In December 2024, the American Geophysical Union (AGU) honored Holly Gibbs, professor in the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies, with its Piers J. Sellers Global Environmental Change Mid-Career Award. The award recognizes “outstanding contributions in research, educational, or societal impacts in the area of global environmental change, especially through interdisciplinary approaches.”
Gibbs joined the UW–Madison faculty in 2008 after earning her PhD in the Nelson Institute’s environment and resources programs. In addition to teaching in the Nelson Institute, Gibbs is affiliated with the Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment and directs the Global Land Use and Environment Lab, which has become a leading expert in human-environment interactions, environmental conservation, and sustainable food production.
The full cohort of AGU’s 2024 awardees was honored at their annual conference, which Gibbs attended and was recognized. In a full-circle moment, the AGU conference was where she had presented her first academic presentation 20 years ago. “I am grateful for all the time that goes into making these awards possible,” Gibbs wrote in a LinkedIn post, “especially for the nominators and review committees — and for the many mentors I have encountered along the way. Special thanks to Tracey Holloway, Jonathan Foley, Navin Ramankutty, Chris Kucharik, Michael Coe, and Paul Robbins — it wouldn’t have been possible without your help and support!”