Research Ecologist, USDA Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry, San Juan, Puerto Rico

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.

When I first entered the field of tropical biology, women in positions of leadership were a rarity and harassment was an accepted part of the research experience for up and coming women in the field. As I have moved into leadership positions, I have made it a mission to ensure that the culture of science shifts to one that is safe and welcoming to all. I run an internship program that has led to the training of multiple women and minorities in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) that have been retained in the sciences, moving on to prominent and competitive positions in the sciences. As a scientist that is based in a primarily Spanish speaking region, I work to reduce barriers that exclude full participation by the local community in the sciences, such as ensuring that we have bilingual resources (web page, social media, workshops/trainings, presentations). I have also been a strong advocate for ensuring a safe and harassment-free work environment, including a willingness to take the challenging steps of formally reporting sexual harassment and sharing my personal story on an international stage.

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

I am a member of the leadership team for the Luquillo Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) and am lead scientist of the field warming experiment, Tropical Responses to Altered Climate Experiment (TRACE), in Puerto Rico. I oversee multiple field visits from elementary to university-level students, government officials, local community members and the media (>100 visitors/yr). I run a successful internship program that has increased representation of underserved communities in the sciences, and am an advocate for increasing access to scientific opportunities, including expanding bilingual resources.

As one of the elected leaders of your section, how will you partner with your president and president-elect to communicate with and engage your members to help implement AGU’s strategic plan including its mission and vision?

As one of the elected leaders of my section, I will partner with the president and president-elect to ensure effective communication and engagement with members that promotes a diversity of ideas, is inclusive and generates a safe and exciting environment for scientific discussion and promotion. First, I would meet with fellow leaders to establish current engagement and set goals and initiatives designed to increase representation and engage a diversity of voices. Second, I would facilitate opportunities for communication including a quarterly newsletter and active social media engagement. Third, I would work with the president and president-elect to develop in-person activities at AGU-sponsored events designed to engage scientists from a range of career levels and backgrounds and identify potential barriers to participation that we can address.

Section affiliations:

Biogeosciences; Global Environmental Change