Mary Seely, Doctor of Science

Mary Seely received an honorary Doctor of Science at Grinnell College Commencement 2015.

Mary Seely is a renowned scientist with a history of work in environmental science, education, and policy in southern Africa. A visionary scientist and teacher, Seely served as director of the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia for 16 years and has received numerous awards for her work on desert research and conservation. In 2003 she taught a short course at Grinnell on nongovernmental organizations and the environment, and her passion for fostering international cooperation has been critical to the establishment and continued success of the Grinnell Corps program in Namibia.

Doctor of Science

For nearly 50 years, Mary Seely has been studying the stark desert landscapes of Namibia. Her discoveries have helped scientists understand the area’s ecology, and her education and policy work have brought diverse groups together to help the country’s residents flourish in its severe climate.

After earning a Ph.D. from the University of California at Davis, Seely traveled to Namibia to study rare beetles at the Goabeb research station in the Namib Desert. Over time, her work explored this rarely studied land and ecology much more widely. During the course of her academic career, she has written hundreds of papers, contributed to more than 20 books and cosupervised more than 50 students earning advanced degrees.

In addition to her academic research, Seely has been deeply involved in work that has helped transform her research into effective policy. She has played an integral role in the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia and is a key member of Napcod, the Namibia Programme to Combat Desertification. She is praised for her ability to bring together a wide range of people to develop solutions that protect the area from water waste and mismanagement.

Her work has been widely recognized: she was named Conservationist of the Decade by the Namibia Nature Foundation in 2008. In 2013, in recognition of a lifetime of exceptional research, the Geological Society of America honored her with the Farouk el Baz Award for desert research. In recent years, Seely has been particularly committed to educating the next generation of scientists and policy makers both in Namibia and in the United States She worked closely with Grinnell to establish the Grinnell Corps program in Namibia, and she has taught courses about nongovernmental organizations, development, and the environment to Grinnell students.

Grinnell is pleased to honor Mary Seely for her committed work to preserve and protect the unique desert landscapes of Namibia.

Acceptance

Good morning, graduates, faculty and guests. First and foremost, let me thank Grinnell College for the incredible honor being bestowed upon me today. I would particularly like to thank the many Grinnell faculty and students with whom I've had the pleasure to learn and work over the past 16 years when we first established Grinnell Court Gobabeb. On behalf of Gobabeb and my Namibian colleagues, let me say how very grateful we are for the continuing partnership with this college that has been so transformative for Grinnellians and Namibians alike. My goal today is to reassure all of you and your parents that you are more than ready for the challenges that await you. I say this based on experiences with 34 Grinnell students over 16 years newly graduated like yourselves that Namibia to assist the Gobabeb research and training center in our mission to build an environmentally sustainable future through education and training of Namibians.

These Grinnellians, be they English, chemistry or history majors, are able to dive in and perform the difficult work we ask them to do because of the valuable education they have received. Like you, they earned a degree and so much more. I recently saw the Grinnell College mission statement for the first time and was amazed to see the qualities of our wonderful Grinnell core fellows rather well-articulated. I want to remind you that these are the valuable attributes that you have gained over the past 4 years and are now graduating with.

In Namibia, I see newly minted Grinnellians using these abilities daily to facilitate teaching and learning amongst a variety of Namibians, including elementary school children, resource managers, parliamentarians and foreign ambassadors and dignitaries, who are there to learn to live sustainably in the driest country south of the Sahel. It is quite remarkable.

In conclusion, the outstanding Grinnellians that I've had the pleasure to interact with embrace challenges, think on their feet, learn as they go and are always ready to seize the opportunity that serendipity provides yet at the same time, the Grinnell experience has taught them firsthand about the value of taking advantage of the enduring relationships that they have made here on this campus. I'm here to tell all of you graduates you are all the newest crop of outstanding Grinnellians. I encourage you to remain open-minded, flexible and ready to take full advantage of what comes your way, using your wonderful education to make the world a better place today and in the future. Best of luck to you all.

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