AFS Honorific Awards
AFS annually honors those who have made contributions to the AFS Society and the filtration and separation industry with the following awards. Read the Awards descriptions for all qualifications and criteria. Below is a summary of each award.*Please note that not all awards have a recipient each year.

Honorific Awards Nomination Form

Fellow – Superior Contributions of Organization and Leadership
The Fellow Member Award was established in 1996 to honor individuals who have made superior contributions of organization and leadership to Society for many years. Fellows are entitled to a lifetime membership enjoying all the benefits of regular membership with waived annual dues. Fellows may attend AFS-sponsored conferences with a waiver of registration fees. 

Recent Recipients:
2023 - Mr. Tom Ramsey
2021 - Dr. Wenping Li
2019 - Dr. Christine Sun
2017 - Mr. Ken Rubow
2016 - Mr. Mark Willingham

Frank Tiller Award – Leadership in Engineering and Education
Named in honor of Dr. Frank Tiller, the internationally acclaimed “Father of Modern Filtration Theory” and key founding member of the AFS, this award highlights scientific merit. The TILLER AWARD recognizes individuals for outstanding lifetime scientific and engineering achievements in the Technology of Fluid-Particle Separation. 

Recent Recipients: 
2023 - Mr. Peter Cartwright
2021 - Dr. Martin Lehmann
2015 - Dr. Wallace Leung
2014 - Dr. Wenping Li
2013 - Dr. Barry Verdigan

Wells Shoemaker Award
The Wells Shoemaker Award was established in 1989 and named after a key-founding member of the AFS society.  He epitomizes the characteristics of leadership and service.  This award recognizes individuals for a lifetime of outstanding leadership and exceptional service to the American Filtration & Separations Society, which have resulted in significant and demonstrable benefits to the Society's members.

Recent Recipients
2023 - Dr. Sneha Swaminathan
2021 - Mr. Rob Bender
2014 - Mr. Ray Collins
2010 - Mr. Jerry Lynch
2009  - Mr. Lew Osterhoudt

Senior Scientist – For Significant Contributions to the Technology of Filtration and Separation
The Senior Scientist Award was established in 1999 to honor individuals in the middle of their careers who make a significant contribution to the Technology of Filtration and Separation.  

Recent Recipients: 
2023 - Dr. Lin Zhao
2019 - Dr. Rahul Bharadwaj
2018 - Dr. Swarna Agarwal
2017 - Dr. Shagufta Patel

Prof. George Chase Award - For Excellence in Academic Research 
Named in honor of Professor George Chase for many contributions by himself and his students to AFS and to the filtration and separations profession. The CHASE AWARD, established in 2021, was created to honor academic researchers and their students that make significant contributions to the filtration and separations profession. The AFS will bestow one award per year when a deserving candidate dui, professor and student, are available.

Recent Recipients:
2021 - Dr. Ashish Gadhave, Prof. George Chase, University of Akron
2023 - Dr. Mohammad Jamali, Prof. Hooman Tafreshi, North Carolina State University

New Product of the Year
New products, new ideas, new ways to look at old problems are key to the future. To encourage innovative and technological advances in filtration and separation the AFS Users Committee initiated an annual New Product of the Year and Engineering Merit award for the company making the most significant new product introduction in the previous year. Award winners are recognized at the FiltCon Awards Luncheon.

Any new technical product that was first marketed between January 1, and December 31 of the previous year may be entered. Products that will not be mass-produced must have become available for contract or licensing during that period. 

Entries may be submitted by individuals or organizations one entry per product. There is no limit to the number of products that may be entered.

2017 Engineering Merit Award for 2016 - Hollingsworth & Vose, FS6786, FS 6783, FS6781 High-Efficiency Fuel Media