Professor Cummer is internationally recognized as a leading scholar in lightning and atmospheric electricity, space and terrestrial radio remote sensing, and electromagnetic wave interactions. His pioneering contributions have transformed our understanding of lightning discharges and their connection to high-energy atmospheric phenomena. Data collected with his very low frequency and extremely low frequency sensing techniques underpin a wide range of recent airborne and satellite campaigns worldwide, enabling new insights into sprites, terrestrial gamma ray flashes, and related atmospheric processes. An exceptionally gifted communicator, Professor Cummer has authored more than 300 peer-reviewed papers, with over 41,000 citations and an h-index of 94, and has delivered nearly 50 plenary and keynote lectures across the globe. He has advised 16 Ph.D. graduates, many of whom have gone on to make important scientific contributions of their own. His ability to inspire both students and colleagues reflects his deep commitment to advancing scientific discovery and mentoring the next generation of researchers. Beyond his groundbreaking research, Professor Cummer has devoted himself to service within AGU and the broader scientific community. Elected Fellow of AGU in 2016, he has played a pivotal role in guiding the Union. Notably, he served as chair of the Atmospheric and Space Electricity Focus Group from 2010 to 2012, during which he fostered collaboration and growth in one of AGU’s most vibrant research communities. More recently, he has served as an AGU College of Fellows Distinguished Lecturer (2024–present), engaging audiences worldwide with his clarity, insight, and enthusiasm for geophysical science. His leadership extends internationally, through advisory roles with NASA and the Birkeland Centre for Space Science in Norway, and nationally, as a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers for contributions to lightning remote sensing and artificial electromagnetic materials. Professor Cummer’s selection as the 2025 Benjamin Franklin Lecturer recognizes his extraordinary scientific achievements, exemplary service to AGU, and enduring influence on the atmospheric and space electricity community. His lecture on modern radio remote sensing of lightning promises to be a highlight of the Annual Meeting, honoring the spirit of Franklin’s legacy of curiosity, innovation, and dedication to understanding the natural world. I am especially grateful to count Steve as a colleague and friend for more than 30 years, and I look forward to hearing his lecture this December. —Victor P. Pasko, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania

I am truly honored to be given the chance to deliver the Franklin Lecture at the 2025 AGU Annual Meeting. Through this I am joining a list of incredibly distinguished past recipients. Recognition like this motivates me to reflect on how I got here and who helped me along the way. It has involved some good decisions, plenty of good luck, and lots of support from those around me: family, friends, colleagues, collaborators, research advisers, and many others. My time as a Ph.D. student in Professor Umran Inan’s very low frequency group at Stanford shaped my career in many ways, including interactions with talented fellow students (many of whom are now research colleagues) and exposure to research that merged electromagnetic theory and geophysical observation in a way that deeply resonated with me. At NASA Goddard Space Flight Center I was a National Research Council postdoc, an invaluable program that over many decades has given a start to too many scientists to count. This opportunity gave me the chance to significantly broaden my research horizons and to work with (and even to share office space with) world-class scientists across many areas of space and Earth sciences. I am particularly indebted to my postdoctoral research adviser, Dr. Rich Vondrak, who gave me a lot of flexibility to explore. I also received critical behind-the-scenes support from Dr. Sunanda Basu and colleagues at the National Science Foundation that helped give my independent research career a strong initial boost. Her strong support for junior career scientists in general is an inspiration to me that I try to pay forward as much as possible. And I appreciate beyond words the talented and motivated students, group members, and colleagues with whom I have worked over the years. In my research I have always tried to keep a focus on what is new, interesting, and consequential. I was lucky to have joined the field of atmospheric electricity as a graduate student at a time when new discoveries were coming fast and furious and so many things were not yet understood. More than 30 years later, the field continues to deliver new, interesting, and consequential questions to pursue. Recognition as the Franklin Lecturer motivates me even further, and I am excited to continue in research to see what new information and insights I can help reveal. —Steven Cummer, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

For development and application of innovative radio techniques for remote measurement of lightning processes.