Citation by Susan Eriksson
Professor Aditya Kar of Fort Valley State University, for over two decades has recruited academically talented minority students into geoscience and retained them through dedication and attention to each student. Fifty-one underrepresented minority students have graduated with over 150 dual STEM degrees. With newly designed geoscience coursework, in 2023 he established a geology minor at Fort Valley.
Dr. Kar generously shares his unique approach to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with professional organizations and national research programs. He works with the seismological and geodetic communities to develop teaching materials featuring 21st skills that require analysis of real data and clear connections to community. These motivate a new generation of geoscientists to solve questions that fulfill their interest in climate change and other environmental threats to underserved communities.
With a vision to create a long lasting geoscience program at his home HBCU, Aditya Kar enriches the geoscience community through this support of students who are becoming our next generation of leaders.
Response by Aditya Kar
I thank the Geological Society of America and its counsel for selecting me for the 2024 Bromery Award for the minorities. I'm grateful to Dr Susan Erickson for nominating me and Mr. Reggie Spiller, Dr. Reginald Archer, and Dr Mike Brudzinski for writing supporting letters. The vision of Chancellor Bromery and other black geoscientists and the pioneering work they did created the space for my work. My effort to promote first generation African American students in geosciences was possible because I received valuable support from several individuals and organizations such as GSA, NABG, AGU, NSF, EarthScope, CDEP and a consortium of universities helped in grooming 51 black geoscientists from Fort Valley State University, a HBCU in rural Georgia and my home institution. I acknowledge the role played by my graduate advisors, Dr Bob Bodnar and Dr Barry Weaver for their guidance. My late parents and my 85-year-old uncle who is present here today were instrumental in shaping me. Representing my vast network of friends is my childhood friend of 50 years Anu Mitra who flew in to be present here. Also present here is and representing my students is LaMichelle whom I have known and taught since her 9th grade year. This award is a recognition of possibilities of impactful work that can be done from a small rural HBCU and address social justice, equity, transform lives of black and underserved populations and create a strong, prepared, competitive, and diversified STEM and geoscience workforce for America.