UNH Today

Two UNH faculty members — Larry Mayer, a pioneer in ocean mapping, and environmental ecologist Bill McDowell — are among the 62 prominent scientists elected to the 2020 Class of Fellows of the American Geophysical Union (AGU). AGU fellows serve as global leaders and experts who have propelled our understanding of geosciences; fewer than .1% of the AGU’s membership are fellows. 

Mayer, founding director of UNH’s Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping and professor of Earth sciences, was honored for his exceptional dedication and research focused on mapping the ocean floor. He has participated in more than 90 scientific cruises, including eight in the Arctic, and has shared his expertise with international panels and committees, including President Barack Obama’s Arctic Research Commission and the international consortium known as Seabed 2030, which hopes to map the entire seafloor to high resolution by the year 2030. Mayer is a member of the National Academy of Engineering, the Hydrographic Society of America Hall of Fame and a foreign member in the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

“We’re very proud of Bill and Larry for this prestigious recognition of their great work," says Marian McCord, senior vice provost for research, economic engagement and outreach at UNH. Not only are their contributions to how we understand our oceans and watersheds significant, they have launched many important research careers through their mentorship.”

A professor of natural resources and the environment, McDowell is a biogeochemist whose research focuses on the role of streams in global carbon and nitrogen cycles. His work spans the globe, from long-term studies on the Lamprey River watershed in New Hampshire’s Seacoast to the Luquillo Experimental Forest in Puerto Rico and forested watersheds in Siberia. At UNH, McDowell directs the New Hampshire Water Resources Research Center and the Water Quality Analysis Lab. He was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2018.

 Mayer and McDowell will be recognized in a virtual ceremony at AGU’s Fall Meeting with their fellow honorees on December 9, 2020 at 6 p.m. ET.