“For fundamental contributions to mountain streams and the science and practice of stream restoration” Ellen Wohl is a pioneer in fluvial hydrogeomorphology and the authority on the impacts of large wood on mountainous streams and stream-floodplain systems. Her contributions cannot be overstated: Literally anyone who thinks about wood dynamics in stream systems will come into contact with her work. Ellen has defined the field of the science and practice of river restoration, with original contributions on the human impacts on riverine systems, carbon cycling in complex landscapes, and the role of hydrologic connectivity in flood hazard prevention and control. She is a prolific writer with several highly cited books (her book on mountain rivers is a classic) and an impressive number of impactful and highly cited publications, most of them as single- or lead-author. Ellen has an uncanny ability to synthesize complex systems into simple, transferable ideas, and her work has helped both scientific and nonscientific communities to appreciate the role of science for decision support in planning and management of our natural resources. She is an exceptional observationalist who has likely walked thousands of miles of streams alone with nothing but a notebook in hand. At the same time, she is a great collaborator and community leader who has mentored an exceptionally large number of young people, many of whom are now leaders in the field. She has served as a role model to countless female hydrologists and geomorphologists as a direct mentor or collaborator, and is the person behind several new activities promoting women in hydrogeology, such as the very successful series of seminars she initiated on “Women Advancing River Research.” In summary, Prof. Wohl is an ingenious and original hydrogeomorphologist, a committed educator and leader in the field, and an exemplary scientific citizen in every respect. She is exactly the scientist all hope to be: kind, brilliant, and motivated to change the world through her efforts. —Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, University of California, Irvine

I greatly appreciate the honor of this award and the kind words in the award citation. I chuckled at the image of walking streams with only a field notebook—I wish. More commonly, the walking is burdened with cumbersome and heavy surveying or coring equipment, samples, chest waders, and so forth. But I think the image captures a key point: the importance of observation and thinking while in the presence of the environments we study. Those of us who examine hydrological research questions in a field setting are extremely lucky. We can enjoy the intellectual challenges common to all scientific research, and we can examine those questions in natural settings that provide inspiration and insight, as well as reality checks on scientific flights of fancy. I have been privileged to work in a wide array of natural environments, from mountainous headwaters to lowland floodplains and from the Arctic to the tropics, and without question these diverse field experiences have made me a better scientist. I have also been privileged to work with wonderful colleagues, from my first mentors to my current graduate students, and again without question, these collaborations have made me a better scientist. Now it is the people who work in environmental science who give me hope. I was in elementary school when Earth Day was first celebrated, and I grew up in a society coming to grips with pollution, extinction, and environmental degradation. The resulting sense of urgency shaped my choices to study Earth’s surface environments and the interactions of physical processes and biotic communities. The environmental threats of the 1960s and ’70s have now intensified but have also been overtaken in many people’s consciousness by a warming climate. The hydrologic sciences community, along with the broader community of those who study processes in Earth’s critical zone, make vital contributions to understanding and fostering environmental resilience and sustainability. I see the talent and the passion needed for these contributions in the scholars now starting their careers in hydrology, and I hope that each of you gets as much joy and satisfaction from your work as I have gotten from mine. —Ellen Wohl, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

Ellen Wohl will receive the 2018 G. K. Gilbert Award in Surface Processes at AGU’s Fall Meeting 2018, to be held 10–14 December in Washington, D. C. The award recognizes a scientist who has made “a single significant advance or sustained significant contributions to the field of Earth and planetary surface processes” and “also promoted an environment of unselfish cooperation in research and the inclusion of young scientists into the field.”  

Prof. Ellen Wohl fully represents all of the qualities of an inspiring and groundbreaking scientist and as such greatly deserves the 2018 G. K. Gilbert Award in Surface Processes. She has consistently and significantly advanced our understanding of processes in numerous subfields in geomorphology. Ellen has more than 200 refereed publications, with many being in key geomorphology journals; these publications have made tremendous contributions to understanding the morphology, sediment transport, wood dynamics, and hydraulics in steep mountain channels. Her work has also greatly advanced the understanding of carbon storage and transport in rivers. Ellen has also worked to incorporate fundamental research into the more applied work of river restoration. Through this work, which includes eight books for nonacademic audiences, she has had a large impact on helping both scientific and nonscientific communities outside of geomorphology understand the importance and practical application of knowledge in our field. Ellen has effectively supervised and graduated more than 70 Ph.D. and M.S. students. Many of these students have gone on to lead successful careers in academia and government science, thereby further influencing knowledge in geomorphology. Ellen is consistently a fair and extremely supportive colleague for everyone in geomorphology. She has served as a role model to countless female geomorphologists as a direct mentor or collaborator, as an indirect mentor at meetings, and by being one of the few full female professors in our field. While none of us have worked directly with Ellen, she has provided all of us inspiration in terms of her scientific excellence and continual inclusiveness of young scientists. Ellen’s compassion for her community would be remarkable even if she were not one of the elite researchers in our field. We know of no other scientist in geomorphology who so truly excels in both science and community engagement.

—Nicole Gasparini, Tulane University, New Orleans, La.; Paola Passalacqua, University of Texas at Austin; and Elowyn Yager, University of Idaho, Boise

I’m honored to receive this award. As the first female recipient of the award in the time of the “Me Too” movement, I’d like to discuss mentorship. My professional career and my life have been shaped by many extraordinary mentors, starting with my parents. While I was an undergraduate at Arizona State University, committed, caring teachers pushed me to excel. At the University of Arizona, Vic Baker and Bill Bull created a supportive and intellectually stimulating atmosphere for their graduate students. I’ve been lucky to have supportive senior colleagues who fulfill the definition of mentor as a guide and advisor. But I’ve also worked with people who have been damaged by harassment. Most people agree that there is no justification for overt harassment. Ingrained attitudes and subtle prejudices are trickier. We can each strive to be cognizant of these and to treat others fairly and supportively. The golden rule is ancient, but it remains superb advice. People give of themselves most fully and happily when they feel supported, appreciated, and safe. If your colleagues are giving of themselves, you gain from them in the ultimate positive feedback loop. I encourage everyone to go beyond the bar of not harassing or impeding others and meet the higher and more rewarding level of actively encouraging and supporting others. My fellow grad student Keith Katzer referred to fairy godfathers and godmothers—senior people who do good things for us—who write letters of recommendation, provide thorough and constructive reviews of papers and proposals, or provide an encouraging word at a critical moment. No one is too junior to be a fairy godparent. So take the time to thank your fairy godparents, and then strengthen the tradition and help turn a pumpkin into a golden carriage for someone else. —Ellen Wohl, Colorado State University, Fort Collins

For sustained and innovative contributions to understanding the geomorphology, evolution, and restoration of mountain, bedrock, and tropical rivers.