion of the Award Selection Committee. Not more than 1 award will be made in each selection year unless the achievement upon which the award is based is considered to be the contribution of more than 1 person.
  5. During the year following the announcement of the receipt of the medal, the recipient will deliver the Seed Memorial lecture on a topic of his/her choice within the designated subject area. The lecture will be presented at the Geo-Institute of ASCE Annual Congress.
  6. Medal winners are strongly urged to prepare a permanent record of the lecture in the form of written manuscript and/or recording. The written manuscript, not to exceed 15,000 word equivalents, will be submitted for publication in the ASCE Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering. A videotape should be produced in a format consistent with USNS specifications and will be provided to the USNS by G-I for distribution. The videotape will be the property of ASCE.
  7. Eligible candidates for the medal must be members of ASCE or of a member society of the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE). Candidates must be in good standing at the time of nomination. A listing of nominee's professional memberships and affiliations should be included with nominations for this award. The recipient will be chosen without regard for nationality.
  8. The recommended medal recipient, for Executive Committee approval, will be made by the Board of Governors of the Geo-Institute, based on recommendations from the G-I Awards Committee. The International Secretary will invite member societies of the ISSMGE to submit nominations for consideration by the Award Selection Committee.
  9. Nominees not selected in a given year shall be held over for consideration through the next two cycles. At the end of the third cycle, nominees not chosen will no longer be eligible for consideration. Nominators who wish their candidate to be considered for another three-cycle period must produce a new nomination package.
  10. The award consists of a gold-plated medal and a cash prize determined annually by and subject to the approval of the Executive Committee of the Board of Direction based on the income from the award endowment. If the award is presented for a joint effort, the lead recipient shall receive the medal and cash prize. All other recipients shall receive only a certificate.

Nominations

To nominate, submit the following:

You can submit your nomination electronically to [email protected], or by mail to:

ASCE Honors and Awards
1801 Alexander Bell Drive
Reston, VA 20191