Associate Professor, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 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.

Coming from University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee, I represent an institution with a large number of first-generation, underrepresented, and non-traditional students (both undergraduate and graduate). I have come to appreciate the unique perspective each of these students brings, as well as the challenges these students face, and their resilience in navigating the challenges. As chair of our department Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, I’ve worked with faculty and students to actively lower barriers to engagement and to support a student population with diverse backgrounds and needs. Our students express passion for the natural world, for their communities, and for our collective future, and while some of them will go on to bring new voices and perspectives to academia, the overwhelming majority will pursue these passions via other paths. It remains an important goal to diversify the voices in the academy, but it is equally important to find ways to better support the majority of our students who may not pursue advanced degrees and yet may pass through AGU on their way to non-academic careers.

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

At AGU, I have served as 1) Early Career Representative to the Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism and Electromagnetism (GPE) Executive Committee (2010-2014); 2) GPE Secretary (2015-2016); 3) Member (2013-2014) and Chair (2015-2016) of the Fleming Medal Selection Committee; and 4) Science Advisor to Eos (2019-2022). I have additionally served as a Science Evaluation Panel member for the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (2018-2021) and have been a Member and Chair of the Review and Advisory Committee for the Institute for Rock Magnetism (2019-2022).

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?

As president-elect, my role would be to serve as a bridge between GPE section members and AGU Board, staff, and other sections. GPE has historically been a very engaged membership and has supported AGU’s strategic goals by (for example) sponsoring discussions and a workshop on ethics during fieldwork and sampling. These types of section-specific conversations reflect issues relevant to GPE but that also further AGU’s vision. Similar types of timely conversations and actions can directly tie into AGU’s mission and goals. Topics would be developed in consultation with the rest of GPE leadership and with the broader GPE membership. Possible topics ripe for further discussion include actions to further promote a diverse and inclusive culture; how to better support our students and early-career scientists; and broadening engagement with the section. This latter could include engagement within and between sections, but also broader outreach and education efforts. In addition to the normal modes of communication with section members (Fluxline and other email communications), I would hold monthly virtual “office hours” to encourage members – especially student and early career scientists – to share your priorities and concerns and learn how can AGU best serve you.

Section affiliations:

Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism and Electromagnetism; Ocean Sciences; Planetary Sciences; Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology