Past Themes

1990 – Arctic Explorer, Will Steger “Science from the Ground Up”
1991 – Apollo Astronaut, Jack Schmitt “Science at its Peak”
1992 – Geophysicist, Larry Soderblom “Our Changing Planet”
1993 – Paleontologist, Walter Alvarez “Science and the Future”
1994 – Space Shuttle Astronaut, Linda Godwin “The History of Science in Flagstaff”
1995 – Space Shuttle Astronaut, Bonnie Dunbar “Envisioning the Future”
1996 – Ethnobotanist, Mark Plotkin “Discover Science”
1997 – Futurist, B. Gentry Lee “Science the Ultimate Voyage”
1998 – Storm Chaser, Warren Faidley “Forces at Work”
1999 – Aerospace Engineer, Donna Shirley “Science Rocks”
2000 – Paleontologist, Jack Horner “Huge Impacts”
2001 – X-Files Consultant/Plant Virologist, Anne Simon “Extreme Science”
2002 – Astronomer/Comet Discoverer, Carolyn Shoemaker “Stellar Science”
2003 – Volcanologist, Wendell Duffield “Science Erupts”
2004 – Paleontologist/”Lucy” Discoverer, Donald Johanson “Life Forms”
2005 – Treetop Biologist, Margaret ‘Canopy Meg’ Lowman “Swing Into Science”
2006 – Maritime Archaeologist, James Delgado “Dive Into Science”
2007 – Paleontologist, David Gillette “Dig Science”
2008 – Author, Richard Preston “Zoom Into Science”
2009 – Apollo Astronaut, Alan Bean “Launch Into Science”
2010 – Biospherian, Jane Poynter “Livin’ Science”

2011 – Space Shuttle Astronaut, John Grunsfeld “Illuminating Science”
2012 – National Geographic Emerging Explorer, Alexandra Cousteau “Making Waves”
2013 – Mars Exploration Rover Principal Investigator, Steve Squyres “Life in the Extreme”
2014 – DNA Expert, Paul Keim “A Grand Adventure”
2015 – New Horizons Mission Principal Investigator, Alan Stern “Exploring New Horizons”
2016 – Polar Explorer, Will Steger “The Science of Change”
2017 – Mountaineer, Kyle Maynard “Engineering Solutions”
2018 – Autonomous Vehicle Expert, Raj Rajkumar “Accelerating into the Future”
2019 – Apollo 16 Lunar Module Pilot, General Charlie Duke “To the Moon and Beyond”
2020 – Earth Science Educator and Explorer, Christa Sadler “Superpowers of Science”
2021 – Belizean Archeologist, Jaime Awe “Stories in Stone”
2022 – Egyptologist, Zahi Hawass “Pyramids to The Peaks”
2023 – Evolutionary Biologist, Beth Shapiro “The Mammoth World of Science“
2024 – Artificial Intelligence Expert, Jana Eggers “Accelerating Innovation”