Rice University climatologist Sylvia Dee has been awarded the 2025 Nanne Weber Early Career Award from the American Geophysical Union’s (AGU) Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology Section.
The award recognizes significant contributions to paleoceanography and paleoclimatology research by scientists within 10 years of receiving their doctorate. Dee joins a distinguished group of early career researchers whose discoveries are shaping how we understand Earth’s past, present and future.
AGU, the world’s largest Earth and space science association, honors individuals and teams annually for accomplishments in research, education, science communication and outreach. These honorees transform our understanding of the world, improve communities and contribute to solutions for a sustainable future.
“Receiving this award is an incredible honor,” said Dee, associate professor of Earth, environmental and planetary sciences and civil and environmental engineering. “Paleoclimate research provides essential context for understanding Earth’s climate system and its future under continued greenhouse warming. By studying how climate has evolved naturally in the past, we can better predict the risks and challenges that lie ahead.”
Dee’s research explores how Earth’s natural modes of variability — such as El Niño and La Niña — interact with our changing climate to drive extreme weather. Her work highlights the ways these interactions compound risks, from flooding on the Mississippi River to shifts in rainfall patterns across Africa, North America and Asia. Her lab uses climate models and paleoclimate data to assess future risks to human and natural systems.
A dedicated teacher, Dee instructs Rice undergraduates in courses including introductory climate change science, paleoclimate and climate physics and modeling. Beyond the classroom, she leads environmental programming for the Girl Scouts of the USA for which she received the organization’s Global Leadership Award. She is also a frequent contributor to public discussions on climate change through outlets including NPR, AccuWeather and the Houston Chronicle.
Dee has published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers with over 1,900 citations and has earned multiple honors for her research, including the National Academies Gulf Research Program Early Career Fellowship (2021) and Rice’s 2024 Provost’s Award for Outstanding Early Career Faculty Achievement.
Dee and other honorees will be celebrated at AGU25 in New Orleans Dec. 15-19. The organization’s annual meeting will highlight the stories and successes of scientists whose research continues to advance knowledge and inspire action for a sustainable future.