Valerie Sloan is recognized for her sustained, quiet and encouraging leadership of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Geosciences Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) community and for her impact in shifting REU programs to be more effective, diverse, safe and inclusive.

Conversations among REU site managers at the first GEO REU PI Workshop in 2011 organized by Dr. Sloan quickly showed that sharing strategies was valuable. Val facilitated further discussions through a listserv, principal investigator (PI) workshops and conference sessions and so fostered cross-program collaboration and mentoring. Val also strengthened connections between REU managers and scientific societies like SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science) and the NABG (National Association of Black Geoscientists). This was the founding of a nationwide GEO REU PI Network in which managers now share resources, tools and support on student selection, mentoring, professional development and cohort development. Prior to this, individual managers had to reinvent the wheel. Recently, Dr. Sloan led 23 community members in writing the “GEO REU Handbook: A Guide for Running Inclusive and Engaging Geoscience Research Internship Programs.” “The entire culture and climate of the GEO REU community shifted under Val’s gentle guidance and personal connection with so many,” said one REU PI. “This is so important because these changes then flow on to positively impact the lives and experiences of the students that we all work with.”

In 2020, many summer programs faced shutting down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, leaving students without opportunities and income. In response, Dr. Sloan rallied the community. She encouraged communication between faculty and the NSF and facilitated community problem-solving that enabled many programs to adapt to virtual programming. As a result, hundreds of students were able to have REU research experiences.

Val has made a consistent effort to raise awareness of biases inherent in internship selection metrics and processes, equitable practices, and the need for an inclusive REU culture for broadening participation. These efforts correspond with an increase in the participation of students from marginalized communities in GEO REU programs. Representation of these communities has grown from about 30% in 2009-2015 to 50% in 2017 and to 65% in 2020.

The impact of this work, her steady guidance and the development of personal connections with community members have resulted in an evolution of the culture and climate of the GEO REU community. These changes, in turn, enable changes at the program level, which then flow on to positively impact the lives and experiences of hundreds of students who participate in GEO REU programs each year. For her combined contributions and leadership, the Earth and space science community thanks Dr. Valerie Sloan for her efforts.

— Mark Moldwin
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan

It is a breathtaking honor to receive the 2022 AGU Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award. Working with such passionate, generous colleagues and organizations on the mission to create more effective, diverse and kind internship programs that bring undergraduates into the Earth system sciences has been a true pleasure. I want to acknowledge and thank the National Science Foundation for supporting the first GEO REU PI workshop in 2011 and fostering the development of this network since then. The underlying goals have been to facilitate the sharing of strategies and resources among PIs, to help new PIs avoid reinventing the wheel, and to make internships better experiences accessible to a wider range of people. I am also grateful to my colleagues and leaders at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), where I work. NCAR has been steadfast in backing this effort in a myriad of ways. The development of this kind and supportive community has only been possible because of the collaborative spirit of colleagues within and beyond the GEO REU Network. Together, we have run REU workshops, an active community listserv, conference sessions, and we have co-authored a GEO REU handbook. We have also had the pleasure of working with colleagues at scientific societies, government agencies and nonprofits in providing joint and separate opportunities to students. These efforts have led to progress in raising awareness of implicit bias, breaking down barriers to entry into Earth science fields, and creating inclusive programs. This learning has been hugely informed by discussions on diversity, equity and inclusion led by scholars of color, in the LGBTQ+ community, and of other marginalized identities. While the focus has historically been on recruitment and selection of participants, reports from students about discrimination and harassment in programs, at conferences and in graduate school indicate that there is still a lot of work our entire AGU community must do in creating kind, welcoming spaces. One person in particular, Rebecca Haacker, has been my mentor over the past 12 years. I first learned how to run an inclusive internship from her. Rebecca regularly models and inspires kindness, professionalism and strategic thinking, and I am very grateful to her. I count myself fortunate to have worked with passionate, insightful and generous colleagues in developing a GEO REU community. It has been very much the work of many, and so I share this award with you.— Valerie Sloan, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colorado