SSAI In The News

NASA’s Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program, supported largely by SSAI staff across several contracts, has won the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) 2021 Excellence in Earth and Space Science Education Award!

The award, first announced on September 15, 2021, is given annually to an individual or group/team demonstrating a sustained commitment to excellence in geophysical education. Successful candidates have made long-lasting, positive impacts in the Earth and space sciences at any education level from kindergarten through postgraduate studies. 

“The GLOBE Program has made outstanding achievements and contributions by pushing the frontiers of our science forward," said AGU President Susan Lozier, on behalf of the AGU Earth and space science community. "GLOBE has also embodied AGU’s shared vision of a thriving, sustainable, and equitable future for all powered by discovery, innovation, and action. And you did this with integrity, respect, diversity, and collaboration while creating deep engagement in education and outreach." 

The AGU award acknowledges the dedication and effort that members of the SSAI GLOBE community have given in building this program, from a small number of countries in 1995 to 126 countries today; with a database of over 200 million measurements for use in research by students and scientists, and technology advancements, including The GLOBE Program's app, GLOBE Observer. Since its establishment, GLOBE has sought to build a collaborative community of students, teachers, scientists, and others to meaningfully contribute to our understanding of the Earth system and to inspire the next generation of STEM professionals.

The GLOBE Program is sponsored by NASA, and is supported by the National Science Foundation, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and the U.S. Department of State, which have provided unwavering support to The GLOBE Program since 1995. The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) has a cooperative agreement with NASA to run the GLOBE Implementation Office.

“NASA is incredibly proud to be a sponsor of The GLOBE Program,” said Dr. Allison Leidner, GLOBE Program Manager at NASA. “This prestigious recognition from AGU is well-earned. GLOBE has impacted the lives of millions of students and citizen scientists around the world by instilling a curiosity about the Earth’s environment and equipping them with tools to investigate our ever-changing planet. Science is a global endeavor, and the GLOBE community embodies and facilitates this spirit.”

AGU formally recognized this year’s recipients during the AGU 2021 Fall Meeting (December 13-17, 2021), in New Orleans, LA and online everywhere. This celebration is a chance for AGU’s community to recognize the outstanding work of AGU colleagues and be inspired by their accomplishments and stories.

*Editor's Note: The above was adapted from GLOBE.gov