Union Fellows

Program Overview

The Fellows program was established in 1962 and recognizes AGU members who have made exceptional contributions to Earth and space science through a breakthrough, discovery, or innovation in their field. Fellows act as external experts, capable of advising government agencies and other organizations outside the sciences upon request. The program enhances the prestige of AGU and motivates members to achieve excellence in research.

College of Fellows

The mission of the AGU College of Fellows is to foster excellence, integrity, and interdisciplinary collaboration in the Earth and space sciences, provide expert and strategic advice to AGU on global scientific issues, and support the professional development and engagement of scientists at all career stages and from all backgrounds.

AGU President Robin Bell shakes hands and laughs with a new AGU Fellow

College of Fellows activities

The current areas of focus for the College of Fellows are on the following projects and activities:

1

Presenting engaging topics and panels using Town Halls during Fall Meeting
2

Creating mentoring connections between Fellows and student and/or early-career scientists
3

Developing mechanics for creating a distinguished traveling speaker series
4

Creating activities and projects that engage the entire College of Fellows in celebrating AGU’s Centennial
5

Generating ideas that will shape the future of AGU, our science, and its impact on society

Silhouette person looking into the galaxy sky

College of fellows leaders and executive committee

Foundational Leadership

Past chair: Qingyun (Yun) Duan Beijing Normal University
Chair: Rana Fine, University of Miami
Chair-elect: Cynthia Ebinger, Tulane University

Executive Committee

The College of Fellows Executive Committee consists of six subcommittee chairs.

Larry Esposito, Colorado University, Mentorship Subcommittee
John Farrington, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Centennial Subcommittee
Steven Goldstein, Columbia University – Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Town Hall Meeting Subcommittee
Steven Constable, University of California San Diego, Speaker Series Subcommittee
Gordon Grant, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, New Frontiers Subcommittee
Alan Robock, Rutgers University, Engagement Subcommittee

2019 Fellows

Congratulations to our 62 new Fellows who are recognized for their advancement of the Earth and space sciences.

View Fellows

We are no longer accepting applications for the 2019 Class of Fellows. Check back in January 2020 for the 2020 nominations.

Nomination package requirements

Provided here are the required materials and submission details to be considered for a Union Fellow nomination. Please note that starting in 2018, only three letters of support will be accepted. Fellows nominations can be submitted online or by regular mail delivery.

Nomination letter with one-sentence citation

Letterhead stationary is preferred to include nominator’s name, title, institution, and contact information are required. The citation must appear at either the beginning or end of the nomination letter and be no more than 150 characters.

Nominee's curriculum vitae

CVs must list all the following candidate information: name, mailing and email address, history of employment, degrees, research experience, honors, memberships, service to the community through committee work, advisory boards, etc.

Nominee's selected bibliography

Briefly state the total number and types of publications; specify the number published in AGU publications. For example: Jane Doe is the author of 92 publications, 86 in peer-reviewed scientific journals, 14 of which have been published in AGU journals and books. The following selected list best supports Jane’s nomination for AGU Fellow.

Three letters of support, in addition to nomination letter

Letterhead stationary is preferred. Supporter’s name, title, institution, and contact information are required. Diverse supporters (i.e. individuals who are not currently/recently associated with the nominee’s institution) are strongly encouraged.

Optional: Nominee's Hirsch index (aka h-index) score

ISI Web of Knowledge is the recommended resource. Though a requirement in previous years, the h-index is now optional and plays a secondary role in evaluation. A recent AGU Fellows program review suggests the following actions when using h-index in Fellows nominations:

The h-index is one potential indicator of scientific merit but should not be a major deciding factor in consideration of candidacy.
If the h-index is used in a nomination package or is mentioned in letters, it is incumbent on the writer to include the source of the h-index and a URL that has been uniquely identified for the candidate’s h-index calculation.
If the h-index is used, it is meant to be compared only within the same scientific discipline.

Nomination format requirements

Each document should be no more than two pages in length. Only complete packages will be forwarded to Section Fellows committees for review. AGU prefers all documents use either Calibri 11 pt. or Times New Roman 12 pt. font size for all nomination documents (i.e. nomination letter, letters of support, selected bibliography, curriculum vitae). If the font size used is too small, you will be asked to revise the document.

Submission requirements

Fellows nominations can be submitted online or by regular mail delivery. You may choose only one mode of submission.

To expedite the submission process, we recommend that you use the online submission system. Please do not hit the “submit” button before your nomination is complete. Once the nomination is submitted, no additional information can be submitted online.

Nominations submitted by mail should include a completed nomination cover sheet along with other package components. Please send the complete nomination cover sheet and package to:

AGU
Attn: Fellows Committee
2000 Florida Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20009, USA

Nominee eligibility

Please ensure all eligibility aspects are met prior to nominating a candidate. To nominate a candidate for AGU Fellow you must be an active AGU member and be in compliance with our conflict of interest policy. To verify a nominee’s join date and section affiliation please contact the Union Fellows coordinator.

Nominees should meet the following criteria:

1

Be a middle or senior career scientist.
2

Be a current AGU member and have had an active membership for the past three years.
3

Be in compliance with our Honors conflict of interest policy. Selected nominees will need to sign a self-disclosure form.
4

Demonstrate scientific eminence in breakthrough or discovery; innovation in disciplinary or cross-disciplinary science, instrument or methods development; and/or sustained scientific impact.

Nomination timeline

15 January – 15 March 2019: Nominations are open

March – June 2019: AGU staff, Section Fellows Committees, and Union Fellows Committee review nomination packages

1 – 2 July 2019: Union Fellows Committee elects the 2019 Class of Fellows

August 2019: 2019 Class of Fellows is announced

December 2019: AGU formally recognizes the 2019 Fellows during the Honors Tribute at the Fall Meeting

Union Fellows Review Process

The number of Fellows elected each year shall not exceed 0.1 percent of the total membership and is based on the previous year. Approximately three to five additional AGU members are conferred as Fellows annually with their receipt of specific AGU honors.

Each nominee’s primarily section affiliation automatically reviews the nomination package. Nominators can also request review by up to three additional sections.

Nominations are forwarded to the Section Fellows Committees to be ranked for review by the Union Fellows Committee. Each Committee may nominate up to 0.2 percent of their membership for the next review stage. This review lasts one month.

The Union Fellows Committee then reviews all recommended nominations over the course of a second month, concluding with a two-day in-person meeting to vote on all nominations. In cases where there are significant differences of opinion, secret ballots are cast. Elected Fellows must receive a majority of the Union Fellows Committee votes.

section fellows selection committees

Every honor within AGU’s honors program, including Union awards, medals, and prizes, Fellows, and section honors, has a selection committee. For Fellows, this includes a selection committee for each section within AGU. Selection committees operate on an annual or biannual basis, depending on the award. Review the section selection committees outlined below.

Committee name (by section)

Joint Section Fellows Committee

Atmospheric and Space Electricity Fellows Committee

Atmospheric Sciences Fellows Committee

Biogeosciences Fellows Committee

Cryosphere Sciences Fellows Committee

Earth and Planetary Surface Processes Fellows Committee

Earth and Space Science Informatics Fellows Committee

Education Fellows Committee

Geodesy Fellows Committee

Global Environmental Change Fellows Committee

Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism, and Electromagnetism Fellows Committee