2026 Excellence in JEDI Awardee

The JEDI award recognizes this person or group for their outstanding contribution(s) that may include, but are not limited to, developing both formal and informal activities that promote JEDI in the geosciences, exemplary mentorship of the next generation of diverse geoscientists and geoscience educators, influential communications that promote discussion and actions in support of JEDI, or relevant scholarly contributions.

Ángel A. García Jr., James Madison University

Dr. Ángel A. García Jr. is a Boricua (Puerto Rican) geologist and Associate Professor in the Department of Geology and Environmental Science at James Madison University. His scholarship spans ethnogeology, cave and karst science, place-based education, and initiatives that broaden participation and diversity within the geosciences. Through an interdisciplinary research program, he examines caves and karst landscapes as dynamic natural laboratories that preserve hydrological, paleoclimatic, geochemical, archaeological, and cultural records, creating new opportunities to explore the relationships between society and Earth systems. 

Dr. García earned his undergraduate degree in Environmental Sciences, with a minor in Marine Biology, from the Universidad Ana G. Méndez(formerly known as UMET) in Puerto Rico, followed by an M.S. in Geology from the University of Vermont and a Ph.D. in Geological Sciences from Arizona State University. His scholarship draws upon collaborations across Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Brazil, and the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, integrating ethnogeology, LiDAR-SLAM cave mapping, archaeological partnerships, paleoclimate reconstruction, and speleothem geochemistry to address complex questions about environmental change and human-environment interactions.   

A defining feature of Dr. García's work is his commitment to collaborative and community-engaged scholarship. By partnering with local communities, cultural practitioners, and researchers across disciplines, he elevates diverse ways of knowing while advancing scientific understanding of karst systems and landscapes. He also actively involves undergraduate students as co-researchers, providing transformative opportunities to foster the next generation of geoscientists.  Since joining JMU in 2018, Dr. García has built a distinctive and impactful research program that bridges scientific inquiry, cultural perspectives, and student engagement. His work not only advances knowledge in the geosciences but also demonstrates how scholarship can strengthen connections between science, communities, and place.