Nalini M. Nadkarni
Enduring Achievement Award
University of Utah
Dr. Nalini Nadkarni’s unique academic career interweaves her research on rainforest canopy biota with innovative public engagement. Professor of biology at the University of Utah, Dr. Nadkarni has written 140 scientific papers and books, supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Geographic Society. In October 2023, Nadkarni was named an ambassador for the National Geographic Society. As an Explorer at Large, she will receive support for her research and in bringing accessibility to science and nature across communities. She also collaborates with faith-based groups, artists, and corporations to engage with those who do not or cannot gain access to science education and nature.
In 2004, she initiated programs to bring science lectures and hands-on conservation projects to adults and youth who are incarcerated inside state prisons and juvenile detention centers. In 2016, she and her colleagues created the NSF-supported “STEM Ambassador Program” to train academic scientists to engage community groups with their research in the venues where they live, work, recreate, and worship. Her work is featured in journals ranging from Science to Playboy, and in public media such as Science Friday, Wait, Wait … Don’t Tell Me, and RadioLab. Her awards include a Guggenheim Fellowship, the AAAS Award for Public Engagement, the National Science Foundation Award for Public Service, and The Wilson Award for the Advancement of Social Justice.
In addition to receiving the 2023 ARIS BI Champion award, Dr. Nadkarni was a 2019 ARIS fellowship recipient and will deliver one of the keynotes at the ARIS 2024 Summit.