Bok and Lines Awards

The Priscilla and Bart Bok Awards and the Richard D. Lines Special Award

The Priscilla and Bart Bok Awards are presented annually by the AAS and the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP) for outstanding astronomical research projects at the annual Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). For more information on the Priscilla and Bart Bok Award recipients, visit the ASP award site.

The Richard D. Lines Special Award was presented annually until 2007 by the International Amateur-Professional Photoelectric Photometry (IAPPP) at the ISEF.

The main criterion for selecting the two Bok Awards is scientific merit. Observational, instrumental or theoretical projects are all eligible, as are interdisciplinary projects involving Physics, Math, Computer Sciences, Engineering, etc. Although scientific merit is the primary criterion for the Lines Award, a project is sought which best reflects both the mission of the IAPPP (collaboration between amateurs, students, and/or professionals) as well as excellence in observational and/or instrumental astronomy.

The Intel-sponsored ISEF has been described as the "World Cup, World Series, and Olympics of science fairs." The AAS, ASP, and IAPPP have sponsored special awards in astronomy at the annual ISEF since 1991. ISEF Finalists vie for over $2 million in gifts, cash, and scholarship prizes. In addition, the top two grand award winners of the ISEF are invited to participate in the annual Nobel Prize award ceremonies in Sweden. The ISEF is run by the Society for Science & the Public.

See all AAS Prizes and Awards 

Year Bok First Award Bok Second Award Richard D. Lines Award
2017 Richard D. Lines Award Erica Sawczynec
2016 Shashank Dholakia & Shishir Dholakia Camille Virginia Yoke
2015 Shashank Dholakia & Shishir Dholakia Maxime Horlaville, Jeremiah Knockaert & Quillere Manon
2014 Luhong Li Coleman J. Kendrick
2013 Arjun Raghavan Michaela Brchnelova
2012 Michaela Brchnelova Henry Wanjune Lin
2011 Benjamin M. Clark Brian R. Graham
2010 Andrei V. Nagornyi Evan H. Fletcher
2009 Keith Austin Hawkins Caroline Wurden
2008 David Alex Rosengarten Matthew James Walentosky
2007 Temple He Emily Petroff
2006 Hsin-Yu Chen Philp Mocz Hieu Huu Tran
2005 Gabrielle Gianelli Anand Palaniappan Mary Masterman & Sarah Howell
2004 Eric Sauder Julie Krugler Mary Masterman, Sarah Howell & Mimi Nguyen
2003 Lisa Glukhovsky Jonathan Sick Ved Chirayath
2002 Matthew Douglas & Apau Jachowski Harish Khandrika Kyle Winkleman
2001 Sabrina Snell Micheal Barynov & Aliakei Akulionak Bradley Bunnell
2000 Francis Boulva Daniel Perley Susannah Lazar
1999 Stephanie Zaretzky Christopher Lintott Jocelyn Salaz