Dr. Richard D. Vann to be awarded prestigious NOGI

This coveted award is widely recognised as the oldest and most prestigious in the diving industry. The NOGI has been awarded on an annual basis since 1960 to a select group of divers and undersea visionaries who rank at the top of their fields in arts, science, sports / education, environment, and distinguished service. In 1993 the AUAS was created to administer the NOGI award.

Dick Vann

Dr. Vann, Vice President of Research for Divers Alert Network (DAN) (1990-2010), current consultant to DAN and Assistant Professor Emeritus at Duke University Medical Center will be inducted into the AUAS in the Science category and will receive a NOGI Award for his efforts and contributions to the underwater world.

Dr. Vann’s work in diving and environmental physiology spans nearly 50 years with Ocean Systems, Inc., US Navy Underwater Demolition Team-12, Duke Hyperbaric Center and Divers Alert Network. His work includes accomplishments such as the Johnson Space Center’s Group Achievement Award from NASA in 2011, and the Albert R. Behnke Award from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society. Dr. Vann was awarded this in 2012 for outstanding scientific contributions to undersea biomedical activity. His most recent work was on Rebreather Forum 3.

Dr. Vann was one of key drivers behind this safety symposium and he was the lead author on the subsequent conference proceedings. These are due to be published shortly. “Receiving a NOGI is exciting and quite an honor,” said Dr. Vann. “Understanding diving safety, particularly fatalities and decompression sickness, has been my major professional interest. I am most pleased by this recognition.” This NOGI award will be presented to Dr. Vann at the 54th Annual NOGI Awards Gala held during the DEMA Show in November 2014.

His scientific contributions have made a significant impact in our sport. Divers Alert Network

“DAN is proud to have one of our own inducted into this elite group of dive industry professionals,” said Bill Ziefle, President and CEO of Divers Alert Network. “Dr. Vann has spent a lifetime advancing dive safety research and it is exciting to see him receive this great honour. His scientific contributions have made a significant impact in our sport." Associate Professor Simon J Mitchell stated, "Dr. Vann has devoted much of the latter part of his career to identifying unresolved issues of substantial practical importance to the diving community, and has set about resolving them.

Frequently this has involved the exhausting task of organising and orchestrating workshops to weigh evidence and generate consensus. It is unquestionably fair to say that no individual in the diving science community has contributed more time and effort in this regard than Dr. Vann. I believe our community owes this archetypal 'scholar and gentleman' a huge debt of gratitude and I am thrilled to see him recognised in this way."

I believe our community owes this archetypal 'scholar and gentleman' a huge debt of gratitude and I am thrilled to see him recognised in this way. Associate Professor Simon J Mitchell

AUAS

The Academy Fellowship and the Underwater Society of America are responsible for the nomination and selection of all NOGI Award winners. Each year, AUAS invites Academy fellows to recommend nominees for a prestigious NOGI Award. To recommend future NOGI recipients, simply explore the roster of NOGI Fellows on the AUAS website (www.auas-nogi.org) to determine the most appropriate contact person. Joining Dr. Vann are four other NOGI Awardees: Lad Handelman (Distinguished Service); Richard Ellis (Arts), Bill Macdonald, (Environment), and Mike Hollis, Sports & Education.