About the Postdoctoral Research Fellows Program

The AGU LANDING Postdoctoral Research Fellows Program (LANDING-PRFP), funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) through Award Number: 2123549, addresses the challenges faced by early-career STEAMM postdoctoral fellows by providing essential professional learning and development opportunities.

This one-year, cohort-based program equips fellows with the competencies needed for a successful career transition and prepares them as scholars, scientists, mentors and educators. Through a structured curriculum, fellows enhance their leadership skills, gain visibility within their research communities and contribute effectively to diverse scientific communities across the broader STEAMM landscape. The program’s unique model benefits not only Ocean Science Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (OCE-PRF) and Polar Programs Research Fellowship (OPP-PRF) fellows but also serves as a scalable framework for early-career development in the geosciences and beyond.

Building Key Competencies for 21st Century Scientists

Early-career scientists, especially those at the postdoctoral level, are uniquely positioned to advance the academic transition to more interdisciplinary science within the Earth and space sciences, as well as other scientific disciplines, including technology, engineering, arts, math and medicine (STEAMM).

In the years following graduate studies, scientists solidify their identities and values as professionals, researchers, educators and mentors. While this period is marked by personal and professional growth, postdoctoral researchers often face challenges, including job insecurity and increased personal responsibilities. Research suggests that this group faces increasing uncertainties in future employment and career directions.

The LANDInG-PRFP offers:

  1. A structured, evidence-based curriculum that blends leadership theory with practice in Earth and social sciences.
  2. Networking opportunities that foster relationship-building and peer-to-peer support.
  3. Career development tools and resources to strengthen fellows' professional skill sets.
  4. Leadership training and real-world opportunities for fellows to apply their growing competencies.

This hybrid program features regular virtual meetings, workshops and webinars, complemented by a 1.5-day annual hybrid conference and a final graduation ceremony. Fellows receive travel funds for conferences as part of the program’s commitment to fostering professional development. Upon successful completion, fellows will receive an AGU Certificate.

How to participate

Applicants for the AGU LANDING Postdoctoral Research Fellows Program must apply and obtain NSF Postdoctoral Fellowships in the Geosciences Directorate in the Division of Ocean Sciences and Office of Polar Program. Please consult the respective fellowship application websites:

Testimonials from AGU Postdoctoral Fellows

Based on evaluations from 2021-2023 years, Fellows highlighted the following aspects of their participation in PRFP:

  • Appreciation for resources such as inclusive mentoring, grant-writing support, and exposure to diversity statements.
  • Strengthening of Resume/CVs, job opportunities, and gain of new perspectives on future career options attributed to PRFP support.
  • Enhanced professional development experience through virtual meetings, interactions with fellow postdocs, and discussions on relevant inclusive learning practices.
  • Value of connections with other postdocs, both in large and small group discussions, and interactions with NSF program officers

“Including identity and intersectionality in science communication storytelling is a really effective tool for adding humanity to a scientist and such that these individuals can serve as role models for future generations.” – Alumni Fellow July 2024

"My new supervisor is… extremely supportive of my commitment to completing the LANDING program and agreed that my time spent with LANDING is an important part of my professional development in this new role….Thank you for all your work with LANDING, this has been a really meaningful training program for me." - Alumni Fellow June 2023

2022-2024 Cohort

Jordan Abell, University of Arizona

Marion Alberty, Princeton University

Eleanor Arrington, University of California, Santa Barbara

Janet Burke, Michigan State University

Alli Cramer, University of Washington

Josh Cullen, Florida State University

Ashley Dinauer, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

Kyle Emery, University of California, Los Angeles

Kiefer Forsch, Scripps Institute of Oceanography

Kara Gadeken, SUNY at Stony Brook

Remy Gatins, Northeastern University

Kyle Heine, Auburn University

Jennifer Hoey, California Academy of Sciences

Michael Hudak, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Kaycie Lanpher, Scripps Institute of Oceanography

Astrid Leitner, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Diana Lopez, Florida State University

Selva Marroquin, California Institute of Technology

Christopher Murray, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Aaron Ninokawa, University of Washington

Joshua Sackett, University of Cincinnati Main Campus

Karina Scavo, University of Texas Austin

Benjamin Urann, University of Wyoming

Daniel Utter, California Institute of Technology

Ken Zhao, Oregon State University

Blair Perry, Washington State University

Sophie Wensman, Nevada System of Higher Education, Desert Research Institute

Erin Rooney, University of Tennessee Knoxville

Emily Tibbett, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Lillian Parker, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

Angela Szesciorka, Oregon State University

Alexander Huth, Princeton University

Anna Ruth Halberstadt, Berkeley Geochronology Center

Angel Ruacho, University of Washington

Katherine Hudson, Stony Brook University

2023-2025 Cohort

Peter Chutcharavan, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

Jason Coenen, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Matthew Confer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Cassandra Cassie Ettinger, University of California-Riverside

Andrew Gase, Western Washington University

Mohammed Hashim, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Kira Homola, University of California-Los Angeles

Ariana Huffmyer, University of Rhode Island

Molly Moynihan, Marine Biological Laboratory

Matthew Sasaki, University of Vermont

Sandi Smart, University of Alabama Tuscaloosa

Kelly Speare, Arizona State University

Martine Wagstaff, University of California-Santa Barbara

Kristina Collins, Space Science Institute

Katherine Hayes, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies

John Hood, The University of Chicago

Astrid Pacini, University of Washington

Marisa Repasch, University of Colorado, Boulder

Meghan Schaberg, Colorado State University

Taylor Van Doren, University of Alaska, Anchorage

 

2024-2025 Cohort

Molly Anderson, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Nicholas Baetge, Oregon State University

Katharine Bigham, University of Washington

Alexandra Bijak, College of William & Mary Virginia Institute of Marine Science

Xun Cai, Yale University

Pavel Dimens, Cornell University

Kelsey Doiron, Harvard University

Shelby Gantt, Trustees of Boston University

Brianna Garcia, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Hannah Glover, Oregon State University

Victoria Glynn, University of Vermont & State Agricultural College

Lillian Henderson, University of California-Santa Barbara

Ilysa Iglesias, University of California-San Diego Scripps Inst of Oceanography

Broc Kokesh, University of California Berkeley

Emily Longman, University of Vermont

Connor Love, University of Rhode Island

William Oestreich, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute

Zachary Quinlan, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa

Robert Sanchez, University of Florida

Garrett Sharpe, North Carolina State University

Nathan Spindel, San Jose State University

Griffin Srednick, Stanford University

Laura Sunberg, University of Colorado Boulder

Jacquelyn Veatch, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Tyler Wooldridge, University of California Santa Cruz

Brittany Zepernick, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Sara Schaal, University of Oklahoma Norman Campus

Julia York, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Jessica Turner, University of Connecticut

Benjamin Hills, Colorado School of Mines

Annika Horlings, University of Colorado at Boulder

Hannah Joy-Warren, University of Washington

Molly Keogh, Oregon State University

Laura Moore, Oregon State University

Elizabeth Webb, University of Oregon Eugene -Geography, and Polar STEAM 

Rachael Herman, SUNY at Stony Brook

Emelia Chamberlain, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

Michelle Salzano, Space Science Institute

 

Program Expansion and Future Opportunities

The LANDING-PRFP leverages the existing resources and reach of the AGU LANDING (OCE 2123549), expanding professional development opportunities for NSF Postdoctoral Fellows in the Geosciences Directorate’s Division of Ocean Sciences and the Office of Polar Programs. Looking ahead, AGU plans to broaden this initiative to include additional disciplines beyond ocean and polar sciences.

The LANDING-PRFP is one of the few professional learning and development programs in Earth sciences that directly addresses the systemic needs of postdoctoral researchers during this critical stage in their careers.