Assistant Professor, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 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 would bring the perspective of a U.S.-based planetary scientist working at a large public land-grant university in the Midwest with a research and teaching program spanning Earth science, planetary science, astronomy, cosmochemistry, and geophysics. I also bring experience as an international scholar having spent several years working abroad in France and Germany, which shaped my understanding of how scientific communities, institutions, and career pathways differ between nations. At Michigan State University, I am appointed in Earth and Environmental Sciences with an adjunct appointment in Physics and Astronomy, and I work alongside a diverse array of geoscientists, including hydrologists, geodesists, seismologists, geochemists, paleontologists, and geomorphologists. This gives me a broad view of how planetary science connects to the wider AGU community. I also bring a student-centered perspective, shaped by work with students across career stages and by efforts to broaden access to research experiences. My current position puts me directly into contact with current issues such as inconsistent federal support, changing student demographics, and artificial intelligence (AI). As AGU Planetary Sciences section president, I would bring a cross-disciplinary, internationally informed, public-university perspective, grounded in building inclusive scientific communities that connect planetary science to the full breadth of Earth and space sciences.

Volunteer experience that you feel relates to this position:

My most relevant volunteer experience includes American Astronomical Society Division on Dynamical Astronomy leadership as committee member, vice chair, chair, and past chair, where I helped lead five annual meetings, with others created the Vera Rubin early career award, and contributed to division and societal strategic planning. I have served as an AGU Studies of the Earth's Deep Interior prize canvassing committee member and attended many AGU meetings. I also served on numerous meeting science and local organizing committees and chaired sessions.

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 would engage members through open discussion, surveys, town halls, and coordination with other sections of AGU to address identified concerns as part of my efforts to support AGU's strategic plan. In particular, I see that we will need to navigate three modern day challenges: the rapid integration of generative artificial intelligence into scientific work, the continued need to create an inclusive scientific culture, and the promotion of Earth and planetary science exploration and investigation to the public and our political leadership. Our work delivers tangible value to the public deserving investment, and that scientific work is done for and by humans that deserve respect.

Generative AI will affect research, publishing, meetings, teaching, mentoring, hiring, and professional service. I would work with stakeholders to develop practical guidance for AI use in AGU-related activities, such as peer review, meeting organization, and honors and award nominations. These policies should allow responsible uses of AI by AGU and its members, such as editing, accessibility support, administrative organization, and workflow efficiency, while protecting AGU and its members against serious harms, such as high-volume "AI slop," hallucinated claims and citations, plagiarism and other AI-induced authorship uncertainty, and biased or opaque evaluation practices.

I would also prioritize an inclusive culture within the Planetary Sciences section. I would work to make sure section policy and actions do not exclude but instead broaden participation in planetary sciences including creation of accountability mechanisms.

My overall goals are to help AGU promote innovation while preserving scientific integrity, equity, and trust.