Over 16 years, Dr. Cervantes De Blois has led high-impact geospatial and data-driven projects across government, research, and international contexts. Her work has been recognized with awards, fellowships, and competitive funding that reflect leadership, problem-solving, and the ability to deliver actionable insights in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
(2025)
Awarded the "50 Rising Stars of 2025", Geospatial World (PDF)
(2024)
Forward Award, Wisconsin Alumni Association at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Franklin Award, U.S. Department of State
Intra-Departmental Engagement Award, U.S. Department of State
(2023)
Young Professionals Group, Golden Ticket Winner, (Bio HERE) United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF)
(2022)
Emerging Alumni Award, University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities
(2020)
Brown Fund Award, University of Minnesota’s Geography Department
Best Student Paper, American Association of Geographers (AAG) Eurasian Specialty Group's Student Paper Competition: “Conditions for Ethnic Conflict in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Applying Multi-Criteria Evaluation to Ethnic Conflict in Kyrgyzstan."
(2019)
1st place, 3 Minute Thesis Competition (3MT), Department of Geography, Environment & Society
Best Student Paper, American Association of Geographers (AAG) Eurasian Specialty Group's Student Paper Competition: “Mapping Azerbaijan's Vulnerability: Analysis of toxic hotspots and migration"
(2018)
Brown Fund Award, University of Minnesota’s Geography Department
(2017)
1st place, American Association of Geographers (AAG) Cartography Specialty Group's Student Illustrated Paper Competition: “Soya Production within Uzbek-Kyrgyz Communities: Identifying the Inputs of Ethnic Conflict in the Field.”
Honorable Mention, American Association of Geographers (AAG) Eurasian Specialty Group's Student Paper Competition: “With Love, From Russia: The Art of 'Gifting'”
(2013)
National Engaged Leadership Award, National Society of Leadership & Success (NSLS)
(2010)
Clay Batts Award: Outstanding Graduating Senior Award
(2003)
National Latin Examination - Cum Laude
(2002)
National Latin Examination - Magna Cum Laude
(2024)
Emerging-Tech Fellows Program, U.S. Government
(2021)
Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities
Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) alumni refresher course, Advanced Azerbaijani
(2020)
United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) Doctoral Scholarship, selected by Geospatial Intelligence (GEOINT) panel.
Diversity Predoctoral Teaching Fellowship, Visiting Lecturer at the University of Minnesota Duluth (UMD)
Davis Peace Fellowship, Middlebury Language Institute, Advanced-Superior level, Russian
Foreign Languages and Area Studies (FLAS), Advanced Russian
Title VIII Fellowship, Advanced Russian; U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of Intelligence & Research (declined)
(2019)
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), Intermediate Farsi
Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), Advanced Azerbaijani
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), Beginner Tajik (declined)
Title VIII Fellowship, Beginner Tajik; U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of Intelligence & Research (declined)
Title VIII Fellowship, Advanced Russian; U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of Intelligence & Research (declined)
(2018-2019)
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), Beginner Farsi
(2017-2018)
Boren Fellowship, Azerbaijan
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), Advanced Russian (declined)
(2017)
Critical Language Scholarship (CLS), Advanced Azerbaijani (declined)
Title VIII Fellowship, Advanced Russian; U.S. Dept. of State Bureau of Intelligence & Research
(2016-2017)
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), Advanced Russian
Dr. Nancy “Rusty” Barceló Scholarship
(2016)
Minnesota Population Center (MPC) Diversity Fellowship
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), Advanced Turkish
NSF funded research project, “From 0 to 2” with Dr. Claudia Neuhauser. To develop an online platform for crowdsourcing innovation and foster the search for solutions to societal problems under societal, engineering, and scientific constraints.
Summer Language Institute Scholarship, University of Pittsburgh, Advanced Russian (declined)
(2014-2015)
Fulbright, English Teaching Assistant (ETA), Baku, Azerbaijan
(2012)
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowship (FLAS), Intermediate Turkish
(2008-2009)
Laurence N. & Anella W. Scholarship
Dorthy Strong Scholarship
(2007-2008)
College of Agricultural & Life Sciences Scholarship
(2006-2007)
Target Corporation Scholarship
Miss Teen of Minnesota, Scholarship & Recognition Program
(2021)
Population Reference Bureau (PRB)'s U.S. Policy Communication Training Program, Research & Travel Grant, Washington DC, USA
Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship (DDF) Travel Grant, University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities
CARES Graduate Degree-Completion Grant, University of Minnesota, Twin-Cities
(2020)
Population Reference Bureau (PRB)'s U.S. Policy Communication Training Program, Research & Travel Grant, Washington DC, USA
Berkeley University Population Center's Formal Demography - Bayesian Methods Workshop, Research & Travel Grant, Berkeley CA, USA
Center for Environmental Politics' Environmental Policy and Governance Workshop, Reserach & Travel Grant, Seattle, WA, USA
(2019)
University of Colorado Boulder's Institute of Behavioral Sciences (IBS)'s Climate Change, Human Migration and Health: Integrating Social and Environmental Data to Accelerate Innovative Science Conference and Collaborative Workshop, Research & Travel Grant, Boulder, CO. USA
North American Cartographic Info. Society Travel Grant (NACIS), Tacoma Washington, USA
Minnesota Population Center (MPC) Travel Grant, Boulder, CO. USA
Minnesota Population Center (MPC) Travel Grant, Austin, TX. USA
Community of Scholars Program (COSP) Travel Grant, IA, USA
(2018)
Council of Graduate Student Travel Grant (COGS), Stanford University & Washington DC
(2017)
Council of Graduate Student Travel Grant (COGS), Moscow & Siberia, Russia
Center for Austrian Studies (CAS) Travel Grant, Bonn, Germany UNFCC COP23
Minnesota Population Center (MPC) Travel Grant, Chicago, IL. USA
(2016)
College of Liberal Arts Travel Grant (CLA), Boston, MA. USA
Council of Graduate Student Travel Grant (COGS), Colorado Springs, CO. USA
North American Cartographic Info. Society Travel Grant (NACIS), Colorado Springs, CO. USA
Council of Graduate Student Travel Grant (COGS), Kazan, Russia
Community of Scholars Program Travel Grant (COSP), Kazan, Russia
(2008)
WiscAMP International Research Grant, Jordan