MSU geoscientist Nagel honored nationally for teaching, mentorship

Contact: Sarah Nicholas

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State geoscientist Athena Owen Nagel is the recipient of the national 2026 Mid-Career Excellence Award in Academia from the Association for Women Geoscientists.

The annual award recognizes outstanding contributions to the geosciences through excellence in teaching, mentorship, scholarship and service. Nagel, an associate teaching professor in MSU’s Department of Geosciences, said the recognition reflects the many people who have shaped and supported her career.

“I am truly honored to receive this award. It is amazing and inspiring to have my work recognized by AWG, a group that embodies a lot of what I hope to accomplish, especially inspiring future geoscientists,” said Nagel. Her research topics include advancement in geoscience education, geoheritage and cave geomorphology, mostly in island and coastal environments, including the Bahamas, Spain, Barbados and Curaçao.

AWG is an international professional organization dedicated to supporting women and advancing equity across the geosciences discipline. Nagel will be formally recognized Oct. 12 during the AWG awards reception at the Geological Society of America’s annual meeting in Denver, Colorado.

For more details about MSU’s College of Arts and Sciences or the Department of Geosciences, visit www.cas.msstate.edu or www.geosciences.msstate.edu.  

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