USF College of Arts and Sciences professor Dr. Jennifer Collins from the School of Geosciences has been awarded the 2024 Distinguished Scholarship Honors from the American Association of Geographers (AAG). Through her extensive career as a researcher and educator Collins has made substantial contributions to her field, earning her this noteworthy achievement.
Dr. Jennifer Collins, professor in the School of Geosciences. (Photo by Alessandra Casanova Silva)
The AAG is an organization dedicated to equipping students, educators, and partners with the necessary resources for entering the field. They help advance their careers and offer opportunities to make professional connections through programs, events, and meetings.
The organization also acknowledges remarkable accomplishments among its members, such as the 2024 Distinguished Honors Scholarship awarded to Collins. This award celebrates the recipient’s lifelong commitment to high-quality research in geography, advancing our knowledge in the field.
A professor and hurricane researcher specializing in weather, climate, and hazards research, Collins has dedicated numerous hours to the mission of the AAG organization throughout her career. While previously acknowledged by the AAG’s regional divisions and the national AAG where she was recognized as a fellow among other honors related to teaching and mentoring, this marks the first time she has received recognition at the national level of the AAG specifically for her scholarship.
“I am honored to be recognized by my profession and the AAG for my scholarship. I have been recognized by the regional division of the AAG in 2018 for my research and have received numerous teaching and mentoring awards from AAG and the American Meteorological Society. Although in 2022 I was recognized as a national fellow, this is the first time the national AAG has recognized my scholarship,” Collins explains. “I have been very involved with the AAG since I came to the United States in 2000, and it has been a big part of my life where I have served the organization in various positions including chair of the Local Arrangements Committee for their annual meeting in Tampa and I served as National Councilor.”
Collins’ dedication to weather research greatly contributed to this recent award, acknowledging accomplishments throughout her career and the positive impact she has made within the geoscience community.
(From Left) Yijie-Zhu, PhD student of Dr. Jennifer Collins, Joanne Muller, researcher from FGCU, followed by her graduate student. (Middle) Dr. Jennifer Collins, another graduate student of Joanne Muller, and (Right) Chris Landsea from the National Hurricane Center. The team is seen gathering cores of sediment to analyze and identify past hurricane activity. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Collins)
Dr. Jennifer Collins on site at the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s Hurricane Hunters plane hangar. Collins flew with the group during Hurricane Sandy in 2012. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Collins)
“This award recognizes the research in my early career such as the impact that El Niño Southern Oscillation has on hurricanes in the Eastern North Pacific, specifically near Hawaii. It also considers my exploration of the relationship between hurricanes that occur in the North Atlantic versus Eastern North Pacific. Additionally, the award recognizes my recent work investigating the role that social connections play in people’s hurricane evacuation decisions and how COVID-19 played a part in that decision. Those in the field of emergency management have been able to use my team’s results to inform their decision making, thus spanning the physical and social sciences,” Collins said.
This achievement is not only a testament to Collins’ professional career, but also creates opportunities for future students and educators within the School of Geosciences.
“The AAG is very student centered and has many resources available. They have information on current graduate student assistantships, internships, and postdoctoral researcher positions. There are 75 different interest-based groups of like-minded geographers, focused on particular areas of study within the broader field. Many students belong to these specialty groups where they can network with more senior professionals. I belong to the Climate Specialty Group where there are about 500 members in that group alone,” Collins explained. “An award like this can potentially open doors for even more research opportunities. More exposure for me or other faculty members helps create connections for interdisciplinary research and collaborations across universities or research communities.”
The AAG Honors, established in 1951, have recognized distinguished researchers over the years. By joining the ranks of those who preceded her, Collins aims to contribute to this ongoing legacy. She hopes that future generations will be able to leverage her research contributions to explore new opportunities for contribution.
Dr. Jennifer Collins with an undergraduate student analyzing data as part of the NSF-funded
Research Experience Grant. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Collins)
Dr. Collins with a team of faculty and student researchers collecting data on people’s
hurricane evacuation plans. (Photo courtesy of Jennifer Collins)
Collins is set to attend the AAG award ceremony on April 16, 2024, in Honolulu, Hawaii. She is looking forward to reconnecting with friends and colleagues, eager to delve into discussions about the cutting-edge research happening in the field.
Alongside the ceremony, Collins is organizing a conference on Hurricane Risk in a Changing Climate, scheduled for June 2024 in the same location.
To learn more about the resources and programs available visit the website for the American Association of Geographers.