Associate Professor, Yale University, New Haven, CT, 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.

I am an Asian scientist, which is underrepresented in leadership positions in academia. My racial/ethnic background provides me with unique insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by minority groups in academia and research.

Having worked extensively in the U.S., Germany, and China and collaborated with international colleagues in multiple national and global research projects, I will bring an international perspective that bridges the global community to address the GeoHealth issues holistically.
Furthermore, my research focuses on the intersection of climate change, air pollution, and human health, which involves applying multidisciplinary approaches in climate and air pollution sciences, exposure assessment, and environmental epidemiology to investigate how climate change may impact human health. This equips me with a multidisciplinary perspective to help nurture transdisciplinary collaborations within AGU to advance our understanding of the complex interactions between our geospheric environment and human health.

Through my leadership, I am committed to amplifying the voices of underrepresented groups, fostering inclusive dialogue, and ensuring that our community benefits from a rich diversity of thoughts and experiences. Together, we can advance GeoHealth research and practice to better serve all populations worldwide.

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

Chair of the Communication and Outreach Committee, AGU GeoHealth section; Editor, GeoHealth; AGU GeoHealth Position Statement Panel; U.S. Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR) Working Group on Climate & Health; Expert Committee, National Academy of Medicine's Communicating About Climate Change & Health Project; Organizing Committee, International Society for Environmental Epidemiology (ISEE) -North American Chapter Conference 2023; State Data Advisory Committee for the Connecticut Environmental Justice Map, Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

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?

If elected, I will provide support through the following strategies:

1. Foster cross-sectional collaborations to address interdisciplinary GeoHealth challenges, including climate change, geological hazards, environmental degradation, and socioeconomic vulnerabilities;
2. Exemplify diverse and inclusive engagement with the AGU and Earth and space science community; and
3. Accelerate capacity building to empower early career researchers.

To engage with GeoHealth section members, I will leverage the collective expertise and the dedication of outstanding committees within the GeoHealth section to accelerate and expand the following initiatives:

1. Innovative communication and outreach: Exemplify our communication channels (e.g., newsletters, webinars, and social media) through innovative strategies (e.g., visual arts, live social media coverage on annual meetings, videos, and podcasts) to keep members informed and involved. Enhance public understanding and policy engagement through issuing statements on policy matters relating to GeoHealth.
2. Interdisciplinary working groups within and beyond the GeoHealth section: Foster growth of topic-driven working groups such as air pollution and health, drought and health, flood and health, and wildfire and health through collaborative project development and partnership with other AGU sections and other organizations such as the American Meteorological Society and ISEE.
3. Professional development opportunities: Convene and promote career development opportunities for early career researchers and underrepresented groups, including capacity-building workshops, mentorship programs, and networking events at the annual meeting.
4. Recognition and growth of the GeoHealth community: Recognize excellence of our members through awards, featured lectures, and social media highlights, which will attract and inspire new members to advance discovery and solution-based science in GeoHealth.

Section affiliations:

Atmospheric Sciences; GeoHealth; Global Environmental Change