Prof. Allison Jaynes was selected to receive the AGU James B. Macelwane Medal, which is given annually to three to five early career scientists in recognition of their significant contributions to Earth and space science. AGU, the world's largest Earth and space science association, annually recognizes a select number of individuals for its highest honors. Prof. Jaynes is recognized by the global Earth and space sciences community for her tremendous personal sacrifices and selfless dedication to advancing Earth and space sciences.

The James B. Macelwane Medal was named in honor of former AGU president James B. Macelwane (1953-1956) who was renowned for his contributions to geophysics. Macelwane was also deeply interested in teaching and encouraging scientists, founding the Department of Geophysics at St. Louis University and serving as Dean of the Graduate School, along with various other roles, all while always committing to teach at least one course. It is a prestigious honor for an early career researcher, as it confers with it the honor of Fellow of AGU.

Prof. Jaynes’ research focuses on the aurora, the inner magnetosphere, and the radiation belts and how those regions of geospace connect to atmospheric physics. She joined the faculty at the University of Iowa in 2017 after receiving a PhD from the University of New Hampshire and working as a researcher at the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has been a co-investigator on many NASA satellite, Cubesat and sounding rocket missions. She is currently serving as a member of the National Academies Solar and Space Physics Decadal Survey Steering Committee tasked with drafting the priorities for the next decade of research in the field. She was awarded the prestigious NSF CAREER award in 2020. Prof. Jaynes was a recipient of the University of Iowa Dean’s Scholar Award in 2022 and the Mid-Career Faculty Scholar Award in 2023. She received the named F. Wendell Miller Distinguished Professorship in 2023. She is deeply committed to equity and inclusion in STEM.

AGU will formally recognize this year’s recipients at AGU23, which will convene more than 25,000 attendees from over 100 countries in San Francisco and online everywhere on 11-15 December 2023. This celebration is a chance for AGU’s community to recognize the outstanding work of our colleagues and be inspired by their accomplishments and stories.