Three Scripps Oceanography Researchers Recognized for Scientific Achievement
AGU’s 2025 awardees include Scripps Oceanography’s Helen Amanda Fricker, Marty Ralph and Lia Siegelman
Three scientists at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography will be honored by the American Geophysical Union (AGU) at the AGU Annual Meeting through its Honors and Recognition program, which acknowledges section awardees, named lecturers and elected fellows.
Helen Amanda Fricker, Marty Ralph and Lia Siegelman of Scripps Oceanography are among the cohort of AGU honorees receiving section awards and lectures in 2025. Section awards are presented to those who have altered our understanding of the world, improved our communities and led to a more sustainable future. Ralph is also among the 65 researchers selected to the 2025 Class of AGU Fellows, an honor bestowed upon those who have made extraordinary contributions to Earth and space science.
AGU is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote discovery in Earth and space science for the benefit of humanity. Its 2025 award recipients will be celebrated at the AGU25 Annual Meeting, which takes place Dec. 15-19, 2025, in New Orleans and virtually. Continue reading for more information about this year’s Scripps awardees.
Helen Amanda Fricker, a professor and glaciologist at Scripps, has been selected to deliver the William Bowie Lecture, an honor recognizing significant contributions to the fundamentals of geophysics, as well as unselfish cooperation in research. The Bowie Lecture is presented by invitation only and is named to honor the life and work of William Bowie, a geodetic engineer who also served as AGU’s first president. Fricker was selected for her innovative research centered on monitoring the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland. She uses satellite altimetry to track and predict how these ice sheets are changing due to the effects of climate change. Her lecture, "A half century of satellite altimetry: A tale of quantum leaps in knowledge and understanding of Earth systems," will be presented on Tuesday, Dec. 16 at 10:55 a.m. at the New Orleans Convention Center.
Marty Ralph, director of Center for Western Weather and Water Extremes (CW3E) at Scripps Oceanography, will be receiving two honors from the union: the AGU Ambassador Award and election as an AGU Fellow. The Ambassador Award honors outstanding contributions in areas such as societal impact, service to the Earth and space community, scientific leadership and promotion of talent/career pool. The Fellows program recognizes AGU members who have made exceptional contributions to Earth and space science through a breakthrough, discovery or innovation in their field. These distinguished awards highlight Ralph’s leadership in atmospheric river science, its applications, and effective science communication. His work with the Atmospheric River Reconnaissance program has advanced the accuracy of atmospheric river forecasts, particularly improving predictions of landfall location, intensity and timing.
Scripps Assistant Professor Lia Siegelman will receive the 2025 Ocean Sciences Early Career Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the ocean sciences from honorees within 10 years of receiving their PhD. This award also acknowledges the awardee’s future promise within the ocean sciences. Siegelman is a physical oceanographer whose research aims to understand how ocean dynamics impact our climate. She uses imagery to better understand and identify the cause of cyclones on Jupiter, connecting its storms to ocean turbulence on Earth. Siegelman’s work has also examined ocean-induced ice shelf melting on a smaller scale, discovering its extreme impact on Antarctic glaciers.
“Congratulations to this esteemed trio of scientists, whose research embodies Scripps Institution of Oceanography’s mission to understand and protect our planet and seek solutions to our greatest environmental challenges,” said Meenakshi Wadhwa, director of Scripps Oceanography and vice chancellor for marine sciences at UC San Diego. “The recognition of Marty Ralph as an impactful scientific ambassador, Helen Fricker for her significant contributions to geophysical research, and Lia Siegelman for future promise in ocean sciences reflects their individual excellence and their collective commitment to advancing our understanding of Earth's most critical systems.”
About Scripps Oceanography
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego is one of the world’s most important centers for global earth science research and education. In its second century of discovery, Scripps scientists work to understand and protect the planet, and investigate our oceans, Earth, and atmosphere to find solutions to our greatest environmental challenges. Scripps offers unparalleled education and training for the next generation of scientific and environmental leaders through its undergraduate, master’s and doctoral programs. The institution also operates a fleet of four oceanographic research vessels, and is home to Birch Aquarium at Scripps, the public exploration center that welcomes 500,000 visitors each year.
About UC San Diego
At the University of California San Diego, we embrace a culture of exploration and experimentation. Established in 1960, UC San Diego has been shaped by exceptional scholars who aren’t afraid to look deeper, challenge expectations and redefine conventional wisdom. As one of the top 15 research universities in the world, we are driving innovation and change to advance society, propel economic growth and make our world a better place. Learn more at ucsd.edu.