Awards and Honors
Professor Nakalembe is a key figure in building capacity for remote sensing in African agricultural monitoring and research. Her dedicated efforts are focused on empowering stakeholders across the continent. Her trailblazing work has received prestigious recognition, including the 2022 Al Sumait Prize for African Development, Uganda's Golden Jubilee Gold Medal for outstanding public service, the 2020 Africa Food Prize, and a 2019 Group on Earth Observations Individual Excellence Award. Her contributions underscore a commitment to driving positive change and innovation in agriculture and remote sensing on the African continent.
2024 AL-Sumait Award Ceremony
Nakalembe, the AATF, the Campaign for Female Education (the 2023 Education Prize winner), and several Kuwait Prize winners were presented with their respective awards on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 by His Highness Shaikh Mishaal Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the Amir of the State of Kuwait.
2020 Africa Food Prize
2022 Presidential Golden Jubilee Medal
2022 Al-Sumait Prize for African Development
Inaugural 2019 GEO Individual Excellence Award
2025 TED Fellow
2025 Bellagio Resident
2025 Carnegie African Diaspora Fellow
GLF 8 Women 2025
Featured in Earth, Oceans and Skies: Insights from selected, outstanding African women scientists’
United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA)
March 30, 2022
Selected on the inaugural Black Women in Executive Leadership (B-WEL) a global initiative that centers insights from Black women’s experiences to strengthen, diversify, and connect leaders and innovative solutions available to solve the world’s most pressing challenges.
September 12, 2023
Bellagio Rockerfella Foundation
Honored as one of the 100 of Africa's Most Influential Technology and Telecommunications Leaders for 2023 by Africa Tech Festival and Africa Tech
June 2023
www.africatechfestival.com
Dr. Nakalembe is named one of 15 rising stars of women worldwide, leading the application of machine learning to analyze satellite data for sustainability.
The Radiant Earth Foundation
Mar 8, 2021
An Innovator in International Food Security
FEB 14, 2020
NASA.gov
Full List of Awards and Honors
2023
AL Sumait Prize for African Development Laureate
Fellow, B-Wel (Black Women in Executive Leadership)
Africa's Top 100 Most Influential African Leaders, Africa Tech Festival and Connecting Africa
2022
Golden Jubilee Gold Medal, Highest Civilian Award, Uganda
10 Women Scientists Leading the Fight Against the Climate Crisis- Global Citizen
2021
UK Humanitarian Hub Fellowship
15 Women Leading the ML4EO Community, Radiant Earth Foundation
2020
Africa Food Prize, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA)
ClimateChangeAI TEDx Speaker
An Innovator in International Food Security, NASA
2020 Maryland Research Excellence Honoree of the University of Maryland, College Park
2020 Women and GIS, Volume 2: Stars of Spatial Science, Esri Press.
2019
Individual Excellence Award from Group on Earth Observations (GEO), Geneva, Switzerland
2012
O.E. Baker Award: Outstanding Graduate Student, Geographical Sciences Uni. of Maryland
2012 Special Excellence as a Teaching Assistant, Geographical Sciences, University of Maryland