| 2020 |
Lillygol Sedaghat |
National Geographic Explorer, journalist and multimedia storyteller. Part of NatGeo's Planet or Plastic team. |
| 2018 |
Bertie Gregory |
Wildlife filmmaker and host of National Geographic's WildLife! |
| 2017 |
Bryan Christy |
National Geographic Explorer of the Year, former head of the Special Investigations unit at National Geographic |
| 2016 |
Joel Sartore |
National Geographic Photographer and Conservationalist |
| 2015 |
James Balog |
Film Producer: Chasing Ice and Environmentalist |
| 2014 |
Dr. Patrick Meier |
Crisis Mapper and Humanitarian |
| 2013 |
Dr. Albert Yu-Min Lin |
Archeologist, Explorer, and Pioneer of Crowdsourcing and Drone Exploration |
| 2012 |
Dr. Mireya Major |
Field Correspondent, Explorer, Naturalist, and Author of Pink Boots and Machete: My Journey from NFL Cheerleader to National Geographic Explorer |
| 2012 |
Dr. Kobe Boykins |
Engineer and Designer for Mars Explorer at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory |
| 2011 |
Dr. Robert Bakker |
Paleontologist and Author: The Dinosaur Heresies |
| 2010 |
Ben Osborne |
Planet Earth DVD Series Photographer |
| 2010 |
Chad Pregracke |
President of Living Lands and Waters, U.S. Jefferson Award for Public Service Winner, CNN Hero of the Year 2013 |
| 2009 |
Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson |
Astrophysicist, Nova Host, and Cosmos Host |
| 2008 |
Dr. Dawn Wright |
Oceanographer and Deep Water Explorer, Professor of Geography and Oceanography, Oregon State University |
| 2007 |
David Rumsey |
Cartographer and Philanthropist |
| 2007 |
Dr. Spencer Wells |
Geneticist, Anthropologist and National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence |
| 2007 |
Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ |
Author of Dead Man Walking: An Eyewitness Account of the Death Penalty in the United States; The Death of Innocents: An Eyewitness Account of Wrongful Executions; and River of Fire: My Spiritual Journey
|
| 2006 |
Dr. Mae Jemison |
Astronaut and Author, Founder and Chair of the Dorothy Jemison Foundation for Excellence |
| 2005 |
Dr. J. Michael Fay |
National Geographic Conservationist-in-Residence |
| 2004 |
Jodi Cobb |
National Geographic Photographer |
| 2003 |
Dr. John Kuglin |
Former Director of NASA's Earth Observing System (EOS) Education Project |
| 2002 |
Dr. Wade Davis |
National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence |
| 2001 |
Dr. Sally Ride |
Astronaut and Author, Professor of Physics, University of California at San Diego
|
| 2000 |
Erik Larson |
Author: Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History; Thunderstruck; Devil in the White City; and In the Garden of Beasts |
| 1999 |
Dr. Jane Goodall |
Author: Reason for Hope: Anthropologist and Scientist, Founder of The Jane Goodall Institute
|
| 1998 |
Dayton Duncan |
Author and Co-Producer (with Ken Burns) Lewis & Clark: The Journey of the Corps of Discovery; An Illustrated History; The National Parks; America's Best Idea; The Dust Bowl: An Illustrated History; The Civil War; Baseball; and Jazz |
| 1998 |
Ann Bancroft |
Author: No Horizon Is So Far: Two Women and Their Extraordinary Journey Across Antarctica and Explorer - First woman at the North Pole and the South Pole and to traverse the Antarctic continent |
| 1997 |
Dr. Robert Ballard |
Author: Lost Liners: Explorer and Discoverer of RMS Titanic, Founder of the Institute for Exploration, and the JASON Foundation |
| 1997 |
Dr. Kenneth C. Davis |
Author: Don't Know Much About Geography; Don't Know Much About History; Don't Know Much About the Civil War: and Don't Know Much About the Bible |
