Past Selection Committee Members
Laretna T. Adishakti
Indonesia | 2006
Architect and founder of the Center for Heritage Conservation
Mary Archer
United Kingdom | 1996
Chemist and chairman of the National Energy Foundation
Juan Luis Arsuaga
Spain | 2002
Palaeoanthropologist and biologist, professor of human palaeontology at Complutense University, Madrid
Oriol Bohigas Guardiola
Spain | 1984
Architect and director of the Advanced Technical School of Architecture in Barcelona
Roberta Bondar
Canada | 1998
Neurologist, astronaut, nature photographer, professor at the Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Western Ontario
Denise Bradley
Australia | 2006
President of the Australian College of Educators and campaigner for better educational standards
Teodosio César Brea
Argentina | 1990
Lawyer and member of the Board of Trustees, World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)
Charles F. Brush
United States | 1993
Anthropologist, director and past president of the Explorers Club
(Deceased)
Margaret Burbidge
United States | 1978
Professor at the University of California, San Diego, and former director of the Greenwich Observatory
Adrienne Elizabeth Clarke
Australia | 2000
Biochemist, former Lieutenant-Governor of the state of Victoria, immediate past president of the International Society for Molecular Biology
Yves Coppens
France | 2004
Palaeoanthropologist and prehistorian, professor at France’s National Museum of Natural History and at the College of France
Fleur Cowles
United Kingdom | 1987
Painter and author, and member of the International Board of Trustees of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
Walter Cunningham
United States | 1984
Former NASA astronaut
Nils Dahlbeck
Sweden | 1993
Ecologist and member of Honour of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
(Deceased)
Laurence de la Ferrière
France | 2002
Alpinist and explorer
Joël de Rosnay
France | 1993
Scientist and director of development and International Relations, Cité des Sciences et de l’Industrie de la Villette
Santiago Dexeus
Spain | 1993
Gynaecologist and president of the European Society of Gynaecological Oncology
Jean Dorst
France | 1990
Ornithologist and member of the Institut de France (Academy of Sciences)
(Deceased)
Sylvia A. Earle
United States | 1981
Marine botanist and aquanaut
Laila El-Hamamsy
Egypt | 1996 and 2002
Cultural anthropologist, professor emeritus at the American University of Cairo
(Deceased)
Leo Esaki
Japan | 1998
Physicist, Nobel Prize laureate, past president of the University of Tsukuba
Marta Estrada
Spain | 1998
Oceanographer, marine ecologist, director of the Institute of Sea Sciences, Barcelona
René G. Favaloro
Argentina | 1981
Cardiovascular surgeon
(Deceased)
Xavier Fructus
France | 1987
Specialist in hyperbaric physiology and scientific director of Comex S.A., Marseilles
(Deceased)
Kathryn F. Fuller
United States | 2004
Lawyer, president and chief executive officer of World Wildlife Fund (USA)
William Graves
United States | 1996
Former editor of National Geographic magazine
(Deceased)
Susan Greenfield
United Kingdom | 2002
Neuroscientist, professor of pharmacology at the University of Oxford, fellow of Lincoln College
Gilbert M. Grosvenor
United States | 2000
Chaiman of the National Geographic Society
Sir Edmund Hillary
New Zealand | 1993
Mountaineer and former New Zealand High Commissioner to India, Nepal and Bangladesh
(Deceased)
Heisuke Hironaka
Japan | 1993
Mathematician and chairman of board of directors, Japan Association for Mathematical Sciences
Lord John Hunt
United Kingdom | 1981
President of the Royal Geographical Society
(Deceased)
Yoshimine Ikeda
Brazil | 1987
Oceanographer specializing in Antarctic research, and professor at the Oceanographic Institute of the University of Sao Paulo
Motoko Ishii
Japan | 2006
Lighting designer, president of Motoko Ishii Lighting Design
Derek A. Jackson
France | 1978
Research worker in nuclear physics at the Paris C.N.R.S.
(Deceased)
Guillermo Jaim-Etcheverry
Argentina | 2004
Neurobiologist and educator, president of the University of Buenos Aires and professor at the School of Medicine
Erling Kagge
Norway | 2006
Polar explorer, mountaineer, president of publisher Kagge Forlag
Mohammed Kassas
Egypt | 1984
Desert ecologist, president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN)
Francisco Kerdel Vegas
Venezuela | 1981
Professor of dermatology
Reiner Klingholz
Germany | 1998
Journalist, chemist and molecular biologist, science editor of GEO magazine
Patricia Koechlin-Smythe
United Kingdom | 1984
Former member of the British Olympics equestrian team and Trustee of the World Wildlife Fund International
(Deceased)
Tommy Koh
Singapore | 2006
Diplomat and patron of the arts
Kisho Kurokawa
Japan | 1987
Architect, president of Kisho Kurokawa Architect and Associates, and director of the Institute of Social Engineering Inc., Tokyo
(Deceased)
Giancarlo Ligabue
Italy | 2000
Anthropologist, palaeontologist, archaeologist, businessman, president of the Centro Studi Ricerche Ligabue
Thai Ker Liu
Singapore | 2002
Architect-planner and environmentalist, director of RSP Architects Planners & Engineers (Pte.) Ltd., Chairman of the National Arts Council
John H. Loudon
Netherlands | 1981
President of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
(Deceased)
Joe B. MacInnis
Canada | 1990
Specialist in Arctic diving and President of Undersea Research Inc., Toronto
Fumihiko Maki
Japan | 2002
Architect, principal, Maki & Associates
Luis Rojas Marcos
Spain/United States | 2006
Professor of psychiatry at New York University School of Medicine
Luis Marden
United States | 1978
Former editor of National Geographic magazine
(Deceased)
José M. Mayorga
Spain | 1984
Trustee and member of the executive committee of the World Wildlife Fund International
(Deceased)
Krov Menuhin
Australia/United States | 1990 and 2004
Underwater explorer and film-maker, conservationist
Mamoru Mohri
Japan | 2004
Astronaut and director of the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
Luc Montagnier
France | 1996
Research scientist, professor at the Pasteur Institute, director of research at the National Scientific Research Council (CNRS)
Michio Nagai
Japan | 1984
Professor of educational sociology and former Minister of Education, Culture and Science
(Deceased)
Chie Nakane
Japan | 1981 and 2002
Professor emeritus of social anthropology at the University of Tokyo
Saburo Okita
Japan | 1990
Chairman of the Institute for Domestic and International Policy Studies, Tokyo
(Deceased)
Sir Christopher Ondaatje
United Kingdom | 2004
Explorer and philanthropist
Hans Joachim Panitz
Germany | 1987
Telecommunications engineer and payload operations manager at the German Aerospace Establishment DFVLR, Cologne
Michel Peissel
France | 2000
Explorer, anthropologist, author
Ruy Pérez Tamayo
Mexico | 1984
Pathologist, head of the department of pathology at the “Salvator Zubiran” National Institute of Health
Jacques Piccard
Switzerland | 1978
Oceanologist
(Deceased)
Gerard Piel
United States | 1981
President and publisher of Scientific American
Sir John Rawlins
United Kingdom | 1990
Former surgeon vice-admiral of the Royal Navy and chairman of Deep Ocean Technology Inc., San Leandro, California
Brian Redhead
United Kingdom | 1993
Broadcaster and presenter of the BBC Radio 4 Today programme
(Deceased)
William K. Reilly
United States | 2006
Conservationist, founder of Aqua International Partners
Johan Reinhard
United States | 1998
Anthropologist, archaeologist, senior research fellow at the Mountain Institute, West Virginia; explorer-in-residence, National Geographic Society
Olivier Reverdin
Switzerland | 1978
President of the Swiss National Council for Scientific Research, and former president of the Council of Europe
(Deceased)
Oscar Rodríguez
Mexico | 2002
Explorer and sports physician
Carlo Rubbia
Italy | 1987
Physicist and 1984 Nobel Prize laureate, and project spokesman at the CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Cristina Rapisarda Sassoon
Italy | 2004
Lawyer and journalist, secretary general of the Italian Institute of the Environment
Ruth Seering
Germany | 1993
Author, journalist and photographer
(Deceased)
Mark Shuttleworth
South Africa | 2006
Technology entrepreneur, philanthropist, chairman of the Shuttleworth Foundation
Soedjatmoko
Indonesia | 1990
Social scientist and former rector of the United Nations University, Tokyo
(Deceased)
Kanwaljit Soin
Singapore | 2000 and 2004
Orthopaedic and hand surgeon, founding member of the Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE)
Robert Sténuit
Belgium | 1987
Underwater archaeologist and author
John Stoneman
Canada | 2000
Underwater filmmaker, president of the Foundation for Ocean Research
Junko Tabei
Japan | 1996
Mountaineer and representative of the Himalayan Adventure Trust
Chris Y.H. Tan
Singapore | 2004
Biochemist and cell biologist, founding director of the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology
Haroun Tazieff
France | 1981
Volcanologist
(Deceased)
Ragnar Thorseth
Norway | 1993
Seaman and president of Ragnar Thorseth Adventures
Sir Crispin Tickell
United Kingdom | 2000
Environmentalist, director of the Green College Center for Environmental Policy and Understanding, chancellor of the University of Kent at Canterbury
Neil de Grasse Tyson
United States | 2002
Astrophysicist, Frederick P. Rose Director of New York City’s Hayden Planetarium, visiting research scientist and lecturer at Princeton University
George Van Brunt Cochran
United States | 1987
Professor of clinical orthopaedics and former president of the Explorers Club
Juan Antonio Vallejo-Najera
Spain | 1990
Former professor of psychiatry and psychopathology at the Complutense University of Madrid
(Deceased)
Umberto Veronesi
Italy | 1993
Surgeon and director-general of the Italian National Cancer Institute
Paul-Emile Victor
France | 1984
Explorer and author
(Deceased)
Don Walsh
United States | 1990
Specialist in underwater vessels and president of IMI (International Maritime Incorporated), San Pedro, California
Sir Magdi Habib Yacoub
United Kingdom | 2006
Heart surgeon and founder of the Magdi Yacoub Institute