IOTA Awards

International Occultation Timing Association

Contributions to the Field of Occultations Awards

Awards are given annually to individuals in recognition of significant contributions to Occultation Science.

Occultation Science is limited to actual IOTA research that involves either total and grazing occultations, asteroidal occultations, and solar eclipses.

Middle East

Europe

South America

New Zealand/

Australia

Homer F. DaBoll Award

Homer F. DaBoll was born on May 22, 1920. He led numerous grazing occultation expeditions in the Chicago area spanning 3 decades, from the 1960’s to 1990. He was the first ever editor of Occultation Newsletter for 16 years from its first issue in 1974 thru early 1990 when health reasons forced him to pass on the Editorial duties to Dr. Joan Dunham. DaBoll was the person who came up with the acronym IOTA, International Occultation Timing Association. Members of IOTA have always held Homer DaBoll in the highest regard for his numerous contributions to occultation observations, expeditions, ON, and his many other volunteer efforts. Homer DaBoll passed away in March 10, 1990 in Saint Charles, Illinois at the age of 69.

The Homer F. DaBoll Award is given to recognize significant contributions to the field of occultation science and to the work of IOTA.

This award will be conferred by the IOTA awards committee on an annual basis in the fall (not necessarily at the

IOTA Meeting). To make nominations and/or find out more about the committee, you should contact the IOTA Secretary.

David E. Laird Award

David E. Laird, born in 1931, was a physics teacher in Cincinnati, Ohio. He organized grazing occultation expeditions throughout the Mid-West starting in the 1960's. In October, 1966, he published articles in "Have Telescope: Will Travel". He confirmed the existence of a large impact crater on the lunar far side. David suffered from leukemia and died in 1968 at the age of 37.

The David E. Laird Award is given to recognize those who, more than 15 years ago, made significant contributions to occultation science and to the work of the IOTA.

This award will be conferred by the IOTA board as needed.

IOTA Lifetime Achievement Award

The IOTA Lifetime Achievement Award is given, as needed, to recognize outstanding contributions to the science of occultations and to the work of the International Occultation and Timing Association over an extended period of the recipient's lifetime.

This award will be conferred by the IOTA board as needed.

Award Recipients

2022

Fumi Yoshida

2021

Bob Anderson

2020

Tony Barry

2018/2019

Regional Coordinators for Lunar Occultations

Jan Manek, Mitsuru Soma, Dave Gault

2017