My friend and graduate advisor, Allen J. Scott at UCLA was just awarded the 2003 Vautrin Lud International Award for Geography (the equivalent of the Nobel Prize for Geography). 

The annual prize is awarded to the person who has made outstanding contributions to the field of geography and has achieved a wide international reputation as an outstanding scholar. He will be awarded the prize on October 3 at the International Festival of Geography at Saint-Die-des-Vosges in northeastern France. 

On a related note: Jared Diamond was recently appointed to the UCLA Geography Department.