Professor of Geophysics, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany

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 consider the American Geophysical Union to be synonymous with the International Geophysical Union. The Fall Meeting has always been a place where one counts on seeing colleagues from around the world to learn and exchange new ideas in a friendly atmosphere. This is relevant now more than ever. Having worked extensively in China, France, Germany and the USA, I think I can help keep our tight community focused and united. The notion of community and cooperation is important to our shared endeavor.

Volunteer experience that you feel relates to this position:

Associate Editor for Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth and Tectonics (combined >12 years).

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?

The Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism, and Electromagnetism (GPE) section is relatively small, which facilitates visibility and non-anonymity among our members. GPE business meetings encourage interaction and cooperation in our group. Since my first meeting in the late 1980’s as a student, I have felt welcomed by all colleagues in the room regardless of age, gender, nationality, etc. and have enjoyed this professional camaraderie. Not having a specific GPE business meeting at the last Fall meeting in New Orleans was a disaster. I intend to keep the specificity of AGU focused on the section level while trying to achieve AGU’s broader agenda.