Graduate Student, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA

Volunteer experience that relates to this position: 

In my department at Hopkins I have (1) worked with schools in the Baltimore area to organize campus visits and help department members plan, organize, advertise and follow outreach opportunities and (2) volunteered with my colleagues to plan and execute equity, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) initiatives for the department. As an undergraduate, I took the opportunity to manage educational programming and supervise human resource for activities of the Undergraduate Research Program and Student Life Division.

Council members play a critical role as communication conduits among AGU members and leaders. How will you engage with other students and early career scientists to share, and solicit input to, the important strategic conversations being held by the Council? Relating to AGU’s new strategic plan, what features of the plan do you think are most exciting for the student and early career communities to mobilize around?  How might you consider mobilizing this community to be most effective?

AGU’s strategic plan provides a vision of impactful science carried out by scientists empowered with a sense of belonging, a mission that I believe all students and early-career scientists who are exploring and establishing their identity within the geosciences appreciate and support. This support can be mobilized further by building a community that is well informed of the strategic plan and AGU’s core values, has a network of support and leadership to turn to and fosters a safe, ethical and inclusive environment for growth.

To this cause, I hope to faithfully represent the student perspective in generating and discussing ideas, forming partnerships and formulating policies whilst keeping the interest of AGU and its goals in mind. I look forward to employing creative techniques to be available to and communicate with AGU’s diverse community by utilizing all forms of programming and social media. Preexisting conferences and programs run by AGU would be an effective and safe place to start building this invested community with a creative outlook on tackling and communicating vital matters. I intend to apply the skills cultivated in various roles and adopt best practices of other scientific communities and partners whilst being cognizant of feedbacks gained and adaptations necessary to be a successful communication liaison. To ensure cognizant implementation of the strategic plan, I hope to bring my experiences, listen and voice opinions when appropriate, work hand in hand with Council and community members and have trust in the process to keep evolving us in the right direction.

Section affiliations: 

Earth and Planetary Surface Processes; Earth and Space Science Informatics; Geodesy; Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism and Electromagnetism; Mineral and Rock Physics; Near Surface Geophysics; Nonlinear Geophysics;  Planetary Sciences; Seismology; Space Physics and Aeronomy; Study of the Earth’s Deep Interior; Tectonophysics; Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology