Established in 2023, The Rachel Carson Award is presented to an Sc3 Alumni who has demonstrated exceptional commitment to protecting and preserving the interconnected natural world and our shared future. “In nature, nothing exists alone.” By creating awareness through the humanities, sciences or public service, the recipient fosters change through public policy.  

Rachel Carson’s courage, grit and advocacy raised important questions about the chemical industry, and humankind’s impact on nature. Her 1962 book, Silent Spring, exposed the hazards of the pesticide DDT and eloquently questioned humanity’s faith in technological progress, which helped set the stage for today’s environmental movement. Renowned nature author and former U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service marine biologist, her enthusiasm for nature was matched only by her love of writing and poetry. (Text inspired by NRDC)

“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in the repeated refrains of nature — the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter. The balance of nature is not a status quo; it is fluid, ever shifting, in a constant state of adjustment. Man, too, is part of this balance. The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.” — Rachel Carson