Daniela Di Iorio, an assistant professor of marine sciences, has been awarded a Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation.
The five-year award of $553,000 is the highest award given by the NSF to new faculty members and supports early career development activities of those teacher-scholars who are most likely to become academic leaders later in their careers.
Di Iorio’s research centers on deep-sea hydrothermal vents, which have fascinated scientists since their discovery in the late 1970s. Her work, among other things, examines the flow and temperature fluctuations in these vents.
“This award will support my work and help us learn more about the evolution of hydrothermal systems and their contributions to the chemical and thermal compositions of mid-ridge ocean environments,” says Di Iorio.
“One of the unique things about Dr. Di Iorio is that she is a woman in a field [physical oceanography] that is still strongly dominated by men,” says Tim Hollibaugh, head of UGA’s marine sciences department. ”This award will give her the opportunity to share her interest and enthusiasm for her work with female students from high school through graduate school, thereby, we hope, encouraging them to consider going into this field themselves. This is a passion with Daniela.”
