topR. Steven Nerem—President–Elect, Geodesy
David T. Sandwell—President–Elect, Geodesy
Pedro Elosegui—Secretary, Geodesy
Cheinway Hwang—Secretary, Geodesy
R. Steven Nerem—President–Elect, Geodesy
AGU member since 1983. Professor of aerospace engineering sciences at University of Colorado. Major area of interest is satellite geodesy applied to the various geoscience problems including gravity field determination and sea level change. B.S., 1982, Colorado State University; M.S. and Ph.D., 1985 and 1989, University of Texas at Austin. Geophysicist, 1989–1996, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center; assistant and associate professor, 1996–2000, University of Texas at Austin; associate and full professor, 2000 to present, University of Colorado at Boulder. Sixty-three refereed journal publications, 41 in AGU journals. Editors' Citation for Excellence in Refereeing for GRL, 1993; NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Medal, 1995; six NASA Group Achievement Awards; William Bowie Lecturer, 2005; Geodesy award, 2006. AGU service as secretary of the Geodesy section, Geodesy section Spring Meeting Program Chair, Geodesy section Executive Committee, member of Whitten Medal Committee, member of Committee on Global Environmental Change, member of GRL Editor Search Committee, Geodesy editor for Eos, and Associate Editor for Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth.
Statement: With the development of many new satellite tools, geodesy has never been a more vibrant discipline. As a result, connections with the other disciplines are growing fast, and the boundaries between sections are becoming less distinct. We are doing science today that was only dreamed of a few decades ago, and yet the section remains relatively small, which has led some to question its role within the Union. If elected, I will be a strong advocate for the section within the Union, and I will work to increase the visibility of geodesy within the geophysical science community. I will also work to communicate the value that smaller sections bring to the union and advocate that the section remain a distinct entity, despite its small size. Finally, I will be a strong supporter of interdisciplinary science within the Union, as these interactions are critically important to our field.
David T. Sandwell—President–Elect, Geodesy
AGU member since 1978. Professor of geophysics at Scripps Institution of Oceanography with interests in satellite geodesy and geodynamics. Ph.D. in geophysics and space physics from University of California, Los Angeles (1981). Employment: Scripps Institution of Oceanography (1989 to present), University of Texas at Austin (1985–1989), National Geodetic Survey (1981–1985). Member of the International Association of Geodesy, IEEE, Society for Exploration Geophysics, and Geological Society of America. Fellow of AGU, and Bowie Lecturer, December 1995. Recipient of the George P. Woollard Award of the Geological Society of America. Author or coauthor of 113 refereed publications, 57 in AGU journals or books. Associate editor of Journal of Geophysical Research (February 1985 to January 1989, and June 2001 to April 2004). Associate editor of Reviews of Geophysics (January 1987 to December 1990). Meeting chair for AGU Spring and Fall meetings, 1992.
Statement: Modern geodetic tools such as VLBI, SLR, GPS, satellite-to-satellite tracking, satellite altimetry, InSAR, and laser scanners are essential for monitoring climate change, ocean circulation, and crustal dynamics. Earth science before GPS was available was very different from today. I joined the Geodesy section of AGU in the early 1980s because it was small and focused and provides an essential role in AGU Earth science. As president of the Geodesy section of AGU I will work to provide vocal representation of geodesy at AGU planning and budget meetings; help to organize Geodesy functions at AGU events, and most important, encourage young scientists that geodesists are an elite group who make fundamental measurements of the Earth and other planets.
Pedro Elosegui—Secretary, Geodesy
AGU member since 1993. Senior research scientist at the Institute for Space Sciences of the Spanish National Research Council and at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia. Research associate at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics; areas of scientific interest are the application of space geodesy to problems in tectonics, atmospheric sensing, seismology, and glaciology, and the assessment and improvement of GPS accuracy. B.S., 1986, University of Zaragoza, Spain; Ph.D., 1991, University of Granada, Spain; NATO postdoctoral fellow, SAO visiting scientist, and staff, all at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Resident astronomer for the International Ultraviolet Explorer at the European Space Agency; member of the European Geosciences Union, member of UNAVCO, Inc., vertical positioning working group. Authored 32 refereed publications, 16 in AGU journals, two in Nature, one in Science; awarded an European Space Agency Certificate of Recognition; AGU service as Associate Editor for Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth.
Cheinway Hwang—Secretary, Geodesy
AGU member since 1987. Professor of geodesy, Department of Civil Engineering, National Chiao Tung University, Taiwan. Major research area is satellite altimetry, terrestrial and satellite gravimetry. Ph.D., 1991, geodetic science, Ohio State University; postdoctoral research associate, Department of Earth Sciences, Oxford University, 1991–1993. Distinguished Research Awards of National Science Council of Taiwan, 1998, 2000, 2002. NASA/JPL/CNES Certificate of Appreciation for contributions to the TOPEX/POSEIDON 3-year prime mission, 1996. Best Paper Award for Young Scientists, International Association of Geodesy (IAG), 1999. Fellow, IAG, 2003. Chairs of IAG special study groups 3.186 (1999–2003) and 2.3 (2003–2007). Distinguished Professor Award, Chinese Institute of Engineers, 2005. Member of editorial board, Journal of Geodesy, 2003 to present. Member of editorial board, Journal of Applied Geodesy, 2006 to present. Chairs of scientific committees of IAG international workshops on satellite altimetry (2002 and 2004), and chair of LOC of First Asia Workshop on Superconducting Gravimetry (2007). Author of 54 refereed journal papers; lead author of seven AGU journal papers.
Statement: Over 1999–2007 I served the International Association of Geodesy (IAG) as chairs of special study groups and organizing committees of satellite altimetry workshops. With the experience I gained from such services, I am ready to serve AGU. Geodesy is becoming more interdisciplinary than before. I will work with AGU to promote a closer tie between geodesy and other fields of Earth sciences.