Dartmouth Engineering Professor Hélène Seroussi Receives Presidential Early Career Award

Professor Seroussi traveled to Greenland to study ice-sheet melting and sea-level rise. (Photo courtesy of Hélène Seroussi)

Seroussi was nominated by NASA "for leading the cryosphere science community in new research directions about the role of ocean circulation in the destabilization of major parts of Antarctica’s ice sheets."

She is one of the nearly 400 recipients named by President Joe Biden at the White House last week.

"I am so happy and honored to receive this award," said Seroussi. "This recognition inspires me to continue advancing our understanding of ice sheets, how they are changing and evolving in response to a warming climate. By improving projections of ice sheet behavior and sea level rise, we can better equip society to address and adapt to these profound challenges."

She added, "Being a woman in engineering and a climate scientist can be challenging at times, but I am fortunate to work alongside remarkable mentors, colleagues, and students who inspire and challenge me every day. Their support drives my commitment to addressing some of the most pressing environmental issues of our time through meaningful and impactful research."

Seroussi joined the Dartmouth Engineering faculty in 2021. Her research interests are focused on better understanding and explaining ongoing changes of the ice sheets, as well as reducing uncertainties in the ice sheet contribution to sea level rise by combining numerical models with remote-sensing and in-situ observations. She is one of the co-founders and main developers of the Ice-sheet and Sea-level System Model (ISSM) and a member of the scientific committee of ISMIP7. She earned two MS degrees in mechanical engineering and structural dynamics and coupled systems and a PhD in mechanical engineering from Ecole Centrale Paris, France.

About PECASE

According to the NSF website, in 1996, the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) was commissioned to create an award to recognize and honor outstanding scientists and engineers at the outset of their independent research careers. PECASE embodies the high priority placed by the government on maintaining the leadership position of the US in science by producing outstanding scientists and engineers and nurturing their continued development. The Awards identify a cadre of outstanding scientists and engineers who will broadly advance science and the missions important to the participating agencies.

The agencies participating in the PECASE program are:

Department of Agriculture; Department of Commerce; Department of Defense; Department of Energy; Department of Education; Department of Health and Human Services; National Institutes of Health; Department of Veterans Affairs; National Aeronautics and Space Administration; National Science Foundation.