The Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography (SSAG) has awarded School of Earth and Spaces Sciences’ Professor David Montgomery the 2020 Vega Medal in honor of his achievements in physical geography, especially within the field of geomorphology.

The objective of the SSAG is to promote the development of anthropology, geography, and closely related sciences in Sweden, to serve as a connecting link between scientists within these disciplines and the public, to initiate and maintain relations with foreign societies, and to support research in these areas.

David Montgomery is a geomorphologist who looks at the processes shaping Earth’s surface and how they affect ecological systems—and human societies. He has studied everything from the ways that landslides and glaciers influence the height of mountain ranges, to the way that soils have shaped human civilizations now and in the past. He has worked in mountain ranges throughout the world, from the Cascades in the Pacific Northwest, to the Andes in South America and Tibet and the Himalaya in Central Asia. 

In addition to his academic work, he has written a number of popular science books, three of which won the Washington State Book Award. His most recent book, Growing a Revolution: Bringing Our Soil Back to Life focuses on the potential for regenerative farming practice to reshape agriculture. He is an elected Fellow of the American Geophysical Union and has received many awards throughout his career, including a MacArthur Fellowship.

Congratulations, David!