Agustín Sánchez-Lavega, a distinguished professor emeritus of physics at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), has been awarded the ‘Europlanet Lifetime Achievement Medal 2026’. This accolade celebrates his outstanding professional career and significant contributions to planetary sciences, acknowledging over 45 years of research focused on the atmospheres and dynamics of Venus, Mars, the giant planets Jupiter and Saturn, and exoplanets.
The award was presented by Ann Carine Vandaele, President of the Europlanet Society, during the Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2026, held last week in The Hague, Netherlands. The recognition also highlights his extensive work in teaching, researcher training, outreach, and fostering the planetary science community across Spain and Europe.
Sánchez-Lavega, a professor and chair of physics at the School of Engineering in Bilbao, has been instrumental in establishing the Master's Degree in Space Science and Technology and the Aula Espacio Gela along with its Astronomical Observatory. His research has been published in leading journals such as Science and Nature, gracing their covers four times. His previous honors include the 2016 Euskadi Research Award, the David Bates medal from the European Geophysical Society in 2020, and he was named a Fellow of the American Astronomical Society last year.
