topMarkus Rothacher—President–Elect, Geodesy
Timothy H. Dixon—President–Elect, Geodesy
Tonie M. van Dam—Secretary, Geodesy
William C. Hammond—Secretary, Geodesy
Markus Rothacher—President–Elect, Geodesy
Major area of interest is space geodesy, especially high-precision Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) applications for Earth observation. Diploma, Ph.D., and habilitation, 1985, 1991, and 1999, University of Berne, Switzerland. Astronomer, 1985–1999, Astronomical Institute, University of Berne; full professor of space geodesy, 1999–2004, Technical University of Munich, Germany; director of Department 1 "Geodesy and Remote Sensing" at GeoForschungsZentrum, Potsdam, and professor at Technical University of Berlin, 2004–2008; professor at ETH Zurich, 2009 to present. Executive Committee member of International Association of Geodesy (IAG), chair of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS), International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service (IERS) analysis coordinator, member of European Geosciences Union (EGU) and International Astronomical Union (IAU). Ninety-two refereed journal publications, 16 in AGU journals or books. EU Descartes prize (V. Dehant), IAG Fellow. Session chair for many AGU meetings.
Statement: In the past decade, geodesy, with its diverse spaceborne and ground-based measurement techniques of unprecedented accuracy, has become a fascinating field of research and a discipline of crucial importance for the monitoring and understanding of the complex Earth system. The contributions of geodesy today range from the realization and maintenance of global reference frames as the metrological basis for all Earth observations to the monitoring of crustal dynamics, surface deformation, sea level change, ice sheet melting, global hydrology, ocean circulation, mass transport, and the atmosphere. If elected, I will work to strengthen the role and the visibility of geodesy in AGU as an extremely transdisciplinary field of research. I will strongly advocate the combination of the geodetic observation techniques and the cooperation and integration with the neighboring fields of Earth sciences, especially within the context of the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) of the International Association of Geodesy (IAG). Since brilliant young scientists are the future of geodesy, I will also work to make the challenges and fascinating themes of geodesy and the AGU Geodesy section as attractive as possible to this important group of scientists.
Timothy H. Dixon—President–Elect, Geodesy
Interests in space geodesy, tectonics, subsidence, and the role of geodesy in global change research. Ph.D., 1979, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California. Author or coauthor of 95 refereed publications, 53 in AGU journals or books. Fellow of AGU (2001), Best Paper Award, Geological Society of America Structure/Tectonics division (2006), two NASA Group Achievement Awards (1990 and 1994), American Association of Petroleum Geologists distinguished lecturer (2006–2007), Margins distinguished lecturer (2008–2009). Member of the Whitten Medal committee and the Tectonics editor search Committee, associate editor for Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, 1998–2002 and 2005 to present.
Statement: I am honored to be nominated to run for president of the Geodesy section of AGU. Space geodesy has revolutionized Earth observation in the past 20 years, with applications in tectonophysics, seismology, hydrology, and atmospheric and cryospheric research. Yet Geodesy remains a small section within AGU and the field remains underappreciated in the larger scientific community. If elected, I will follow the example of others in this office who have worked hard to highlight the strong interdisciplinary connections in our discipline and to increase Geodesy's visibility within AGU and the larger community. This includes encouraging topical sessions at Fall Meeting and Joint Assembly, promoting relevant articles in Eos, and being more proactive with the media. I would also like to explore the possibility of a distinguished lecture series in Geodesy, perhaps by partnering with other organizations that sponsor such lectures.
Tonie M. van Dam—Secretary, Geodesy
Major areas of research are modeling environmental loading effects on geodetic coordinate time series and the International Terrestrial Reference Frame (ITRF); applying time-variable gravity as a constraint on geodetic coordinate time series and the ITRF; climate and climate change; radiative transfer; monitoring and modeling individual sources of mass distribution and transport in the Earth system by means of satellites. Ph.D., 1991, University of Colorado, Boulder. Postdoctoral reseach, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1991–1992. Research geophysicist, NVI (a NASA Goddard Space Flight Center contractor), 1992–1993. Research geophysicist, Geosciences Laboratory, National Geodetic Survey, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 1993–2000. Research geophysicist, European Center for Geodynamics and Seismology, Luxembourg, 2000–2006. Professor, Department of Atmospheric Sciences, 1994 to present. Assistant professor, Faculté des Sciences, de la Technologie et de la Communication, University of Luxembourg, 2006 to present. Board member, International Earth Rotation Service; member, European Geophysical Society, International Association of Geodesy, and the International Glaciological Society. Author of over 50 publications (vast majority peer reviewed), 23 in AGU journals. AGU Geodesy section secretary, 1998–2000. Geodesy section program chair, fall 1996, fall 1997; European Geosciences Union Geodesy Division president, 2003–2009.
William C. Hammond—Secretary, Geodesy
Research interests include measurement and interpretation of active tectonics, crustal deformation, and seismic cycle in the Basin and Range and western United States. From 2000 to 2004 served as postdoctoral researcher at the U.S. Geological Survey with duty station in Menlo Park, Calif. Ph.D. in geophysics from University of Oregon, 2000; B.A. in applied mathematics from University of California, Berkeley, 1989. Member of Seismological Society of America and Geological Society of America. Served 2 years on AGU Joint Assembly Program Committee. Served on EarthScope GPS Site Selection Committee. Presently serving as chair of the EarthScope Plate Boundary Observatory Advisory Committee. Refereed 30 peer-reviewed journal articles. Author or coauthor of 25 refereed journal articles. Lead author of six AGU journal articles.