Awards 2024

ISTVS Awards

St. Christopher Lecture

Since 1966, ISTVS has honored distinguished workers in the field of terrain-vehicle interaction by offering them the opportunity to deliver the St. Christopher Lecture at an international ISTVS conference, held every three years.

Named for the patron saint of travelers, this is the highest award offered by the society. The recipient need not be an ISTVS member. Selection and invitation of recipients is the responsibility of the conference organizing committee.


Bekker-Reece-Radforth Award

This award was established in 2002 and honors exceptional research and/or industrial achievements in engineering practice of the principles of terramechanics.

The award recognizes the exceptional contributions of Dr. M. G. Bekker, Dr. A. R. Reece, and Professor N. W. Radforth to the field of terramechanics and to the ISTVS.


Söhne-Hata-Jurecka Award for Young Engineers/Scientists

This award was established in 1995 to recognize the achievements of members under forty years of age for outstanding accomplishments. The award is named after Professors Walter Söhne, Shojiro Hata, and Walter Jurecka in recognition of their efforts to promote young people.

Candidates for the award are nominated by National Secretaries to the President, Vice-Presidents, General Secretary, and Deputy General Secretaries.


Past Recipients

21st International Conference

Yokohama, Japan, 2024

St. Christopher Lecture
Professor Kazuya Yoshida
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering Tohoku University, Japan
“Roving the Moon—Steeper, Faster and Smarter”

Bekker-Reece-Radforth Award
Dr. Schalk Els
University of Pretoria, South Africa


20th International Conference

Online, 2021

St. Christopher Lecture
Henry C. Hodges, Jr.
President, Nevada Automotive Test Center
“Terramechanics in the automated age — Winding paths toward real time optimum mobility”

Bekker-Reece-Radforth Award
Dr. Sally Shoop
Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, Hanover, NH, USA

Söhne-Hata-Jurecka Award
Dr.  Ramon Gonzalez
robonity, Spain
Dr. Genya Ishigami
Keio University, Tokyo, Japan


19th International Conference

Budapest, Hungary, 2017

St. Christopher Lecture
Prof. György Sitkei
University of Sopron, Hungary
“New Challenges and Opportunities for Terramechanics”

Söhne-Hata-Jurecka Award
Dr.  Liang Ding and
Lecturer, Harbin Institute of Technology, P.R. China
Dr. Theunis Richard Botha
Lecturer, the University of Pretoria in South Africa


18th International Conference

Seoul, South Korea, 2014

St. Christopher Lecture
Dr. Tae Kyeong Yeu
“Remote control of a deep-seabed mining robot vehicle on extremely cohesive soft soil”

Bekker-Reece-Radforth Award
Prof. Radhey Lal Kushwaha
Professor Emeritus, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Soehne-Hata-Jurecka Award
Dr. Taizo Kobayashi
Associate Professor, University of Fukui, Japan


17th International Conference

Blacksburg, Virginia, USA, 2011

St. Christopher Lecture
Professor Ray Arvidson
James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA

Bekker-Reece-Radforth Award
Dr. Anders Bodin
Alvis Hägglunds AB, Sweden


16th International Conference

Turin, Italy, 2008

St. Christopher Lecture
Professor Ronie Navon
Professor, Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Israel

Bekker-Reece-Radforth Award
Yukio Nakajima
Director of Engineering
Tire Research Department, Bridgestone Corp., Japan

Söhne-Hata-Jurecka Award
Dr. Guido Korlath
Director of Engineering
Austrian Academy of Sciences, Austria


15th International Conference

Hayama, Japan, 2005

St. Christopher Lecture
Professor Yasunori Matogawa
Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Japan

Bekker-Reece-Radforth Award
Mr. Robert D. Wismer
Vice President, Deere & Company, USA

Söhne-Hata-Jurecka Award
Dr. Junya Yamakawa
Associate Professor, Director of Engineering
National Defense Academy, Japan


14th International Conference

Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA, 2002

St. Christopher Lecture
Dr. Ronald A. Liston
The Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory, USA

Bekker-Reece-Radforth Award
Mr. Alfons Falk
Haegglunds Vehicle AB, Sweden

Söhne-Hata-Jurecka Award
Professor Dr.-Ing. Christian Wolfgang Fervers
Hamburg University of Applied Science, Germany


13th International Conference

Munich, Germany, 1999

St. Christopher Lecture
Professor Iwan Wästerlund
Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

Söhne-Hata-Jurecka Award
Dr. Niki C. Deliman
Research scientist, U.S. Army Engineer Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Mississippi, USA


12th International Conference

Beijing, China, 1996

St. Christopher Lecture
Mr. Henry C. Hodges, Sr.
CEO, Hodges Transportation Inc. Nevada, USA

Söhne-Hata-Jurecka Award
Dr. Kazuyoshi Tateyama
Director of Engineering, Associate Professor, Kyoto University, Japan


11th International Conference

Incline Village, Nevada, USA, 1993

St. Christopher Lecture
Dr. F. Kovac
Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, USA


10th International Conference

Kobe, Japan, 1990

St. Christopher Lecture
Dr. K.-J. Melzer
Battelle Motor, Germany


9th International Conference

Barcelona, Spain, 1987

St. Christopher Lecture
Professor Alessandro Orlandi
Università degli Studi, Bologna, Italy


8th International Conference

Cambridge, England, 1984

St. Christopher Lecture
Professor Masanori Kitano
National Defense Academy, Japan


7th International Conference

Calgary, Canada, 1981

St. Christopher Lecture
Professor Walter Jurecka
Institute of Construction Management and Economics, Technical University Vienna, Austria


6th International Conference

Vienna, Austria, 1978

Dr. A. J. Soltynski
St. Christopher Lecture


5th International Conference

Detroit, USA, 1975

St. Christopher Lecture
Dr. Ernest N. Petrick
Chief Scientist, U.S. Army Tank-Automotive Command


4th International Conference

Stockholm, Sweden, 1972

St. Christopher Lecture
We are seeking this information: if you know, email gs@istvs.org, thanks


3rd International Conference

Essen, Germany, 1969

Dr. Walter Söhne
St. Christopher Lecture


2nd International Conference

Quebec, Canada, 1965

Dr. M. G. Bekker
Inaugural St. Christopher Lecture

Dr. A. R. Reece
University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Concluding Remarks


1st International Conference

Turin, Italy, 1961

Dr. M. G. Bekker
Concluding remarks