Assistant Professor, University of South Carolina, SC, USA

AGU embraces the global community and welcomes diverse leaders from around the world, 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 any other identity you feel comfortable sharing.

Over the last few years I’ve taken time to build an appreciation for the importance of identity to our success as a community and as individuals. Rather than focusing on my own perspective, I work actively to include and elevate the voices of others, especially those who are underrepresented in our community. I feel most connected with scientists who are first generation students, as this is my own experience. I aim to find the hidden barriers that may limit the success of first generation students, and by helping others to overcome them we will hopefully erase these barriers all together.

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

AGU Fall Meeting Outstanding Student Presentation Awards (OSPA) Liaison in 2020 and 2021. AGU mentor 2017-2019. Helped run Cooperative Institute for Dynamic Earth Research (CIDER) summer school between 2016 and 2019 including managing the running of the program during the summer, website development, and managing the other online resources. Was secretary for the local organising committee of the British Geophysical Association postgrad research conference in 2012. Member of Berkeley Seismological Laboratory Outreach & Diversity Equity Inclusion Accessibility work group.

As one of the elected leaders of your section, how will you partner with your president and president-elect to communicate with and engage your members to help implement AGU’s strategic plan including its mission and vision?

As an elected leader I will serve to authentically represent the needs of the members of my section. As secretary, I will both encourage members to bring their questions to me, and also solicit the views of groups who may feel reluctant to speak out, which I will then convey to the president and president-elect. By considering all members in our leadership decisions, we will promote the inclusion of all of the diverse voices in AGU into the ongoing conversations about supporting our science, in accord with the vision of AGU.

Section affiliations:

Planetary Sciences; Seismology; Study of the Earth's Deep Interior