During the Gordon Research Conference on High Pressure, the Van Valkenburg Award is given to a young scientist working in the area of high pressure, with some preference being given to those utilizing diamond anvil cell technology. This Award is named after Alvin Van Valkenburg, inventor of the diamond anvil cell and one of pioneers in the field of high pressure research.

See Van Valkenburg's obituary by G. J. Piermarini [Alvin Van Valkenburg and the diamond anvil cell, High Press. Res. 11, 279 (1993)].