American Geosciences Institute Congratulates Emma Reed and Annette Patton as Recipients of the Harriet Evelyn Wallace Scholarship

Alexandria, VA - The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) would like to congratulate Emma Reed and Annette Patton, both Master’s candidates, as the two latest recipients of the Harriet Evelyn Wallace Scholarship. The scholarship, which is awarded to women pursuing graduate degrees in geoscience, is a $5,000 award for one academic year, with the opportunity to renew for an additional year of support, if qualified.

Emma Reed is attending the University of Arizona in the Department of Geosciences. Her research uses geochemical and banding proxies from coral records to investigate climate variability. She is using coral cores from three different sites in the northern Great Barrier Reef to provide more comprehensive insight into the environmental stressors. Reed is investigating how corals responded to changing climate patterns in the past to understand how they might react to current climate change. She will be conducting field work in Australia this summer to continue this research.

Annette Patton is investigating the September 2013 Colorado mass movement events while pursuing her Master’s at Colorado State University in the Department of Geosciences. She will be conducting fieldwork in 2015 using ground-based surveys of the 2013 deposits, analyzing geospatial data including aerial imagery, topographic data and historic photos. Her work is particularly salient because the mass movements deposited significant sediment loads to streams, impacted building infrastructures and set the stage for investigating ongoing geologic hazards. Results from her research will facilitate increased hazard awareness and public safety.

The scholarship is in its third year supporting women during their graduate studies. The original bequest was given from Harriet Evelyn Wallace, who was one of the founding members of the Geoscience Information Society (GSIS), a national organization and AGI Member Society that facilitates the exchange of information in the geosciences. The scholarship is awarded to the top 1-2% of applicants who most exemplify strong likelihoods of successful transitions from graduate school into the geoscience profession.