Supporter News — May 2026

Richard B. Alley, the Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences at Penn State and a recipient of NCSE’s Friend of the Planet award, received the Presidential Medal of Science in January 2025, for “planet-saving contributions to climate science,” in the words of the National Science & Technology Medals Foundation. “Spending long tours in the most remote and extreme environments on Earth, Richard Alley has catapulted climate predictions to great heights and raised new urgency to address the climate crisis, moving the world toward a sustainable future.”

NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch became a Fellow of the International Society for Science & Religion (ISSR) in December 2024. ISSR was established in 2002 “for the promotion of education through interdisciplinary learning and research in the fields of science and religion, conducted where possible in the international and multi-faith context.” Members are elected in recognition of their excellence in the field of science and religion. Also among the Fellows of ISSR are John F. Haught, Edward J. Larson, and the late Howard Van Till, all recipients of NCSE’s Friend of Darwin award.

NCSE is pleased to congratulate Michael E. Mann of the University of Pennsylvania, a former member of NCSE’s board of directors, on receiving a Planet Earth Award for 2025 from the Alliance of World Scientists, which writes:

A leading climate scientist, Mann is known for his “hockey stick” graph showing the sharp rise in global temperatures over the past century. His work has advanced understanding of human-induced climate change and the need for action to mitigate its effects. He has received numerous honors, including the Award for Public Engagement with Science and the Tyler Prize for Environmental Achievement. In 2020, he was elected to the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and in 2024, to the Royal Society. His upcoming book, Science Under Siege, is co-authored with Peter Hotez.

The Planet Earth Award is given to “individuals who champion life on Earth” and “demonstrate exceptional creativity or contributions in their work in science or science-based advocacy with the public, policymakers, or other groups seeking solutions to environmental challenges.”