The Dave Johnston Mapping Prize is awarded to the best undergraduate student mapping dissertation. The prize is named in memory of Dave Johnston.

About the prize:

  • There are prizes for the two best projects (first and second place).
  • The winners are announced at the TSG annual meeting held in January each year.
  • As well as the prestige of the competitive award, both winners will receive an award certificate, and the overall winner receives an award of £200.
  • For future awards, we also hope to offer the top two entrants an internship opportunity.

Nomination Process

  • The mapping project had to be part of an undergraduate mapping course, and must have been completed within the past two years.
  • Individuals must be nominated by either their supervisors, course leader, or institution.
  • Nominations are open all year round, and judging takes place at the TSG annual meeting.
  • To nominate an individual, please complete the Nomination Form (click and choose “Save As”) and send this in an email to the TSG Secretary.
  • Only one nomination can be made per institution each year.
  • The undergraduate mapping reports (including field notebooks and field slips) are required for judging. You can either bring these along to the TSG annual meeting registration, or post these to the the address provided on the Nomination Form in advance of the meeting. You must indicate how you will provide these materials in the nomination form. These materials will be returned following the judging. 
  • If preferred, an electronic version of the map can be submitted via memory stick (submitted with the field slips) or file transfer.

About Dave Johnston

Dave Johnston was an enthusiastic and inspiring Irish structural geologist. After graduating from Trinity College Dublin in 1980, Dave completed his PhD at Monash University, Melbourne, on the structural controls of Uranium deposits in the Rum Jungle region in the Northern territories, Australia. Following his PhD, Dave then returned to Trinity College Dublin as a lecturer, where he also served as a council member for Irish Association for Economic Geology, President of the Irish Geological Association, and an active member of TSG community. Much of Dave’s work focused on structural geology and mineralisation, and he was one of the early leaders in applying fractal and chaos theory to geological phenomena. Dave’s career was cut tragically short in 1995, when he disappeared during fieldwork. He had been working at Annagh Head in County Mayo, Ireland, where it is believed he was washed away by a freak wave. Dave is remembered as a lively and colourful character, passionate and thoughtful teacher, and an influential and inspiring geologist.

Abridged from Ken McCaffrey “Dave Johnston: an appreciation and bibliography”

Previous Winners

2022 Alice Cunningham (University of Southampton): “Onshore-offshore mapping of Durlston Bay, Dorset”

2021 – Peter Methley (University of Cambridge)

Second place – James Ball (University of Aberdeen)

2020 – Maria Noone (University College Dublin)

Second place – Emily Pegge (University of Hull)

2019 – Max Altenberg (Imperial College, London)

Second place – Ellen Bonshor-Mayes (University of Southampton)

2018 – Yee-Lap Leung (Imperial College London): “Alpesde-Haute-Provence (SE France)”

2017 – Billy Andrews (University of Leeds): “The Geological Evolution of Panticosa, Spanish Pyrenees”

2016 – Eva Marquis (Cardiff University): “Geological mapping of the Finny area, South County Mayo Western Ireland)”

2015 – Lia Turrini (Royal Holloway University of London): “An investigation on the stratigraphy and  structural configuration of the area north of Riglos, Western External Sierras (Spanish Pyrenees)”

2014 – Huw Richards (Royal Holloway)

2013 – Niocole Duffin (University of Leeds): Beinn-An-Dubaich granite, Isle of Skye

2012 – Unknown – please contact TSG if you know of this year’s winner! 

2011 – Adam Pacey (University of Durham): “Geological mapping and investigation of the Northumberland Coast”

2010 – Edward Fleming (University of Southampton)

2009 – Samantha Spendlove (University of Birmingham)

2008 – John McNeill (University of Edinburgh) and Lorraine Field (University of Durham)