Professor, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 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.

I was born and raised in Olympia, Washington, the daughter of an elementary school librarian and a hospital engineer. I am 100% public school educated, from kindergarten to Ph.D. Since 2013, I have worked at a public university in Atlanta (Georgia Tech), where I advocate for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. I am committed to diversifying the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) workforce and democratizing science, particularly through open science, open data, and non-profit society journals. My interdisciplinary scientific background blends biogeochemistry, astrobiology, and geomicrobiology. I currently serve as associate chair of undergraduate affairs at Georgia Tech, so I am particularly familiar with the current needs and challenges facing early career researchers.

Volunteer experience that you feel relates to this position:

AGU Biogeosciences section volunteer activities: Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Committee, 2021-present (co-chair 2025-2026); Fellows Review Committee, 2023-2025; Honors Canvassing Committee, 2019, 2020; Fellow Nomination Committee, 2017-2018; Social Media Coordinator, 2017-2018. AGU Honors and Recognition Committee, 2024-2026. NASA Planetary Science Advisory Committee, 2020-2023. Member, Geochemical Society, Biogeochemistry Lecture Committee, 2024-2027. Local Organizing Chair, Astrobiology Science Conference, Atlanta, GA, 2022. Founder and Chair, Southeastern Biogeochemistry Symposium (for early career researchers), 2014, 2015, 2020.

Section presidents and presidents-elect serve as members of the AGU Council and lead their sections. 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.

This role aims to catalyze community and build AGU as envisioned by the strategic plan. This leadership position is a dual role: helping to advance AGU’s strategic plan as a member of Council; and leading your section. How would you support the Board, staff and other sections to achieve AGU’s vision, values, mission, and goals? How will you engage with members of your section to execute AGU’s strategic plan?

I am devoted to AGU service because I embrace AGU’s core values, and I would therefore be honored to join the AGU Council in working to achieve AGU’s strategic goals and uphold its mission. I commit to communicating the most pressing issues facing Biogeosciences membership to the Council. I have a proven track record of this advocacy; for example, as co-chair of the Biogeosciences DEI committee, I co-hosted listening sessions with members during US federal science layoffs in 2025 and communicated key points from those conversations to the AGU Board, staff, and leadership of other sections. Second, I would look to broaden avenues for communication of biogeosciences research topics that are currently underrepresented in AGU journals; for example, bioenergy research is a topic that is currently largely published in for-profit journals and could be expanded in AGU journals. This would directly advance AGU’s strategic goal to catalyze discovery and solutions to scientific and societal challenges. Third, I would work to spotlight our section members’ achievements in AGU and external press, particularly examples in which biogeoscientists are collaborating with community partners to address societal challenges. Fourth, I would work to foster more opportunities throughout the year to build community through networking and workshops. Fifth, but very key, I would work to ensure that support for early career researchers (ECRs) and DEI remains front and center in AGU Biogeosciences by ensuring that the AGU Biogeosciences DEI and ECR Committees remain supported and encouraged to expand their excellent programming.