UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Jose D. Fuentes, professor of atmospheric science in Penn State’s College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, will receive a pair of honors in December at the 2023 American Geophysical Union (AGU) annual meeting.
Fuentes has been elected as an AGU Fellow, joining 63 other scientists from around the world in the 2023 class. He will also receive the organization’s Ambassador Award at the meeting in San Francisco.
“I am truly honored to receive these recognitions from my peers in the AGU,” Fuentes said.
AGU Fellows are chosen for their exceptional scientific contributions and for attaining eminence in Earth and space science fields. Only 1% of AGU members receive this recognition in any given year.
In selecting Fuentes, the organization cited his contributions in advancing the understanding of the processes controlling gas exchange between vegetated landscapes and the atmosphere.
Fuentes pursues research in climate science and air quality whose work takes him from the Arctic to the Amazon Rainforest. He studies key interactions among flora, fauna and the atmosphere and their role in regional and global environmental changes. One notable work revealed that air pollution decreases bees’ ability to find food.
While a leader in his field, Fuentes is also known as a tireless advocate for diversity in science. Fuentes will receive the 2023 Ambassador Award for his work promoting the geosciences among historically underrepresented students and colleagues across the Americas, according to AGU.
His nominator, Dennis D. Baldocchi, professor of biometeorology at the University of California, Berkeley, called Fuentes "a tireless champion" for students from underrepresented backgrounds and praised his work to diversify the national and global STEM workforce.
“He is viewed to be a visionary leader with a great heart for seeking out and providing wide-ranging opportunities to students at all levels and mentoring them toward success in their academics and postgraduate careers,” Baldocchi said. “His enthusiasm and efforts in developing and implementing impactful research and involving and mentoring junior scholars and students through such processes are palpable and exhilarating.”
Fuentes received the 2020 Presidential Citation from AGU as part of the team that launched the anti-racism initiative “No Time for Silence,” a call to action to combat racism and to achieve greater inclusion and equity across the geosciences.
He also previously received the Charles E. Anderson Award from the American Meteorological Society, which honors outstanding contributions in promoting diversity in science through education and community service.
Fuentes has served as a co-chair of a National Science Foundation external advisory committee tasked with assessing and envisioning the future of the Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR). He currently chairs the Social Justice Research Council through the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, which is focused on Penn State’s research institutes, and formerly served as director of Penn State’s Research Experiences for Undergraduate (REU) program in climate science.
“I share the Ambassador Award with students, early career scientists and colleagues throughout the Americas with whom I have worked over my career for their tireless dedication to enriching the diversity of the geosciences workforce,” Fuentes said. “I call upon the new generation of geoscientists to learn the lessons from my generation and to continue to press for inclusion and equity in science in the United States and around the world; for despite recent advances, much work remains to be done so that all voices may be represented in the sciences.”