Emerging Scholar Awards
The program recognizes both In-Person Emerging Scholars and Online-Only Emerging Scholars, ensuring that researchers unable to travel can still hold a visible and valued role in the conference. Across all formats, Emerging Scholars participate fully in the life of the event: they chair parallel sessions, help guide and sustain discussion, and serve as bridges between established and early-career colleagues from different regions, institutions, and disciplines.
As part of CGScholar’s Event (KX) environment, Emerging Scholars contribute to a wider knowledge experience that links conference activity, community engagement, and publication. Their work is shared through Presentation Pages, digital media, and discussion spaces; they receive structured support to develop their research through the Network’s journals and book imprint; and they gain sustained visibility within the worldwide scholarly community formed around the Research Network.
The Award includes complimentary conference registration and Research Network membership, along with formal recognition during the conference proceedings. Emerging Scholars enter a supportive, scholar-led community in which they can build connections across disciplines, regions, and generations of researchers. Professional development, mentoring encounters, and opportunities for collaboration are integrated into the conference and the Network’s year-round activities.
Award recipients are expected to: attend an orientation and training session (typically the day before the conference), and participate fully throughout the conference by fulfilling assigned chairing and discussion-leading responsibilities.
The Emerging Scholar Award is open to researchers currently enrolled in a graduate studies program or identifying as early-career scholars in a field relevant to the conference. Applicants should demonstrate strong potential for scholarly contribution and a commitment to participating in the collaborative ethos of the Network.
OMNI Institute of Well-being, United States
Dr. Christal Mischelle Omni is an Environmental Embodiment Educator, eco-autoethnographic researcher, and public health scholar whose work explores the intersections of nature, wellbeing, ancestral memory, and intergenerational learning. She is the recipient of the 2024 Outstanding Dissertation of the Year Award from the International Association of Autoethnography and Narrative Inquiry for Black Joy in Green Spaces. Her scholarship integrates eco-autoethnography, environmental education, and Black elder wisdom to advance more relational approaches to sustainability. Through teaching, research, and community engagement, she is developing a program of scholarship that reimagines sustainability as a practice of belonging, reciprocity, and collective wellbeing.
Stefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania
Ioana Tatarciuc is a Romanian researcher, youth worker, and community development practitioner pursuing a PhD in Economics at Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, in Romania, focusing on the socio-economic transformations shaping sustainable rural development. She is the founder and president of Hope 4 Humanity Association, where she leads community and youth initiatives, with a focus on participation, cultural identity, and sustainable local development. Her work combines academic research with grassroots practice and European cooperation, including projects exploring rural communities, social economy, cultural heritage, sustainable tourism, and Via Transilvanica. She is particularly interested in connecting research, community action, and sustainable development to create meaningful change
Africa University, Zimbabwe
Munashe Catharine Kurehwatira is an emerging sustainability scholar whose work and research interests centre on food systems transformation and sustainable rural development. She lectures at Africa University in Zimbabwe and is currently pursuing a PhD in Rural Development at the University of Venda, South Africa. Her current research examines the intersection of food systems and disturbances in low- and middle-income countries, with a particular focus on understanding how food environments respond to shocks and stresses. Through her research and academic engagements, she seeks to generate evidence-based insights that inform policies, strategies, and interventions for building more resilient, sustainable, and equitable food systems at local and global levels.
TU Dublin, Ireland
Leah Murphy is an Irish designer and recent MA Visual Communication graduate from TU Dublin, with a BA in Fashion Communication with Business from the University of Brighton. Her research explores how editorial design can communicate sensory experiences and expand understanding of unilateral hearing loss. Drawing from her own experience of hearing loss, Leah investigates how experimental print and publication design can simulate the sensory and cognitive shadow effects of unilateral deafness, while challenging assumptions around communication and accessibility. Alongside her research practice, she has worked across editorial publishing, fashion media, and visual storytelling, exploring the possibilities of visual communication beyond traditional representation.
Eastern Kentucky University, United States
William Thornburgh is an Associate Professor of Science Education at Eastern Kentucky University whose scholarship focuses on preparing educators to create authentic, equitable, and innovative STEM learning experiences. His research examines science teacher education, professional learning, environmental and outdoor education, informal science learning, and the integration of emerging technologies to enhance teaching and learning. Through collaborations with educators and community partners, his work bridges research and practice by promoting experiential learning, NGSS-aligned instruction, and reflective teaching. His scholarship aims to strengthen teacher capacity, build AI and scientific literacy, and expand meaningful STEM opportunities for learners across diverse educational settings.
As an Emerging Scholar, I truly valued the interdisciplinary nature of the conference, where scholars from diverse fields came together to explore sustainability from multiple perspectives. This enriched the debate, fostering insightful discussions and highlighting the complexity and interconnectedness of sustainable practices across disciplines."
The Emerging Scholar program is an incredible way to connect with others entering the sustainability field from all over the world, while inspiring you to take your research goals to new heights! This program has broadened my professional network and academic horizons by fostering friendships with global scholars from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe, many of whom I now consider my close friends.”
The conference has given me an excellent opportunity to present my work. Looking forward to attending more conferences through this platform."