Associate Professor, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

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.

I am of international origin (Belgium) and have a leadership role for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ undergraduate and graduate students at Penn State (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences Rainbow Network).

Volunteer experience that relates to this position:

Member of the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Coordination Network (RCN) Community Network for Volcanic Eruption Response (CONVERSE) steering committee; Contributor to the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites (CEOS) pilot and demonstrator projects to monitor volcanoes; K-SAC/H-SAC: Member of the Kilauea 2020-ongoing eruption Science Advisory Committee that is now the Hawaiian Science Advisory Committee (H-SAC); Collaborator for a Geoscientists without Borders awarded grant for Guatemalan volcanoes (Lead: Lindsey Hernandez, The Ohio State University), Geoscientists without Borders, Contributor (2021-present).

This leadership position is a liaison role; it is one that aims to catalyze community and build AGU as envisioned by the strategic plan. How will you engage with members of your section to advance AGU’s strategic plan? How will you facilitate engagement with other sections and people outside AGU to support our mission?

I think it is vital to connect with early career (EC) folks and encourage AGU session conveners to have a good number of EC and diverse candidates presenting. Obviously, cutting-edge innovative science is at the core of AGU's values and should be encouraged and rewarded but it is vital to promote and catalyze an inclusive crowd as well for governance structures and meetings. Funding for EC and diverse candidates should be promoted by seeking funding through external organizations and partners.

Section affiliations:

Earth and Planetary Surface Processes; Geodesy; Natural Hazards; Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology