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= Aisha Renee Morris =

Dr. Aisha Renee Morris is a geoscientist and a program director at the National Science Foundation. Her research interests include the evolution of volcanic terrains on Earth, but currently she is engaged in making the earth sciences accessible to minority communities and women. She is known for her efforts in "broadening participation and geoscience workforce development" through "diversification of perspectives and experiences" from other scientists who tackle with current intersectional scientific and societal issues. Currently, she is the Program Director for Education and Human Resources with the Earth Science Division of the Geoscience Directorate at the National Science Foundation.

Biography
Aisha Morris was born in Salem, Oregon, where she lived for the first two years of her life before moving to Illinois and finally settling in St. Paul, Minnesota. She described herself as an "odd little kid" who enjoyed examining rocks. She enrolled in Duke University as a biology major with the intention of enrolling in medical school, specializing in cardiology. She took an introductory geology class with Dr. Jeff Karson, a professor of Geology, and switched her major to geology. Under the direction of Dr. Karson, Morris was able to conduct research focusing on igneous/structural geology and had the opportunity to dive in the Alvin submersible as a undergraduate. Her research experience lead her to secure a coveted internship at Brown University in planetary geoscience. She received her masters and doctorate in submarine and planetary geology at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa.

Following her graduate education, she began her postdoctoral fellowship at Syracuse University, where she continued her work as a planetary volcanologist. It was during this time when she also participated extensively in community outreach initiatives to teach women about science.

In her freetime, Morris enjoys spending time outdoors, including camping, hiking, and skiing. While she no longer conducts scientific research, she still keeps an eye out for developments in planetary science.

Career
Morris's research interests included the evolution of volcanic terrains on Earth and on other terrestrial planets. The bulk of career, however, is dedicated to outreaching to younger people, particularly women, and helping them advance in STEM, particularly geology.

During her postdoctoral fellowship, she volunteered in the Earth science classroom of the Science and Technology Entry Program, where she taught middle and high school students about earth sciences and the opportunities in the field. Between 2010 and 2011, Morris served as a camp director for the Girls Get It! Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) camp for middle school girls from the Syracuse City School District.

Her experience working with aspiring students in earth sciences led her to work in the office of Representative Rush Holt as the 2011-2012 William L. Fisher Geosciences/America Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Congressional Science Fellow where she contributed to science policymaking. She says she "desire[d] to facilitate a change in the exposure and participation of a broad population of people in the geosciences."

From 2013 to 2018, she was the Research Experiences in Solid Earth Science for Students (RESESS) Director and Education Specialist at UNAVCO.

Currently, Morris is Program Director for Education and Human Resources with the Earth Science Division of the Geoscience Directorate. Some of her responsibilities include:


 * GEO Opportunities for Leadership in Diversity  (GOLD), which are intensive workshops that focus on finding students to tackle innovative solutions to new challenges facing the world today. This program specifically looks to diversify STEM disciplines with more women.
 * Improving Undergraduate STEM Education: Pathways into the Earth, Ocean, Polar and Atmospheric & Geospace Sciences, a program which seeks to fund undergraduate STEM education in order to promote a "diverse STEM workforce and a STEM-literate public that is ready to support and benefit from the progress of science"
 * EAR Postdoctoral Fellowships, which provides educational opportunities for postdoctoral fellows regarding the field of earth science.