HoS Alumni Aaron Van Neste and Jonathan Galka recognized by the International Commission of the History of Oceanography

HoS alum Aaron Van Neste was awarded the 2026 Jacqueline Carpine-Lancre Early Career Scholars Prize in Ocean History by the International Commission on the History of Oceanography for their paper "The Rise and Fall of the South African Pilchard and Anchovy Fisheries (1950-1980)." The announcement highlights Dr. Van Neste's "impressive transnational approach that connects fisheries, fisheries science, and fisheries management in southern Africa and California." 

The Commission also awarded an Honorable Mention for HoS alum Jonathan Galka for his paper "The nodules are alive and well on the sea floor’: Deep Ocean Minerals, Invertebrate Traces, and Multispecies Histories of Abyssal Environments." The announcement notes that the paper is "both important and timely, given the current resurgence of interest in seabed mining."

Dr. Van Neste is Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at Oberlin College, and Dr. Galka will take up the position of Assistant Professor in the Division of History of Science, Technology and Environment at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden.

The award celebrates the work of Mme. Jacqueline Carpine-Lancre and commemorates "her remarkable legacy by promoting further research and fresh perspectives on ocean history and nurturing a global community of scholars."

The History of Science Department extends its warmest congratulations to Drs. Van Neste and Galka for this award!