Professor Nicole Gasparini, recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Career Award
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University, School of Science & Engineering, USA
Professor Nicole Gasparini is recognized for deep and sustained contributions to the analysis and understanding of geomorphic systems through the use of novel and innovative numerical modeling. Her work has illuminated topics ranging from bedrock abrasion to orographic precipitation to the surprising role of chemical weathering in driving rapid valley incision. Throughout her career, Professor Gasparini has been a major contributor to modular, open-source community software, as illustrated for example by her role as a lead developer and champion of the Landlab Toolkit software package, and her role as Chair of the Terrestrial Working Group for the Community Surface Dynamics Modeling System (CSDMS). In addition, Professor Gasparini has been a fierce champion for broader inclusion in the geosciences, as demonstrated by her leadership in projects such as Code to Communicate, which empowers bilingual connections in earth science. Many of Professor Gasparini’s former graduate students and postdocs have gone on to contribute not just innovative science but also toward expanding the capabilities of the geo-research community as a whole by developing and sharing novel modeling tools and components. Nicole Gasparini is an Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at Tulane University.
