Senior Research Scientist, University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, Austin, TX, US and Principal Scientist, GNS Science, Wellington, New Zealand

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.

I have spent most of my career outside of the United States, so I feel that I would bring a strong international perspective. As a woman in science, I also understand some of the challenges that under-represented groups face. I have collaborated widely throughout my career, and strongly value collaboration and diverse perspectives on issues.

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

I have served on the Board of Directors of UNAVCO (2018-2021), was an Associate Editor for the Journal of Geophysical Research (2014-2016), and am past President of the New Zealand Geophysical Society (2009-2010).

This leadership position is a liaison role; it is one that aims to catalyze community and build AGU as envisioned by the strategic plan. How will you engage with members of your section to advance AGU’s strategic plan? How will you facilitate engagement with other sections and people outside AGU to support our mission?

Having spent most of my career at a government-funded geoscience research agency (GNS Science, New Zealand) whose mandate is to undertake public-good science, to ultimately provide solutions to many of the geohazards issues that society faces, AGU’s mission of transforming discovery-based science into solutions for societal challenges certainly resonates with me. Geodetic science has a large role to play in that arena, particularly in the areas of geohazards and the impacts of climate change. I would advocate for increasing connection with stakeholders (including government agencies, industry, and communities), to raise awareness of the role that geodesy can play in science-based solutions to many of the issues that face our modern world.

My career has been defined by extensive cross-disciplinary collaboration with seismologists, geologists, geochemists, numerical modelers, and experimentalists, as I strongly believe that observations from a range of disciplines and a diversity of perspectives are required to answer some of the most pressing questions facing the geoscience community. To do our best work, we should be stepping outside the silos of our “sub-fields”, and work closely with scientists having a diverse range of expertise to make real advances. I would advocate for far more collaboration between the different disciplinary sections within AGU. This is particularly important for Geodesy, which has strong cross-overs (in terms of scientific questions being addressed) with most of the other sections within AGU.

Section affiliations:

Geodesy; Tectonophysics