Estella Atekwana

Atekwana grew up in Cameroon and obtained her B.S. in Geology from Howard University in 1983 as a first-generation college student.[3] At Howard University, Atekwana started in a pre-med program before switching to a geology major.[3] She credits a teacher in the 1970s for inspiring her to pursue geology when they said that girls weren't suited for field work.[3] She set out to prove the teacher wrong.[6] After earning her B.S., Atekwana completed an M.S. in geology, also at Howard University in 1986. In 1991, Atekwana completed a Ph.D. in Geophysics at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.[1] After completing graduate school, she became an assistant professor at Western Michigan University.[3] On a sabbatical in 1999 Atekwaka was a visiting professor at the University of Botswana.[5] After leaving Western Michigan University in 2003 she taught at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis and Missouri University of Science and Technology before starting at Oklahoma State University's Boone Pickens School of Geology in 2007.[5]

Atekwana's efforts in diversity in the geosciences and capacity building in developing countries have been recognized with outstanding educator awards from both the Association for Women Geoscientists and the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.[7][8] She serves on numerous professional committees including the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Honors and Awards committee [9] and the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)[10].

Atekwana is a pioneer in the multidisciplinary field of Biogeophysics, which uses geophysics to understand the biogeochemical interactions occurring at contaminated sites.[11] Atekwana's biogeophysical research investigates the effects of microbial-mediated processes on geological media.[12][13] Some of her research evaluates the utility and resolution of in situ resistivity measurements combined with surface geoelectrical measurements to map contaminant distribution in the subsurface[14]. Atekwana also uses the geoelectric and geophysical signatures of contaminated sites to investigate relationships between biological processes and their impact on electrical properties of geologic material.[15][16]

Atekwana also uses geophysics to investigate tectonic processes.[1] Her geophysical studies reveal crust and upper mantle structures that inform the geodynamic processes associated with incipient rifting of continental crust. [17] For example, Atekwana and colleagues show how geophysically imaged pre-existing basement structures in Malawi and Botwana influenced strain localization during early rifting.[18] Another case study from the nascent Okavango rift in northwest Botswana provides evidence that pre-existing basement structures control rifting.[19]

Atekwana is also involved in a project to use smartphones with geophysical sensors to potentially provide a more affordable approach to the acquisition of geophysical data, highlighting the application at academic institutions with limited access to expensive geophysical equipment.[20]

• Society of Exploration Geophysicists 2020 Virtual Near Surface Global Lecturer[5]
• Association for Women Geoscientists 2019 Outstanding Educator [21]
• Outstanding Educator Award, Society of Exploration Geophysicists (2016)[7] [8]
• Elected Fellow of the Geological Society of America 2016 [22]
• Eminent Faculty Award, Oklahoma State University (2015)[23]

• Estella Atekwana publications indexed by Google Scholar