2026 AGU ELECTIONS
Paula R. Buchanan
AGU Council Student and Early Career Positions
Early Career Scientist
Bio
Lead Instructor, National Center for Domestic Preparedness, Columbia Climate School, New York, NY, USA
AGU embraces the global community and welcomes leaders 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 anything else you feel comfortable sharing.
As a researcher, I am a practitioner-academic, socio-hydrologist, disaster and emergency management researcher, science communicator, and public health professional. This transdisciplinary approach allows me to connect research, practice, science communication, and public service, while also addressing sustainable drinking water access, community resilience, and disaster preparedness.
I also bring curiosity, persistence, a sense of fairness and justice, and a desire to improve the world through both my professional and personal service. I approach complex problems with a balance of playfulness and determination, while remaining open to new ideas, perspectives, and solutions.
I also bring the perspective of an Atlanta-based researcher and community volunteer whose work is grounded in urban communities and the southeastern United States. My fieldwork and engagement experiences in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and other communities have strengthened my understanding of how geography, infrastructure, public health, and local knowledge shape environmental challenges and responses.
Through my service with AGU, AAAS, the Clean Water Fund, and the City of Atlanta, I have worked across scientific, nonprofit, government, and community settings. As an AGU Council Member, I bring a community-engaged, solutions-oriented perspective that values scientific discovery, science communication, fairness, and collaboration among scientists, practitioners, communities, institutions, and decision-makers.
Volunteer experience that you feel relates to this position:
Within AGU, I have volunteer experience. I serve on the Meetings Committee, have held editorial board roles with Community Science and Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists, am a committee member for AGU Publications equity-focused initiatives, and have served as a Community Science Fellow with Thriving Earth Exchange. Beyond AGU, I serve as a American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Local Science Engagement Network Digital Liaison and Clean Water Fund Board member, connecting scientists, communities, and decision-makers on sustainable water policies.
Q&A
The AGU Council is a diverse forum of perspectives that meets throughout the year to provide input to the AGU Board, staff, and other parts of the organization. Three communities within the Council—committee chairs, section leaders, and students and early career scientists—serve different roles in AGU and bring unique viewpoints to ongoing discussions.
The Council has up to 12 positions for student and early career members. The student and early career voices on the Council are critical to the future of Earth and space sciences. How have you taken intentional action to inspire others to advance a cause, mission, or goal? I have taken intentional action to inspire others through both community science and scientific publishing. As an AGU Thriving Earth Exchange Community Science Fellow and project manager with the City of Costa Mesa’s Office of Energy and Sustainability Services, I supported community engagement and advised staff on public education initiatives. I listened to the project team, translated complex sustainability concepts into accessible information, and encouraged residents, scientists, and local government staff to recognize their shared role in advancing community sustainability. I have also advanced this goal through AGU Publications. In my editorial service with Community Science and Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists, I have worked to advance community science, advocate for scholarly credit for community scientists, and elevate underrepresented and early career perspectives. Through the Publications Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Sub-Committee, I contributed to efforts that translated equity, access, and inclusive-science principles into structural changes across AGU journals. These efforts included AGU’s Inclusion in Global Research policy, which addresses inequitable “parachute science” practices, and implicit-bias training for editors and associate editors. Together, my work with Thriving Earth Exchange and AGU Publications directly contributes to AGU’s strategic plan. These efforts connect scientific discovery with solutions to societal challenges, strengthen an inclusive scientific culture, expand partnerships among scientists and communities, and translate research into action. Through this work, I have helped people with different responsibilities and perspectives unite around shared goals and recognize how their knowledge and participation can create meaningful change.