H. W. “Bud” Arrowsmith, founder of the Scientific Ecology Group (SEG), was the first recipient of the Hodes Honor Lecture Award. He and SEG developed and implemented numerous technical innovations in the field of radioactive waste management, including compaction, incineration, recycling, decontamination, and vitrification.
The Texas A&M University Student Chapter of Advocates for Responsible Disposal in Texas (ARDT) was awarded an Honorable Mention in the 2004 Hodes Award program for its innovation in educational activities related to LLRW management. In 2003, the student group actively lobbied the Texas state legislature to promote the passage of legislation to site a disposal facility for low-level radioactive waste.