In 1988 , McNutt won the Macelwane Medal from the American Geophysical Union , presented for outstanding research by a young scientist , and in 2007 she won the AGU 's Maurice Ewing Medal for her contributions to deep-sea exploration and her leadership role in the ocean sciences . In 2002 , Discover magazine named McNutt one of the top fifty women in science . In 2003 she was named Scientist of the Year by the ARCS Foundation . The United States Coast Guard awarded the Meritorious Service Medal to McNutt for her service during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill . McNutt is a member of the 2012 USA Science & Engineering Festival 's Nifty Fifty , a collection of the most influential scientists and engineers in the United States that are dedicated to reinvigorating the interest of young people in science and engineering . McNutt won the 2017 DRI Nevada Medal
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Marcia McNutt