Counselor and Fellow Awards

The American Welding Society, in 1999, established the honor of Counselor of the Society to recognize members for a career of distinguished organizational leadership that has enhanced the image and impact of the welding industry. The first class of Counselors was inducted at the 2001 AWS Show.

Election as a Counselor of the Society is demonstrated as evidenced by:

• Leadership of or within an organization that has made a substantial contribution to the welding industry. The individual’s organization shall have shown an ongoing commitment to the industry, as evidenced by support of participation of its employees in industry activities.
• Leadership of or within an organization that has made a substantial contribution to training and vocational education in the welding industry. The individual’s organization shall have shown an ongoing commitment to the industry, as evidenced by support of participation of its employees in industry activities.
  • This recognition is selected by the AWS Counselor Committee based on specific criteria at least 16 months in advance of FABTECH.
  • Nominations must be submitted through the online nomination portal by June 1st.
  • Nominations are reviewed/selected at the fall Counselors Committee meeting, with final approval the following year at the spring Districts Council meeting.
  • A maximum of 5 Counselors are selected each year, as determined by the Counselors selection committee.

The list of recent and past Counselor Citation Winners can be viewed here.

A letter from the Counselor Chair can be viewed here.

History: The American Welding Society, in 1990, established the honor of Fellow of the Society to recognize members for distinguished contributions to welding science and technology, and for promoting and sustaining the professional stature of the field. The first class of Fellows was inducted at the 1991 AWS Show.

Description: AWS Fellow candidates are expected to have demonstrated impactful contributions through research, teaching, leadership, or service. Election as a Fellow of the Society is based on the outstanding accomplishments and technical impact of the individual. These accomplishments will have advanced the science, technology and application of welding, as evidenced by:

• Sustained service and performance in the advancement of welding science and technology
• Publication of papers, articles, and books, which enhance knowledge of welding
• Innovation and development of welding technology
• Society and Section contributions
• Professional recognition

Submission Details: Complete nomination packets must be submitted on the Fellow Nomination Form (below) with supporting material by July 1st to nationalawards@aws.org.

Links:

• A letter from the Fellow Chair can be viewed here.
• The fillable PDF Fellow Nomination Form can be found here.
• The revised Rules, Criteria and Guidelines can be found here.
• The list of recent and past Fellow Citation Winners can be viewed here.

For questions about the nomination process, please contact Chelsea Steel at csteel@aws.org.

Download the National Awards Package below for full award descriptions and nomination requirements.