The Canadian-born Davis shares the passion of award namesake Roy Chapman Andrews as a storyteller about science and discovery. He has authored 265 scientific and popular articles as well as 20 highly acclaimed books. In 2012 his history of George Mallory’s ascent of Mount Everest, Into the Silence, received the Samuel Johnson Prize, one of the world’s top nonfiction prizes. His books have been published in 19 languages and sold more than a million copies. Davis is an accomplished photographer, filmmaker, and lecturer, as well. A frequent presenter for TED conferences, his research has found its way into everything from episodes of The X-Files to the eight-hour documentary series he wrote and produced for National Geographic, Light at the Edge of the World.

Davis, who joined the anthropology faculty of the University of British Columbia in 2014, works through its Liu Institute for Global Issues to advance awareness of cultures and ecosystems at risk. Previously he served 14 years as an explorer in residence with the National Geographic Society, which has named him one of the explorers for the millennium, and he is a member of the society’s explorers council. His work has earned him widespread recognition, including numerous honorary degrees and, earlier this year, the distinction of the Order of Canada, that nation’s highest civilian honor. Previously he received, among many other awards, the Gold Medal from the Royal Canadian Geographical Society and the Explorers Club Medal, an honor bestowed on Andrews nearly 80 years earlier.