U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) senior research hydrologist Ralph T. Cheng received the Department of the Interior's Distinguished Service Award, the highest Departmental award that can be granted to a career employee. The award was presented on May 9, 2007, at the Department of the Interior in Washington, D.C., and celebrated again on November 14 at the annual USGS Western Region Awards Ceremony in Menlo Park, California. At the November awards ceremony, Frank Shipley, Acting Deputy Western Regional Director, read the following summary of the award citation:.