WIESS SCHOOL OF NATURAL SCIENCES

Alumni Award Winners

2024 Inaugural Alumni Award Winners

Distinguished Alumni Award

Martha Lou Broussard ’57
Martha Lou was the first woman to graduate from the Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences Department in 1957. She embarked on an illustrious career at Shell, becoming their first female geologist. Rising through the ranks, she became the first woman on Shell’s Executive Committee and later served as the first female Vice President of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). Beyond her groundbreaking professional achievements, Martha Lou’s lasting legacy is her unwavering dedication to mentoring and supporting future generations at Rice and beyond.

Recent Alumni Award

Onja Razafindratsima ’15
As a leading global scholar in environment, ecology and conservation biology, Onja exemplifies the excellence and dedication this award seeks to honor. Now an assistant professor at UC Berkeley, she has quickly established an impressive academic career marked by significant contributions to her field.

Read the full announcement of the inaugural Alumni Award Winners