b'ASEG Honours and AwardsFeaturegroup at the Geophysical Research Institute in Armidale. With Dave Clark and Keith Leslie, Phil also extended Euler Deconvolution to take advantage of magnetic gradient tensors in source characterisation.Phil was a great believer in disseminating knowledge to industry and students, not only by reports but also by workshops and lab demonstrations to explain and value add to reports. A good example of this is the Applied Magnetics workshop held in 1990. Over the years he co-supervised seven PhD students from Macquarie University, including Peter Hunt (dec.) of ABC Science Show fame, Chris Fergusson (current co-ed. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences) and Mark Lackie (ex-MU, Managing Editor of Exploration Geophysics and ASEG NSW Branch President for many years).After finishing up at the CSIRO, Phil worked on developing the Q-Meter, a portable instrument that could be used in the field at drill sites to determine the Koenigsberger Ratio (Q) in a timely manner so that appropriate decisions could be made at the drill site as to the source of the magnetic anomaly that is being drilled. Phil was awarded the ASEG Grahame Sands Award in 2015 for this innovative development of significant practicalPhil Schmidt receiving the Gold Medal from ASEG President Elect Eric Battigbenefit to exploration geophysics. Q-Meters have since beenGrahame Sands Award: Andrew Duncan and Greg Streetexported around the world, including North and South America, and Africa. This award is based on an endowment made by Members of the ASEG and the geoscience profession in memory of the late In addition to his distinguished professional work, Phil hasGrahame Sands, who was tragically killed in an aircraft accident also been a very active and supportive member of the ASEGin 1986, whilst developing and testing new equipment for since joining the Society in 1971. Over the last 50 years, hegeophysical survey aircraft. Because of Grahames abilities to has contributed to the running of the Society and has servedturn scientific theory into innovative application, the award is in many important roles. He served on the Federal Executivemade for innovation in applied geophysics through a significant from 2005 to 2016, was Chair of the ASEG Publicationspractical development of benefit to Australian exploration Committee from 2005 to 2013 and Federal President in 2015- geophysics in the field of instrumentation, data acquisition, 16. Whilst Publications Chair, he was instrumental in makinginterpretation or theory.Exploration Geophysics an academically recognised journal, and in helping to establish on-line access to both ExplorationThe Grahame Sands Award for 2023 has been awarded jointly Geophysics and Preview, allowing more geophysicists toto Andrew Duncan and Greg Street, in recognition of their access the Societys publications on a regular basis. development of the Loupe electromagnetic (EM) system, representing a new-generation portable geophysical system of Phil has been an active member of the NSW Branch and itspractical benefit in environmental and exploration geophysics Treasurer before joining the Federal Executive, and has alsoapplications.been involved in many ASEG conferences, as a presenter, session Chair, and on Conference Organising Committees. InAndrew Duncan graduated from Monash University, Victoria, 2010, he took on the role of Chair of the Technical Programmein 1986 with First Class Honours in geophysics. After a short Committee for the 21st ASEG conference in Sydney. In 2012period as Research Fellow in the Department of Earth Sciences at Phil received the ASEG Service Medal for his distinguished andMonash University, Andrew joined World Geoscience Corporation valuable contributions to the ASEG as Publications Chair and his(Questor Surveys Limited), based in both Perth, WA and Toronto, work on the Federal Executive. Canada, where he was responsible for the general development of airborne EM data acquisition and processing systems, which In summary, since Prof Ron Green (UNE) advised Phil to joinincluded the QUESTEM and SALTMAP digital airborne EM systems. ASEG in 1971 (and to attend the 1972 RSES Summer School,In 1994, he established ElectroMagnetic Imaging Technology ANU, where Phil first met Dr Brian Embleton and became hisPty Ltd, based in Perth, where he has been responsible for the PhD student), Phil has had an outstanding record in researchdevelopment of technology for electrical geophysics. These and practical applications, in the education of students anddevelopments have included the SMARTem multi-purpose EM working explorationists, and in service to Australian earthgeophysical receiver system, Maxwell EM processing/modelling sciences, particularly to the ASEG. He has gained an internationalsoftware, the DigiAtlantis borehole TEM system, the SAMSON reputation for his contributions to both pure and appliedtotal field EM system and, in recent years, the Loupe conductivity geophysics and made many important contributions to theoryprofiling system. Andrews work has been recognised by several and practice of exploration, particularly in the Australian context. awards, including the ASEG Grahame Sands Award for Innovation in Applied Geoscience in 1998, and the ASEG Laric Hawkins Award With his career-long achievements resulting in many significantfor Most Innovative Paper at the 2007 ASEG Conference.contributions to the science and practice of geophysics, and his service to the profession through the ASEG, it is onlyGreg Street has been working with geophysical systems in appropriate that the profession now recognises Phil Schmidt asmining, groundwater and environmental applications for over a most worthy recipient of the prestigious ASEG Gold Medal. 40 years. Greg graduated from University of New England in 45 PREVIEW APRIL 2023'