Marguerite T Williams Award

Marguerite T. Williams Award

Information on the Award

The Marguerite T. Williams Award is presented annually and recognizes significant contributions to research and community-building by a mid-career scientist in the field of earth and planetary surface processes. Marguerite T. Williams was a black woman who, by receiving her PhD in Geology in 1942, pioneered to broaden participation in STEM. Dr. Williams was already mid-career when she returned to school to earn higher degrees in geology, finishing her PhD in 1942 at the age of 47. Dr. Williams devoted her career to teaching, and she faced and overcame immeasurable barriers in her education and career, underscoring the enormity of her accomplishments.

Contributions in research can be illustrated through at least one contribution that significantly advanced the field of EPSP-related studies and/or collective contributions that have influenced the field, including but not limited to: development of new tools or techniques; discovery of new links between surface processes and their drivers; and application of surface processes research to sustainability. Contributions in community-building can be illustrated through, for example: sustained mentorship of students and/or early career scientists; broad reach in science communication and outreach; evidence of efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion and/or efforts to improve accessibility and community climate; excellence in service roles such as peer review or panel participation, editorships or assistant editorships, or committee and leadership roles.

Brown grasslands and hills with mountains in background

Award Benefits

AGU is proud to recognize our section honorees. Recipients of the Marguerite T. Williams Award will receive the following benefits with the honor:

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Award Certificate
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Recognition in Eos
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Recognition at Fall Meeting

Eligibility

To better understand eligibility for nominators, supporters and committee members, review AGU’s Honors Conflict of Interest Policy.

Nominator Eligibility

Nominators are not required to hold an active AGU membership.
The following individuals are not eligible to be nominators for the award during their terms of service:
- AGU President;
- AGU President-elect;
- Council Leadership Team members;
- Honors and Recognition Committee members;
- Williams Award Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff

Nominee Eligibility

The nominee is not required to be an active AGU member.
The nominee must be within 20 years of receiving their Ph.D. or the highest equivalent terminal degree.
- AGU Honors Program Career Stage Eligibility Requirement Allowance Policy: Exceptions to this eligibility requirement can be considered based on family or medical leave circumstances, nominees whose work conditions have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, or for other extenuating circumstances. All requests will be reviewed. For questions contact [email protected].
The following individuals are not eligible to be candidates for the award during their terms of service:
- AGU President;
- AGU President-elect;
- Council Leadership Team members;
- Honors and Recognition Committee members;
- Williams Award Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff

Relationships to a Nominee

The following relationships need to be identified and communicated to the Award Committee but will not disqualify individuals from participating in the nomination or committee review process. These apply to committee members, nominators, and supporters:

Current dean, departmental chair, supervisor, supervisee, laboratory director, an individual with whom one has a current business or financial relationship (e.g., business partner, employer, employee);
Research collaborator or co-author within the last three years; and/or
An individual working at the same institution or having accepted a position at the same institution.

Individuals with the following relationships are disqualified from participating in the award nomination process as a nominator or supporter:

Family member, spouse, or partner.
A previous graduate (Master’s or Ph.D.) and/or postdoctoral advisor, or postdoctoral fellow may not write a nomination letter but may write a supporting letter after five years of terminating their relationship with the nominee beginning on 1 January after the year the relationship was terminated.
A former doctoral or graduate student, or a former postdoctoral fellow may not write a nomination letter for a former advisor but may write a supporting letter after five years of terminating their relationship with the nominee beginning on 1 January after the year the relationship was terminated.

Supporter Eligibility

Individuals who write letters of support for the nominee are not required to be active AGU members.
The following individuals are not eligible to be supporters for the award during their terms of service:
- AGU President;
- AGU President-elect;
- Council Leadership Team members;
- Honors and Recognition Committee members;
- Williams Award Committee members; and
- All full-time AGU staff

Nomination Package

A letter that details the nominee’s significant contributions to community-building and research in Earth and planetary surface processes, including a one-sentence citation. The required nomination letter should be no more than two (2) pages and should include: nominator’s signature, name, title, institution, and contact information. Official institutional letterhead is preferred.
A Curriculum Vitae for the nominee– no more than two (2) pages
A document detailing the Candidate’s Community Engagement Activities– no more than two (2) pages (Please Note: add this as an addition to your nomination letter)
A selected bibliography stating the total number of publications, the types of publications, and the number of publications published by AGU– no more than two (2) pages
One (1) to three (3) additional letters of support– no more than two (2) pages each

Evidence for significant or sustained contributions to EPSP community building may include one or more of the following:

Contributions towards broadening the EPSP community through the sustained mentorship of students and/or early career scientists
Broad reach in scientific communication, which may include but is not limited to K-12 and broader community outreach, development and/or sharing of educational tools, the organization of conferences, panels, and workshops, and contributions to policy statements, blogs, or other non-technical science writing.
Evidence of efforts to improve equity, diversity, and inclusion within the EPSP community or at a scientist’s home institution and/or efforts to improve accessibility and community climate.
Exceeding standard service in peer review or panel participation, editorships or assistant editorships, or committee and leadership roles.
Commitment to FAIR data principles, development and/or sharing of open-source software and code

Evidence of significant contributions to research may include:

At least one contribution that significantly advanced the field of EPSP-related studies
Collective contributions that have influenced the field, for example through: the development of new tools or techniques for understanding surface processes and the evolution of planetary surfaces; discovery of new links between surface processes and their drivers; interdisciplinary research that provides new insight into surface processes and landscape evolution; and/or application of surface processes research to sustainability, management, human and/or ecosystem health, and other applications