Physical Scientist/Technical Director, National Weather Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Silver Spring, MD, 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.

Hailing from Nepal's richly diverse southern region, I grew up speaking both my native Newari dialect and Nepali, the national language. This exposure to different cultures ignited a lifelong passion for global connection. Working in Japan and studying in Belgium broadened my horizons further – I learned snippets of Japanese and Flemish, and discovered a strong sense of shared purpose within the international scientific community. AGU resonates deeply with this global spirit. It's a melting pot of science and cultures, fostering an open and welcoming environment where I and thousands of others around the world can share ideas and contribute to our collective passion for Informatics. This passion led me to chair and advise the Earth and Space Science Informatics Fall Meeting Program Committee. Furthermore, my commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility fuels my leadership roles. I am co-chairing the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Weather Service's Diversity Management Council. Here, we have played a key role in shaping policies that celebrate a diverse and inclusive workforce. I'm also co-leading the Informatics diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA) effort within AGU, collaborating across sections to promote diversity and inclusion initiatives. This journey reflects my belief that a rich tapestry of backgrounds fosters scientific excellence.

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

AGU Earth and Space Science Informatics (ESSI) Fall Meeting Program Committee Chair and Advisor (2019-2023); Eos Informatics Science Advisor (2022-present); AGU Data Management Advisory Board (2023-present); Informatics Executive Committee (ongoing); AGU Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee (current); Office of Science and Technology Policy White House co-chair of Year of Open Science (2023) and sub-group on Engagement (ongoing); National Weather Service Diversity Management Council co-chair (2023-current); National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Asian Americans and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander Employee Resource Group executive board member (2023-current); NOAA Ambassador (ongoing); NASA Space App challenge (2023)

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 Informatics section, positioned at the nexus of all AGU disciplines, offers a unique opportunity to cultivate collaboration both internally and with other sections. The transformative power of artificial intelligence and cloud computing necessitates a collective approach to the ever-increasing volume and variety of high-resolution data. This necessitates to embrace the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, and Ethics) principles to foster Open Science. My experience on leading the Informatics Fall Meeting Program Committee (FMPC) positions me to further develop the section's cross-disciplinary efforts, aligning perfectly with AGU's strategic goals of solution-oriented science, inclusivity, and partnership. As a liaison, I envision a thriving and interconnected scientific community within our section. By fostering close collaboration with FMPC chairs of Informatics and other sections, I will leverage their expertise to champion and enrich inter-section collaboration. My roles as Eos Informatics Science Advisor and AGU Data Management Advisory Board member will provide opportunities for broader community partnerships, allowing me to execute AGU's strategic plan informed by section-wide feedback. Furthermore, I will collaborate with the DEIA section to promote an inclusive scientific culture. By leveraging online platforms, I will connect our section with international scientists and organizations, fostering knowledge exchange and solidifying AGU's position as a global leader in Earth and space science. Through these efforts, I envision a vibrant ecosystem within AGU, one that fosters collaboration and innovation at every level. Together, we can propel AGU's mission forward and make significant contributions to a sustainable future.

Section affiliations:

Atmospheric Sciences; Education; Hydrology; Informatics; Natural Hazards; Ocean Sciences; Science and Society