Distinguished Professor, Shanghai JiaoTong University, Shanghai, China

Volunteer experience that relates to this position: 

I served on the science advisory committee for Deep Life at the Deep Carbon Observatory from 2016 to 2020, my first time serving on an international committee. I learned and enriched through communicating with other members, discussed the challenges ahead and opportunities, reached consensus and drafted a strategic plan to lead the community moving forward. Since 2017, I have served as the ambassador for the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME), elected to serve on the international board of ISME from 2020 to 2026.

AGU’s new strategic plan recognizes our community is rapidly becoming more diverse and global and, in some areas, such as publications, engagement comes predominately from outside the United States. Additionally, the plan calls for building broad and inclusive partnerships to help solve society’s most complex global challenges.  How will you lead and facilitate moving AGU forward in strengthening international relationships and furthering the global impact of Earth and space science?

AGU has attracted scientists in Earth and space sciences globally by its excellence and its inclusive, equity, transparency culture. If elected as the international secretary, I’ll work with the team to facilitate AGU further strengthening the core values of the community internationally, through different approaches such as setting up an AGU ambassador program (ambassadors are selected from different nations with one to two reputed and excellent young scientists from each nation); partner with diverse regional societies such as from European, Asia and Africa and various science communities which have overlapped scientific interests or common values such as International Society of Microbial Ecology in which I will serve at the international board from 2020-2026. Through the AGU ambassador program and global partnership project we will collect ideas and hear different voices from scientists of different nations with diverse cultures, hold joint activities accordingly. I’ll also endeavor to help excellent scientists from other nations outside U.S. being recognized at AGU broadly and, more importantly, build an international network helping and nurturing young generation scientists for their development and in the long run contributing to the society. Considering the hard pandemic situations at this moment and possibly similar situations at future, holding AGU-endorsed virtual webinar series with selected topics at Earth and space science frontiers, of societal and public interests will also furthering the global impact of AGU.

Section affiliations:

Biogeosciences; Ocean Sciences