UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Erica Smithwick, distinguished professor of geography and ecology in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, is the recipient of the 2025 W. LaMarr Kopp International Achievement Award.
Established in 1995, the award recognizes faculty members who have contributed significantly to the advancement of the international mission of the University. It is named for the late deputy vice president for international programs.
Nominators said Smithwick has made extraordinary contributions to Penn State’s international mission through her leadership and support for international education, her service to the international community and through her own research.
Given the global challenges facing the world, the global relevance of her research is increasingly important.
Smithwick’s research tackles topics that range from exploring landscape change and human health in Ghana, ecological change in South Africa and Kenya and landscape modeling with indigenous Māori communities of New Zealand. Through leadership in multiple research institutes at Penn State, she drives interdisciplinary research.
Nominators said she’s training the next generation of experts in the field.
In a recent example through a dual seed grant with the University of Auckland, Smithwick led faculty and students of both universities in a project called “Assessing Climate Futures through Environmental Data Analytics.”
“This project seeks to establish partnerships in both research and teaching to support societal decision-making in the face of climate impacts and their associated uncertainties,” a nominator said. “Leveraging her experience in ecosystem and climate modeling and transdisciplinary work, Dr. Smithwick assembled a team to also support education toward climate-smart decision-making, policy and workforce development.”
Nominators said the project was intentionally guided by viewpoints of Māori communities.
“She wants everyone to be transdisciplinary global citizens, to fairly treat people and involve them, and to learn deeply about climate change, community and landscape to make a better world,” a nominator said.
Smithwick incorporated undergraduate students in the research. One student who worked on the project said she witnessed Smithwick’s “unwavering dedication to advancing climate and sustainability education,” both at Penn State and the general public.
“Smithwick has such a uniquely diverse background — both academically and professionally — that contributes so much to every situation and project, yet she still remains so humble about herself and her work,” the student said.
Nominators said Smithwick is committed to making Penn State a global leader on issues related to climate change by being a leader herself. She’s a spokesperson for the group “Science Moms,” regularly appearing on national media. The goal of the group is to help families understand and take action to respond to threats associated with climate change.
She’s also director of Penn State’s Climate Consortium and the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute.
“Climate change is a global challenge,” a nominator said. “Dr. Smithwick’s leadership of the institute and the climate consortium, together with her skills in connecting students and researchers with impacted communities across the globe, establish Penn State as a world leader in addressing climate change impacts.”