AAG Hardwick Award Honors Alderman’s Mentorship
Professor Derek Alderman’s scholarship in geography lives in tandem with a keen awareness of the way involved mentorship impacts education and professional development. His approach has now earned him the 2024 Susan Hardwick Excellence in Mentoring Award from the American Association of Geographers (AAG).
The Hardwick award recognizes AAG members who demonstrate extraordinary leadership, build supportive academic and professional environments in their institutions, and guide the academic and or professional growth of their students and junior colleagues.
“Derek’s mentoring of talented new geographers is at the heart of his work as an educator and researcher,” said Gary Langham, executive director of the AAG. “He has enriched his students’ lives and fundamentally shaped geography in the 21st century. It gives us great pleasure to present him with this award.”
The award will be formally bestowed at the annual AAG meeting April 16-20, 2024, in Honolulu, Hawaii. It is a deeply meaningful acknowledgement for Alderman, both professionally and personally.
“Within our discipline of geography, and within the AAG, it’s a major recognition,” said Alderman. “So, it’s obviously very humbling and flattering that my discipline is recognizing the work I’ve been doing.”
Alderman is a former president of the AAG, previously served as head of the Department of Geography and Sustainability, and is president-elect of the UT Faculty Senate. He sees the award as a mark of his successful contribution within an ongoing legacy of mentorship.
“On a more personal level, it means a great deal because, over the years, I’ve had tremendous mentors,” he said. “There’s no way I would have been able to get into my field and feel like I’ve succeeded without having that mentorship that they’ve given me. So as much as this recognizes my mentorship of other people, it is in many ways a recognition of the role that mentorship plays in my field.”
One former student is now a UT faculty member thanks to Alderman’s mentorship. He served as thesis chair for Stefanie Benjamin while on the faculty of East Carolina University. She now is an associate professor in the Department of Retail, Hospitality, and Tourism Management within the College of Education, Health, and Human Services.
“I can honestly share that he is the reason I continued on my academic path,” said Benjamin. “Derek has such an incredible heart and love for his students, and it is evident with everything he embodies—a mentor who truly centers empathy, patience, and joy.”
Alderman’s mentoring of early-career colleagues also contributed to this recognition. Solange Muñoz, associate professor and director of undergraduate studies in geography and sustainability, has appreciated Alderman’s collaboration since joining the department.
“Derek takes his role as mentor extremely seriously,” said Muñoz. “He isn’t simply available when you need him, but rather behind the scenes he is actively making sure that his mentees are being considered for awards, recognition, or some kind of professional development.”
Alderman keeps in touch with former graduate students like Jordan Brasher, who now works with ESRI, a leading developer for geographic information system (GIS) software.
“His mentorship reaches beyond merely giving academic advice,” said Brasher. “It is also about building confidence and resilience in students so that we can thrive no matter where life takes us upon the completion of our studies. He regularly asks how my family is doing, how I’m healing or growing after a challenging life event, or what he can do to support my next endeavor.”
Katrina Stack, a current geography PhD candidate and research fellow, is one of the latest students supported by Alderman’s mentorship.
“A doctoral program is not an easy endeavor to navigate, but having Professor Alderman as my advisor has made this time truly enjoyable and beyond rewarding,” said Stack. “I know that if I need help or input—whether it be on a paper I am writing, a conference session, grant application, or just an idea I need to talk through—he is quick to take a call or make time for a meeting. He also challenges me, encouraging me to stretch my thinking and ideas in new ways. Professor Alderman inspires me to push myself in the work I do and become a positive force in the communities I am a part of, just like he is.”
As these connections show Alderman’s personal legacy of mentorship, he also appreciates sharing it with the geography and sustainability department as a whole.
“That collaborative relationship that develops between mentors and those who are being mentored is not just happening here with me, it is happening all across the hallways,” said Alderman. “One of the other reasons I’m very proud about getting this award is that it sheds important light on the really fantastic things that we do in this department.”
