Senior Research Scientist / Senior Education and Communication Specialist, Planetary Science Institute / the University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

AGU embraces the global community and welcomes leaders representing various identities, voices, and perspectives. List any identities, voices, and perspectives you would bring, including but not limited to nationality, regional representations, racial and ethnic backgrounds, and anything else you feel comfortable sharing.

As a female, U.S. born research scientist, education specialist, and instructor in the American Southwest, I reside on the land and territories of Indigenous peoples, specifically the O'odham and the Yaqui. As an instructor and facilitator, I bring experience from collaborating with many participants in both formal and informal settings, to connect people and provide avenues for more connections and learning. As an education researcher, I work to elevate voices of students, teachers, and community scientists to share their insights. My overall professional goal is to use my privilege to enable access for those who are being left out of scientific spaces.

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

Education section Fall program committee 2017-2023, Co-Chair of the AGU Informal Education Working Group 2023-present. Chair of AGU Planetary Sciences section Education and Public Outreach Working Group 2013-2015. Education Officer for the Division for Planetary Sciences 2017-2023, Co-Chair of the American Astronomical Society Education Committee 2022-2024. Strand Coordinator (15) for National Association for Research in Science Teaching (2021-2023, 2024-2026).

This role aims to catalyze community and build AGU as envisioned by the strategic plan. This leadership position is a dual role - helping to advance AGU’s strategic plan as a member of Council and leading your section. How would you support the Board, staff and other sections to achieve AGU’s vision, values, mission, and goals? How will you engage with members of your section to execute AGU’s strategic plan?

The Education section of AGU aligns with and supports every other section of the society. A key mission of AGU is to enable excellent science and the integration of science into society. I will continue to work with members of the Education section to provide professional learning opportunities based on the needs of members in thinking about diverse careers and in doing innovative education and public engagement. I will work with the leadership of other AGU sections to create and offer new professional learning to support all AGU members and collaboratively determine how to leverage resources of different sections to engage additional members in education and public engagement activities. I will continue to work with other professional societies including the American Astronomical Society, Division for Planetary Sciences, and Astronomical Society of the Pacific to support and connect AGU members to new opportunities. These may be in areas of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility or in thinking about putting research to practice. I will also work with multiple stakeholders on identifying where knowledge gaps exist that AGU can contribute in filling. Working with members of AGU and beyond will be through ongoing meetings, in person and virtual, to build partnerships that can be cultivated and sustained as new leadership emerges. Of particular interest is to include and elevate more early career and international participants in these conversations and initiatives.

Section affiliations:

Education; Planetary Sciences; Science and Society