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Recognition Categories

ISA is proud to recognize individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the Society and to the arts and sciences of instrumentation, systems, and automation.

The distinguished grade of Fellow is conveyed by ISA to qualified senior members who have made exceptional engineering or scientific contributions to the field of automation. In addition, deserving and qualified individuals, both members and non-members, can be recognized through multiple technical  and educational awards.

As a volunteer-driven organization, ISA depends on its Members and leaders to advance the mission of the Society around the world.  Thousands of volunteers work tirelessly on ISA’s world-class standards, renowned training and certification programs, award-winning publications, and cutting-edge conferences and exhibitions.  ISA is proud to recognize the outstanding accomplishments of individuals who have made significant contributions to the Society through multiple Society service awards.

Technical and Professional Recognitions

Honorary Member  ISA’s highest honor, recognizes individuals, members or non members, whose support of and/or contributions to the advancement of the automation profession are deserving of special recognition.

Fellow Member:  ISA’s most distinguished membership grade, conveyed to qualified members to recognize exceptional engineering or scientific attainments in the field of automation.

Life Achievement:  Recognizes an ISA member with a history of sustained dedication to the instrumentation, systems, and automation community.

Arnold O. Beckman Founder Award:   Recognizes individuals, members or non members, who have made a significant technological contribution to the conception and implementation of a new principle of instrument design, development, or application. 

Albert F. Sperry Founder Award:  Recognizes individuals, members or non members, who have made an outstanding technical, educational, or philosophical contribution to the science and technology of instrumentation, systems, and automation.

Douglas H. Annin Award:  Recognizes individuals, members or non members, for an outstanding achievement in the design, application, or development of the components in an automatic control system from the input measurement through the final control element.

E.G. Bailey Award:  Recognizes individuals, members or non members, for excellence in the design, development or application of instrumentation, systems, and automation in the utilities or process control industries.

ISA Analysis Division Luft Award:  Recognizes an ISA member for outstanding contributions in the analytical technology field.

Kermit M. Fischer Environmental Award:  Recognizes individuals, members or non members, for an outstanding achievement in the conception, design, and/or implementation of an application of instrumentation and/or automatic control in the field of environmental sciences, including applications for the enhancement or preservation of the environment.

UOP Technology Award:  Recognizes individuals, members or non members, for an outstanding achievement in the conception, design, or implementation of instrumentation and/or process control in an area of activity covered by the scope of the Society’s Automation and Technology Department.

Education Awards

Don W. Thompson Award:  Recognizes individuals, members or non members, for exemplary efforts and achievements to encourage and support student activity and to mentor students.

Donald P. Eckman Education Award:  Recognizes individuals, members or non members, for an outstanding contribution(s) toward education and training in the science, engineering, and technology of instrumentation, systems, and automation.

Service Awards and Recognitions

Golden Achievement Award:  Recognizes ISA Members who have at least 25 years of continuous ISA membership and continuing active Society service and epitomizes the membership and ideals of the Society.

Distinguished Society Service Award:  Recognizes ISA Members who have at least 15 years of accumulated, devoted service and contribution to organizational units of the Society and its Members.

Emerging Leader Award:  Recognizes ISA Members who, with no more than 10 years of accumulated membership, have made significant contributions to organizational units of the Society and its Members. Years of student membership are not included in the limitation.

Distinguished Friends of ISA: Recognizes companies that, in the previous year, provided significant support to ISA and assisted the Society in achieving its goals and objectives. 

Excellence in Documentation Award:  Recognizes the author or co-authors of the most outstanding article, paper, or other document published by the Society in the previous year.  At least one (co)author must be an ISA member.

Outstanding Division Award:  Recognizes one Division from the Automation & Technology Department and one Division from the Industries & Sciences Department for outstanding activities and definitive reporting during the previous year.

Section Performance Award:  Recognizes Sections for achievement or outstanding accomplishment in a particular area of Section activity.

Standards & Practices Award:  Recognizes an ISA Member for an outstanding contribution to ISA’s standards and practices effort.