At the sold-out event held at the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C., National Geographic Society CEO and Chairman John Fahey presented the Hubbard Medal — the Society’s highest honor — to explorer and filmmaker James Cameron, oceanographer Sylvia Earle and scientist and author Edward O. Wilson. Cameron and Earle were recognized for their critical efforts in ocean exploration and conservation, and Wilson was honored for his lifelong commitment to the planet’s rich diversity through his research and writing. Fahey presented the Chairman’s Award to philanthropist and humanitarian Howard G. Buffett for his contribution to conservation, the Adventurer of the Year Award to BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner for his 2012 feat of accelerating through the speed of sound in freefall to advance aerospace research, and the Alexander Graham Bell Medal to National Geographic Bee moderator and “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek for his 25 years of service to the Bee and his commitment to geography education. Cameron also received the Explorer of the Year Award for his record-setting solo dive to the deepest point of the ocean in 2012.

“Exploration for our founders in 1888 was driven by a desire for knowledge and adventure,” said Fahey. “Today we have the same goals, but our explorers — and those who support them — are driven by a deeper purpose. In this new age of exploration, they want to help navigate the increasingly complex relationship between humanity’s needs and the natural world that sustains us.”

The gala was presented by Rolex, FOX Networks Group and RBC. Co-chairs for the evening were Lucy and Henry Billingsley, Rosemary and Roger Enrico, Julie and Lee Folger, Gayle and Ed Roski Jr., Tricia and Frank Saul and Donna and Garry Weber.

The evening’s theme, “A New Age of Exploration,” echoed the yearlong celebration of the Society’s 125^th anniversary. The gala was attended by global leaders in science, exploration and conservation, including oceanographer Robert Ballard, award-winning wildlife filmmakers and conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert, paleontologist Louise Leakey, population geneticist Spencer Wells, marine ecologist Enric Sala and conservationist Mike Fay, all National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence. Also in attendance was former Hubbard Medal winner Capt. Don Walsh, who, with late Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard, was the first to reach the ocean’s deepest point, the Mariana Trench, in 1960.

The evening concluded with an announcement of philanthropic commitments from nine families and one organization in support of the work of the National Geographic Society. These contributions and additional proceeds from the gala are part of $35 million in new gift commitments since Jan. 1, 2013, to honor the Society’s 125^th anniversary and support a wide range of individuals leading research, exploration and conservation efforts that are fueling new discoveries and innovations. These commitments include a $1 million pledge by Alex Trebek to create an endowment for the National Geographic Bee, a competition he hosted for the last 25 years.

The gala featured an original music arrangement of National Geographic’s theme song played by the Washington Symphonic Brass, Washington’s critically acclaimed, award-winning orchestral brass ensemble; extraordinary videos projected in high definition on 80-foot screens — set design components never before seen in the United States; and custom-made dining tables featuring topographical maps, compasses and live plants. The menu was designed by renowned chef and National Geographic Fellow Barton Seaver. All the food was created with ingredients sourced from sustainable farms. Wine was provided by Iron Horse Vineyards, which is donating proceeds from each publicly sold bottle of its 2008 Ocean Reserve Blanc de Blancs to National Geographic’s initiative to restore the ocean’s health and productivity.

Additional support for the gala was provided by Bank of America, Fox International Channels, GEICO, Cengage Learning, National Geographic Channels, PetSmart, Southwest Airlines and SVM Foundation.

The gala was the culmination of the two-day National Geographic 2013 Explorers Symposium, #LetsExplore, an annual gathering of National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence, Fellows, Emerging Explorers, grantees and others affiliated with the Society to share updates of their research and fieldwork. This year, the National Geographic Society celebrates its 125^th anniversary and its evolution from a small scientific body founded in 1888 “to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge” to one of the world’s largest educational and scientific nonprofit organizations, committed to inspiring people to care about the planet.

Photos are available at http://press.nationalgeographic.com/downloads/125_gala.

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Bios of each award recipient follow.

Awardee Bios

Felix Baumgartner

On Oct. 14, 2012, Felix Baumgartner stepped onto a platform the width of a skateboard on a capsule hovering 127,852.4 feet above Earth. Millions of people around the world watched as the Austrian BASE jumper prepared to jump into thin air. “I wish the whole world could see what I see,” said Baumgartner. “Sometimes you have to go up really high to understand how small you are.” Then he leapt. With that jump, the then-43-year-old completed his seven-year quest to become the first person to accelerate through the sound barrier without a vehicle, setting numerous records and providing valuable scientific research data in the process. His top speed was 843.6 miles per hour.

The Red Bull Stratos pilot is an expert parachutist previously best known for completing an unprecedented freefall flight across the English Channel using a carbon wing.

Baumgartner grew up in Salzburg, Austria. He made his first skydive at age 16. After sharpening his parachute skills as a member of a Special Forces demonstration team for the Austrian military, he supported himself by repairing motorcycles before becoming a skydiving professional.

Baumgartner set a record for history’s lowest BASE jump (from Rio de Janeiro’s Christ the Redeemer statue), twice set world records for the highest BASE jump from a building (Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur and Taipei 101 tower) and even landed his canopy inside a cave in Croatia.

Baumgartner is the winner of the BAMBI “Millennium” Award and Laureus World Action Sportsperson of the Year, among other honors. A licensed gas balloon pilot, he has earned private helicopter licenses in Austria and the United States and a commercial European helicopter license. He is an advocate for the nonprofit Wings for Life Spinal Cord Research Foundation. Baumgartner lives in Switzerland, but says, “The air is where I am at home.”

Howard G. Buffett

Howard G. Buffett grew up in Omaha, Neb., and has been active in agriculture, business, conservation, philanthropy, photography and politics. He currently spends the majority of his time managing the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, a private charitable foundation. Buffett has served in a number of public positions, including on two Office of the United States Trade Representative committees and as chairman of the Nebraska Ethanol Authority and Development Board. He held senior executive positions at Archer Daniels Midland Company and The GSI Group. He serves on the corporate boards of Berkshire Hathaway, Inc.; The Coca-Cola Company; Lindsay Corporation; and Sloan Implement Company.

In 1997, he was appointed a member of the Commission on Presidential Debates. He received the Aztec Eagle Award in 2000, the highest honor bestowed on a foreign citizen by the government of Mexico. In 2002, he was recognized by the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture as one of the most distinguished individuals in the field of agriculture. In 2005, he received the Will Owen Jones Distinguished Journalist of the Year Award, and in 2007, was appointed a United Nations Goodwill Ambassador Against Hunger on behalf of the World Food Programme. In 2011, Buffett received the Triumph of Agriculture Exposition Agri Award, the World Ecology Award and the George McGovern Leadership Award. Honors in 2012 included the National Farmers Union Meritorious Service to Humanity Award, the Columbia University Global Leadership Award, an honorary doctorate from Pennsylvania State University, the Leader in Agriculture Award from Agriculture Future of America and a Special Service Award from the Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development.

Buffett has traveled to more than 115 countries documenting the challenges of preserving biodiversity while providing adequate resources to meet the needs of a growing global population. He has written seven books on conservation, wildlife and the human condition.

James Cameron

On March 26, 2012, explorer and filmmaker James Cameron made history by completing the first-ever, single-pilot dive to the Challenger Deep, the deepest place on the planet. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGER submersible, which was designed and engineered by Cameron and his team, achieved 35,787 feet (about 7 miles) during the first manned scientific exploration of the deepest point in the Pacific Ocean’s Mariana Trench.

Cameron has written, produced and directed a number of award-winning films that have blazed new trails in visual effects and set numerous box office records, including “Avatar” and “Titanic,” the two highest-grossing films in history.

Two of Cameron’s passions — filmmaking and diving — blended in his work on the movies “The Abyss” and “Titanic.” The latter required him to make 12 dives to the wreck itself, 2.5 miles down in the North Atlantic. Cameron has led eight marine expeditions, including a forensic study of the Bismarck wreck site and 3-D imaging of deep hydrothermal vent sites along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the East Pacific Rise and the Sea of Cortez. He has made more than 80 deep submersible dives, 51 of them in Russian Mir submersibles, to depths of up to 16,000 feet, including 33 to the Titanic. The DEEPSEA CHALLENGE expedition was the result of a more-than-seven-year engineering effort by Cameron and his team. The expedition is featured in the June 2013 edition of National Geographic magazine and will be the subject of a 3-D feature film.

Sylvia A. Earle

National Geographic Society Explorer-in-Residence and Rosemary and Roger Enrico Chair for Ocean Exploration Sylvia Earle is an oceanographer, explorer, author and lecturer. Formerly chief scientist of NOAA, Earle is the founder of Deep Ocean Exploration and Research, Inc.; founder of Mission Blue and SEAlliance; and chair of the advisory councils of the Harte Research Institute and the Ocean in Google Earth. She is a Founding Ocean Elder, IUCN Patron of Nature, patron of ARKive and member of the 2013 World Bank Blue Ribbon Panel for the Ocean.

Earle has a Ph.D. from Duke University and 24 honorary degrees. She has authored more than 190 scientific, technical and popular publications.

Earle has led more than 100 expeditions and logged more than 7,000 hours underwater, including leading the first team of women aquanauts during the Tektite Project in 1970; participating in 10 saturation dives; and setting a record for solo diving in 1,000-meter depth. Her research concerns marine ecosystems with special reference to exploration, conservation and the development and use of new technologies for access to and effective operations in the deep sea and other remote environments.

Her special focus is on developing a global network of areas on land and in the ocean to safeguard the living systems that provide the underpinnings of global processes, from maintaining biodiversity and yielding basic life support services to providing stability and resiliency in response to accelerating climate change.

Earle’s more than 100 national and international honors include France’s 2013 Légende de la Planète Medal, the 2011 Royal Geographical Society Gold Medal, the 2011 Medal of Honor from the Dominican Republic, the 2009 TED Prize, the Netherlands Order of the Golden Ark, Australia’s International Banksia Award, Italy’s Artiglio Award, the International Seakeepers Award, the International Women’s Forum, the National Women’s Hall of Fame, Academy of Achievement, Los Angeles Times Woman of the Year, and medals from Explorers Club, Philadelphia Academy of Sciences, Lindbergh Foundation, National Wildlife Federation, Barnard College and Society of Women Geographers.

Alex Trebek

“Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebek has moderated the National Geographic Bee for 25 years — since its inception in 1989. He also has been the moderator of all 10 National Geographic World Championships, the biennial international geography competition that this year will take place in St. Petersburg, Russia. Additionally, he serves on the board of the National Geographic Society Education Foundation.

Born and raised in Sudbury, Ontario, Trebek earned two degrees in philosophy from the University of Ottawa. Interested in a broadcasting news career, he joined the Canadian Broadcasting Company, where he covered national news and special events for radio and television. With the growing popularity of game shows, he segued into the role of host. Trebek was first noticed by American viewers in 1973 when he hosted the NBC game show “Wizard of Odds.” After several other hosting roles, Trebek was chosen as host of “Jeopardy!” and quickly became a pop culture icon. He has been honored with a coveted star on both the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the prestigious Canadian Walk of Fame in Toronto, making him one of only a handful of people honored by both the United States and Canada.

Trebek has won five Daytime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Game Show Host and is nominated for the award again this year. In 2011, he received the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. In 2012, he received the Peabody Award, one of the most selective awards in the industry.

In addition to his hosting duties, Trebek has a long-standing commitment with numerous charities and educational organizations. With World Vision, he has traveled to many Third World countries, taping reports on the group’s efforts on behalf of children around the world. In Zambia, Trebek and his family adopted a village and helped build a school, three homes for teachers and a medical facility.

Edward O. Wilson

Edward Osborne Wilson is generally recognized as one of the leading scientists in the world. He is also known as one of the foremost naturalists in both science and literature as well as a synthesizer in works from pure biology to the social sciences and humanities. He is acknowledged as the creator of two scientific disciplines (island biogeography and sociobiology), three unifying concepts for science and the humanities jointly (biophilia, biodiversity studies and consilience), and one major technological advance in the study of global biodiversity (the Encyclopedia of Life).

Among the more than 100 awards he has received worldwide are the U. S. National Medal of Science, the Crafoord Prize (equivalent of the Nobel, for ecology) of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the International Prize of Biology of Japan; and in letters, two Pulitzer Prizes in nonfiction, the Nonino and Serono Prizes of Italy and COSMOS Prize of Japan. For his work in conservation, he has received the Gold Medal of the Worldwide Fund for Nature and the Audubon Medal of the Audubon Society. He is currently Honorary Curator in Entomology and University Research Professor Emeritus at Harvard University.

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Joining Johns’ team are three new hires in the newly created positions of executive editor, digital content, filled by Matt Mansfield; director of photography, filled by Keith Jenkins; and multimedia director, filled by Mike Schmidt. A fourth position, director of photography, has been filled internally by the promotion of Sarah Leen from senior editor for visual story development at National Geographic magazine. The new positions round out an experienced, award-winning editorial team. Mansfield, Jenkins and Leen will report to Johns, and Schmidt will report to Mansfield. The two new directors of photography will work collaboratively to integrate print and digital execution of photographic storytelling. Leen will focus on the magazine’s photography coverage while Jenkins will oversee photography online.

“Chris has a strong track record of editorial vision and leadership, most recently recognized with National Geographic’s four National Magazine Awards for General Excellence, Photography, Best Tablet Magazine and Best Multimedia Feature. Bringing in talent of the caliber of Matt Mansfield, Keith Jenkins and Mike Schmidt, and enlarging Sarah Leen’s role, will allow Chris and his team to accelerate our move into a continuous, dynamic publishing model that provides a stream of rich digital products and allows us to truly innovate in the space,” said Moore.

Matt Mansfield
Photo: Stephanie Grace Lim

Matt Mansfield comes from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where he was director and bureau chief for the school’s reporting program in Washington, D.C., as well as an associate professor. Prior to joining Medill, he was deputy managing editor of the San Jose Mercury News. He is a founding partner of MG Redesign, a custom design and training firm. In 2012, Mansfield was the design director for Bloomberg Insider, a daily glossy launched to showcase Bloomberg LP’s reporting and analysis from the Democratic and Republican National Conventions. He has served as president of the international Society for News Design and is one of the Washington-based organizers for the Online News Association. In his new role as executive editor, digital content, Mansfield will oversee National Geographic’s editorial content across the Web, mobile and non-magazine apps. He will be responsible for the editorial experience on digital platforms, shaping content initiatives that complement the Society’s membership acquisition strategies and supervising National Geographic’s daily news team, short-form video production group and a team of producers creating online content for the Society’s Mission Programs division, which manages the Society’s field researchers and explorers.

Keith Jenkins
Photo: Welton Doby III for NPR

Keith Jenkins leaves his position as supervising senior producer for multimedia at NPR to join National Geographic. As a director of photography, he will oversee the Society’s online photographic presence and staff. Prior to joining NPR, Jenkins spent 13 years at The Washington Post as staff photographer, photography editor of Washingtonpost.com, photography editor of The Washington Post Magazine and deputy assistant managing editor of photography. Jenkins was AOL’s first director of photography and also previously worked as a staff photographer at the Boston Globe. Jenkins is charged with setting the tone, editorial direction and overall strategy for National Geographic’s global leadership in digital photography, overseeing all photographic work for the website, including the Society’s photographic community, Your Shot, and blogs. Jenkins also will focus on expanding multimedia storytelling through short-form video and audio.

Sarah Leen
Photo: Mark Thiessen/National Geographic

Sarah Leen will focus on maintaining the high photographic standards of the magazine in both print and its digital versions in her role as a director of photography. She will manage the magazine’s photo editing staff and will be the primary liaison for the magazine’s contributing photographers. She also will oversee the photographic development of stories for print and digital versions of the magazine. Leen has been a senior photo editor at National Geographic since December 2004 and was named senior editor for visual story development in late 2012. Prior to joining the staff, Leen spent nearly 20 years as a freelance photographer for National Geographic magazine. She previously was a staff photographer at The Philadelphia Inquirer and the Topeka Capital-Journal.

Mike Schmidt
Photo courtesy Mike Schmidt

Mike Schmidt as multimedia director will be responsible for setting the tone, editorial direction and overall strategy for short-form video, motion graphics and other multimedia on nationalgeographic.com. Schmidt has created short documentaries, websites, motion graphic and animated videos, and was director and senior producer of the television series “Hip-Hop Nation.” His multimedia design work includes infographics for The New York Times’ coverage of the 2008 and 2010 Olympics. He has had a thriving freelance career and most recently was on staff as associate creative director at the iPad news publication, The Daily. As an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he led team projects in the creation of interactive documentary productions. Schmidt will work closely with National Geographic’s digital creative director to create multimedia packages for daily news stories, special projects, National Geographic magazine and the Society’s travel group and membership initiatives.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Its mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. Founded in 1888, the member-supported Society offers a community for members to get closer to explorers, connect with other members and help make a difference. The Society reaches more than 450 million people worldwide each month through National Geographic and other magazines; National Geographic Channel; television documentaries; music; radio; films; books; DVDs; maps; exhibitions; live events; school publishing programs; interactive media; and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

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The 125-year-old National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. It reaches more than 450 million people each month through its magazines, National Geographic Channel, books, films, DVDs, maps, radio, school publishing program, live events, interactive media, exhibitions and expeditions. It has funded more than 10,000 scientific research projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy.

“National Geographic is fortunate to have the additional counsel and experience of Gary Knell and Nigel Morris, who have impressive records of leadership and service in the fields of media and finance,” said Society Chairman and CEO John Fahey.

Knell heads NPR, one of the country’s most iconic news organizations and the producer of highly regarded programs that include “Morning Edition” and “All Things Considered.” Under his leadership, NPR has thrived in a rapidly changing media environment due to Knell’s ability to leverage the organization’s extensive network of member stations, drive cross-platform journalism and cultural programming, grow philanthropic and corporate underwriting support, and draw new audiences to NPR’s distinct offerings. A strong advocate of innovation, Knell is making possible the exploration of new technologies that advance NPR’s core mission and grow audience for all of public media.

With a career in public media spanning nearly three decades, Knell served as CEO of Sesame Workshop for 12 years before joining NPR in 2011. During his 22-year tenure at Sesame, the organization expanded its revenue base, audience and global recognition. Knell was instrumental in focusing the organization on Sesame Street’s worldwide mission, including the creation of groundbreaking co-productions in South Africa, India, Northern Ireland and Egypt.

Prior to joining Sesame Workshop, Knell was managing director of Manager Media International, a print and multimedia publishing company based in Bangkok, Hong Kong and Singapore. He has also served as senior vice president and general counsel at WNET/Channel 13 in New York, was counsel to the U.S. Senate Judiciary and Governmental Affairs Committees in Washington, D.C., and worked in the California State Legislature and Governor’s Office.

Knell is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. He serves on the board of governors of the National Geographic Education Foundation as well as on the boards of Heidrick and Struggles, an executive search firm; the Jacob Burns Film Center; and Common Sense Media. He is an adviser to the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism at USC and the Military Child Education Coalition.

A Gordon Grand Fellow at Yale University, Knell was a guest lecturer at Harvard University, Duke University, Southern Methodist University, Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Puerto Rico. He has a B.A. in political science from UCLA and a J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in Los Angeles as well as honorary doctorates from Mercy College in New York and Kenyon College in Ohio.

Morris is the managing partner of QED Investors, a direct investment fund focused on high-growth companies that leverage the power of data strategies. In addition, he works in an advisory capacity with General Atlantic Partners and Oliver Wyman Consulting. He serves on the board of numerous for-profit companies, including Red Ventures, Klarna, Capital Access Network, Media Math, borro and Braintree. He is also on the board of the Brookings Institution, ideas42 and the London Business School.

Previously, Morris co-founded Capital One Financial Services in 1994. Under his leadership, Capital One pioneered an information-based strategy that fundamentally transformed the consumer lending industry. Combining advanced statistical marketing techniques with nascent information technologies, the company reduced costs to conventional borrowers, extended capital to overlooked consumers, expanded internationally and produced extraordinary returns for investors.

During Morris’ 10-year tenure, Capital One’s net income after taxes (NIAT) grew at a compound annual rate of more than 32 percent. Over the same decade, earnings per share growth and return on equity both exceeded 20 percent per year, a financial performance attained by only a handful of American companies. On Morris’ retirement in 2004, Capital One’s 15,000 employees across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom managed over $80 billion of loans for 50 million customers. Generating more than $1.5 billion in earnings, Capital One had successfully transitioned from an emerging startup into an established public company valued at over $20 billion.

Morris has a B.Sc. in psychology from the East London University and an M.B.A. with distinction from London Business School, where he is also a Fellow.

About National Geographic

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Its mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. Founded in 1888, the member-supported Society offers a community for members to get closer to explorers, connect with other members and help make a difference. The Society reaches more than 450 million people worldwide each month through National Geographic and other magazines, National Geographic Channel, television documentaries, music, radio, films, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

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Note to Editors: Photographs of the new National Geographic trustees can be found at the FTP site http://press.nationalgeographic.com/downloads/trustees_2013.

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The award is given each year to two outstanding conservationists, one in Latin American and one in Africa. Yanosky, executive director of Guyra Paraguay, is the recipient of the National Geographic Society/Buffett Award for Leadership in Latin American Conservation; Tumwesigye wins the National Geographic Society/Buffett Award for Leadership in African Conservation.

They will receive their awards at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, June 13, during National Geographic’s annual Explorers Symposium. Established through a gift from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation to recognize and celebrate unsung heroes working in the field, these awards acknowledge the winners’ outstanding work and lifetime contributions that further the understanding and practice of conservation in their countries.

“It is an honor to participate with National Geographic in recognizing the achievements of these two remarkable visionaries who are making such a positive difference to conservation in their countries,” said Howard Buffett.

Alberto Yanosky, scientific author, speaker and international consultant, heads Guyra Paraguay, that country’s leading organization for biodiversity research and conservation. He also serves on the board of directors of several international organizations, including BirdLife International, Waterbird Conservation Council for the Americas, and Western Hemisphere Migratory Species Initiative. His areas of specialization are conservation and biodiversity, population and natural ecology, wetlands ecosystems and sustainability. Yanosky, an Argentine national, began working in conservation in Argentina around 1985, when he created and managed a privately owned nature reserve, the first example of this kind in the country. In 1993 he was invited to lead conservation action in Paraguay. Since then, he has been active not only in Paraguay as executive director of Guyra Paraguay, but also across Latin America and the world, working with different partners and contributing to conservation networks around the globe. He also serves as an environmental consultant to the World Bank.

Yanosky has created a strong team of professionals and brought more than $15 million into Paraguay for conservation. Under his leadership, Guyra Paraguay has carried out over 350 biodiversity conservation and sustainable development activities in Paraguay. Among the most notable is the Paraguayan Forest Conservation project to conserve ecologically diverse forests under imminent threat of clearance. This has reduced emissions from deforestation and achieved significant co-benefits for biodiversity and local people and is on track to play a major role in saving the native forests of Paraguay.

Other notable Guyra Paraguay achievements are its being instrumental in declaring the bare-throated bellbird Paraguay’s national bird; forming and supporting more than 100 local conservation groups; training more than 500 young conservation professionals; acquiring more than 24,000 hectares in different regions, dedicated to conservation in perpetuity; studying Paraguay’s 714 bird species, identifying 80 threatened species and protecting 500 species in Guyra’s private reserves; evaluating the more than the 150 invasive species that affect Paraguay’s biodiversity and cause economic and environmental damage; and supporting the protection of 1 million hectares in the Alto Chaco, habitat for large South American vertebrates like the jaguar, tapir, giant river otter, guanaco, chacoan peccary and giant armadillo.

Charles Tumwesigye, a Ugandan national, has worked for 18 years in wildlife conservation and management. As chief of conservation area management, he supervises all the field operations in all the national parks in Uganda and is responsible for deploying staff in the parks and spearheading the preparation of management plans for the national parks. During his career he has been instrumental in establishing health centers at the edge of two national parks to provide healthcare and education to more than 12,000 people and outreach to some 10,000 children, in an attempt to link the benefits of accessible healthcare with conservation.  He is currently working on a project to establish a network of mobile clinics to serve communities that neighbor national parks.

Tumwesigye played a key role during a recent crisis on the boundaries of Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo when M23 rebels engaged in fierce battles with DRC government forces. He led efforts to provide refuge to DRC rangers who were entangled in the war and unable to protect the DRC national parks that border the Ugandan protected areas. One of these parks hosts half the world’s population of endangered mountain gorillas. Tumwesigye coordinated the provision of food and logistics to ensure the rangers were safe and could return to protect these areas. He sent emissaries to negotiate with the rebels, which resulted in the wildlife remaining protected and the rangers being unharmed.

At the international level, because of his strong history of elephant conservation and expertise in this area, Tumwesigye was last year chosen to represent Uganda at the CITES Standing Committee Meeting in Geneva, Switzerland. He played a major role in advocating for the African elephant, which is facing a serious threat from poaching and the international ivory trade. As a result of his strong advocacy for elephant conservation, Uganda was chosen to chair one of the influential subcommittees of the CITES Standing Committee responsible for reviewing CITES decisions about elephant conservation and ivory trade. The decisions were adopted at the recent CITES Conference of Parties in Bangkok, Thailand.

Over the years Tumwesigye has also been involved in designing and reviewing policies for community involvement in wildlife management. As a result of policies like revenue sharing and collaborative management, Uganda is looked to as a model in Africa in the area of community conservation.

National Geographic Society/Buffett Award recipients are chosen from nominations submitted to the National Geographic Society’s Committee for Research and Exploration, which screens the nominations through a peer-review process.

“This year’s awardees are recognized for their outstanding leadership and the vital role they play in managing and protecting the natural resources in their regions. They are inspirational conservation advocates who serve as role models and mentors in their communities,” said Peter Raven, chairman of the Committee for Research and Exploration.

Howard Buffett is president of the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, which focuses on humanitarian and conservation issues. A farmer, businessman and widely published author and photographer, Buffett is also a member of the Commission on Presidential Debates, serves as a U.N. Goodwill Ambassador Against Hunger on behalf of the World Food Programme and is a member of the National Geographic Society’s Council of Advisors. He has traveled to more than 115 countries documenting the challenges of preserving biodiversity while providing adequate resources to meet the needs of a growing global population. He has been recognized globally for his commitment to food security, conservation and journalistic freedom. He has written seven books on conservation, wildlife and the human condition.

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Its mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. Founded in 1888, the member-supported Society offers a community for members to get closer to explorers, connect with other members and help make a difference. The Society reaches more than 450 million people worldwide each month through National Geographic and other magazines, National Geographic Channel, television documentaries, music, radio, films, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

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NOTE: Images of the two awardees are available at the following ftp site: http://press.nationalgeographic.com/downloads/buffett_awards_2013

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“We were shocked and deeply saddened by the news that longtime National Geographic grantee Tim Samaras was killed in a tornado in Oklahoma on Friday, along with Tim’s son Paul and their colleague Carl Young. Tim was a courageous and brilliant scientist who fearlessly pursued tornadoes and lightning in the field in an effort to better understand these phenomena. The National Geographic Society made 18 grants to Tim for research over the years for field work like he was doing in Oklahoma at the time of his death, and he was one of our 2005 Emerging Explorers. Tim’s research included creation of a special probe he would place in the path of a twister to measure data from inside the tornado; his pioneering work on lightning was featured in the August 2012 issue of National Geographic magazine. Though we sometimes take it for granted, Tim’s death is a stark reminder of the risks encountered regularly by the men and women who work for us. This is an enormous loss for his family, his wide circle of friends and colleagues and National Geographic.”

John Fahey, National Geographic Society chairman and CEO, said, “While we are immensely sad to bid farewell to Alex, we could not be more excited to have Soledad on board. We believe she can help encourage students to have a lifelong passion for learning about the world and its many wonders, challenges and opportunities for exploration and discovery. Her experiences as a journalist and her travels around the world make her perfectly suited to this role as Bee moderator.”

A critically acclaimed journalist, O’Brien has reported on breaking news from around the globe. In 2011, she won an Emmy for “Crisis in Haiti” in the category of Outstanding Live Coverage of a Current News Story Long Form. O’Brien was part of the teams that earned CNN a George Foster Peabody Award for its BP oil spill and Katrina coverage and an Alfred I. duPont Award for its coverage of the Southeast Asia tsunami. In 2010, the National Association of Black Journalists named O’Brien Journalist of the Year, and Edward R. Murrow Awards lauded her with the RTDNA/UNITY award for Latino in America. Also in 2010, she wrote a critically acclaimed memoir, “The Next Big Story: My Journey through the Land of Possibilities,” chronicling her biggest reporting moments and how her upbringing and background influenced these experiences. Recently, O’Brien was named a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. In this role, O’Brien, a Harvard alum, will explore a wide variety of topics related to public education in America.

In June 2013, O’Brien will officially launch Starfish Media Group, a 360 media production company and distributor, dedicated to uncovering and producing empowering stories that take a challenging look at important social issues. Concurrently, O’Brien and her husband run the Soledad O’Brien & Brad Raymond Starfish Foundation, which sends young women to and through college by creating a bridge between obstacles and opportunity.

O’Brien resides in Manhattan, N.Y. with her husband and four young children.

The National Geographic Bee is an annual geography competition for fourth- through eighth-graders, who compete for college scholarships worth $50,000. It was developed by National Geographic in 1989 in response to concern about the lack of geographic knowledge among young people in the United States. Trebek has hosted the national finals since that first competition and has been a vocal proponent of geography education. Trebek also has hosted the World Championship every other year. This year, the contest will take place in Russia. From July 28 to 31, 19 international teams will compete against each other in St. Petersburg; the contest will be hosted by the Russian Geographical Society.

About National Geographic

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888, its mission is to inspire people to care about the planet. The member-supported Society offers a community for members to get closer to explorers, connect with other members and help make a difference. The Society reaches more than 450 million people worldwide each month through National Geographic and other magazines, National Geographic Channel, television documentaries, music, radio, films, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geographic literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

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Young comes to National Geographic from Ancestry.com, where he was senior vice president of technology operations. In that role he was head of operations and overall technology platform and strategy, responsible for company uptime, performance and efficiency. Before that, he was vice president of development at Ancestry.com, leading a 140-person development and quality assurance team and directing architectural development of all custom systems that supported more than 1.7 million subscribers in multiple countries and languages.

Other positions he has held are vice president of development at Earthlink, responsible for all development and testing across multiple U.S. and offshore locations; and vice president of product development, digital media technology, at Time Warner, where he oversaw product management and development functions for all of Turner’s Internet properties, including CNN.com, TCM, Cartoon Network and NASCAR.com.; and vice president of technology at CNNfn.com, where he supervised all aspects of development, architecture and strategy and  founded CNNfn.com’s London bureau, expanding coverage of international markets.

“National Geographic embraces new technologies as a cornerstone for exploring the world around us. We are thrilled to have recruited Jonathan and look forward to tapping into his incredible expertise in this integral role,” said National Geographic Society Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Tracie A. Winbigler, to whom Young reports.

Young has a B.A. in astrophysics (honors) and Asian studies from Williams College.

About National Geographic

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. National Geographic reflects the world through its magazines, television programs, films, music and radio, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic magazine, the Society’s official journal, published in English and 38 local-language editions, is read by more than 60 million people each month. The National Geographic Channel reaches 440 million households in 38 languages in 171 countries. National Geographic Digital Media receives more than 25 million visitors a month. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

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Mörnefält will report to Terry Garcia, executive vice president, National Geographic Mission Programs, based in Washington, D.C. “Since the Global Exploration Fund debuted in Sweden, we have provided funding to more than 66 projects throughout the northern European region,” said Garcia. “Joakim has vast experience in brand management and communication outreach strategy, which will help us continue to expand our programs in this region.”

The Stockholm team headed by Mörnefält will help lead National Geographic’s efforts in the northern European region, serving as primary contact for prospective grant applicants, exhibits, public programs and potential funders.

Prior to joining National Geographic, Mörnefält worked at ManpowerGroup Sweden as its marketing and communications director. During his 12 years at ManpowerGroup, it grew to become the 10^th largest employer in Sweden. Mörnefält also held the position of ManpowerGroup’s global brand strategy director, contributing to strengthening the image of the brand as a thought leader in the marketplace. Before ManpowerGroup, Mörnefält gained wide experience across multiple industry sectors, including on- and offline retail, consulting and industrial businesses. He studied marketing and business administration at Växjö University.

”I am so happy and proud to get this opportunity to work with an organization like the National Geographic Society, which supports the scientific, exploration and conservation efforts of explorers around the world,” said Mörnefält. ”This is really something of a boyhood dream come true for me, and I look forward to growing this brand throughout Europe and helping National Geographic inspire even more people to care about the planet. I am excited to be coming on board as National Geographic celebrates its 125^th anniversary this year.”

The Stockholm-based team also will support outreach opportunities in the region, including the newly launched National Geographic Live program, which premiered last week at Konserthuset in Stockholm with a presentation by renowned National Geographic underwater photographer Brian Skerry. The series will continue this spring with public programs featuring photographers Annie Griffiths and Sweden’s own Mattias Klum.

Since 1890, the National Geographic has funded grants to every corner of the Earth — filling gaps in human knowledge, sometimes in spectacular ways. In 2011, the total number of National Geographic grants reached 10,000, representing a combined value of $153 million. Scientific field research, exploration, conservation and adventure are the backbone of National Geographic’s grants; the scientific grants focus primarily on anthropology, archaeology, biology, geology, geography, oceanography and paleontology.

National Geographic grants have led to countless discoveries that continue to shed light on the planet’s rich variety and diversity — and help preserve it. The results from field work are shared with audiences around the world through an array of National Geographic media, including print, broadcast and online outlets as well as events, exhibits and educational platforms.

The Global Exploration Fund is modeled on National Geographic’s century-long approach to funding scientific field research, exploration and conservation projects through targeted grant programs.

A scientific advisory board composed of leading scientists from across the region has been appointed to evaluate projects for potential funding. Residents of the following 14 countries are eligible to receive grants: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden and the United Kingdom.

Additional information about the new Global Exploration Fund and how to apply for a grant is available at www.nationalgeographic.com/gef/northerneurope/.

About the National Geographic Society

The National Geographic Society is one of the world’s largest nonprofit scientific and educational organizations. Founded in 1888 to “increase and diffuse geographic knowledge,” the Society works to inspire people to care about the planet. National Geographic reflects the world through its magazines, television programs, films, music and radio, books, DVDs, maps, exhibitions, live events, school publishing programs, interactive media and merchandise. National Geographic magazine, the Society’s official journal, published in English and 37 local-language editions, is read by more than 60 million people each month. The National Geographic Channel reaches 440 million households in 171 countries in 38 languages. National Geographic Digital Media receives more than 25 million visitors a month. National Geographic has funded more than 10,000 scientific research, conservation and exploration projects and supports an education program promoting geography literacy. For more information, visit www.nationalgeographic.com.

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An image of Joakim Mörnefält can be found on the ftp site:

http://press.nationalgeographic.com/downloads/gef/joakim_mornefalt

user name: press /  password: press

The new position encompasses oversight and management of magazines, books, digital editions, home entertainment, websites, digital portals and other ancillary publishing products in local languages globally. Boyle’s goal is to maximize National Geographic’s profits through strategy development, execution, marketing and business, focusing on growth of existing multi-product strategic partnerships, developing new product concepts and fostering cross-departmental collaboration to magnify National Geographic’s international presence, impact, revenue and mission.

In a joint statement, Adamson and Moore said, “Led by the extension of National Geographic magazine into 37 local-language editions, the Society’s international footprint has been a remarkable feature of growth and profit over the past dozen years. We see wonderful opportunity for the Society’s continued growth in publishing and its digital offshoots in many markets around the world. Yulia has been an integral part of this growth since her arrival at the Society six years ago, and we have been impressed with her energy, commitment, vision, good humor and collaborative abilities Society-wide. We have great confidence in our International Publishing team and believe that Yulia will inspire the team and our global partners to continue the strong growth trends by creating new opportunities in this evolving world.”

Boyle previously served as vice president of International Magazine Publishing and Business Development for National Geographic. She has been instrumental in expanding the National Geographic brand in regions such as Indonesia, the Middle East, the Baltic states and former Soviet Union. She has been successful in conceptualizing and launching new high-revenue, new-format publishing products, such as National Geographic Traveler Italy, distributed as a membership magazine to the 350,000-member base of Touring Club Italiano; and National Geographic Kids Sticker Collectible album in Western Europe, which was the largest single revenue generator for National Geographic Kids international in 2012. Most recently, she secured partnerships and assisted in launching new editions of National Geographic magazine in Mongolia, Georgia, Latvia and Iran, all of which debuted in 2012.

Boyle, who is fluent in English, Russian and Armenian, has a 15-year career in publishing and international business development. Before joining National Geographic, she worked for Macmillan Publishing, where she launched a joint venture with a local publishing house in Armenia, served on a World Bank project to publish English-language textbooks and expanded Macmillan’s offerings in the South Caucasus and Central Asia. She also worked in Ukraine as a publisher of a women’s weekly publication.

Boyle holds a master’s degree in public affairs with a concentration in comparative and international affairs from Indiana University, Bloomington. She has a bachelor’s degree in English language and U.S./U.K. studies.

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Robert Ballard and Jane Goodall — along with National Geographic explorers in the field on every continent — will take questions from the public in a live Google+ Hangout from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (ET) this Sunday, Jan. 13, marking the 125^th anniversary of the National Geographic Society. People around the world are invited to submit questions for the explorers or to videotape themselves asking a question for use in the Hangout.

Exploration is the National Geographic Society’s passion and the focus of the January issue of National Geographic magazine. Sunday’s Hangout will be a conversation about the new age of exploration. The event will be the first in a series of monthly National Geographic-Google+ Hangouts with explorers leading innovative field research across the globe.

Sunday’s event will use Google’s innovative multi-participant, live video-chat platform. The public can submit questions by:

• Uploading a video question to YouTube with #NatGeo125
• Posting a question on Google+ or Twitter with #NatGeo125
• Commenting on the National Geographic News Watch blog
• Leaving a comment on this Facebook post

The Hangout can be viewed on the National Geographic Google+ page or on YouTube.com/NatGeo.

Since its first expedition in 1890 to map the Mount St. Elias region in Alaska, National Geographic has led the way in exploration of the planet — and in harnessing new technologies to bring the stories of exploration to its readers and viewers.

Robert Ballard is a National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence who is most famous for his discovery of the RMS Titanic in 1985. Ballard has pioneered the use of robotics to explore ancient shipwrecks and natural wonders of the sea.

Jane Goodall received her first grant from the National Geographic Society in 1961 and went on to lead a 50-year field study of wild chimpanzees. Her research revealed that, like humans, chimps make tools to procure food and they engage in violence against each other.

Other explorers participating in Sunday’s Hangout are:

• Kyler Abernathy, National Geographic Crittercam team member, participating from Antarctica
• Kenny Broad, environmental anthropologist, Florida
• Albert Lin, research scientist/engineer, California
• Krithi Karanth, conservation biologist, India
• Paula Kahumbu, wildlife conservationist, Kenya
• Sebastian Cruz, biologist, Ecuador
• Boyd Matson, National Geographic radio host, serving as Hangout moderator from National Geographic headquarters in Washington, D.C.

A “new age of exploration” will be celebrated Society-wide throughout 2013, including the National Geographic Channels, website, books, magazines, video and live events. The yearlong initiative has been made possible through a 125^th anniversary partnership with Rolex. Leading brand of the Swiss watch industry, Rolex has accompanied many of humanity’s greatest feats as men and women ­have broken long-standing records, defied the elements and explored the globe’s most forbidding frontiers.