When you’ve been a student for longer than you’ve been able to tie your shoes, and when you’ve been uttering words that would be considered a gem on a Scrabble board for at least a quarter of your life, you gain special powers of scientific enunciation and they should be used for good. That thought … Read more
This International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, August 9, 2018, I ask all AGU members to take a moment to reflect on the rich Earth knowledges Indigenous Peoples possess and this year’s World Indigenous Peoples’ Day theme of migration and movement. Established in 1994 by the UN General Assembly, this annual celebration of Indigenous … Read more
Today I’m incredibly pleased to announce that AGU is launching a new section: the Education section. AGU’s sections reflect the scientific breadth of the Union and are responsible for fostering scientific discussion and collaboration, identifying emerging issues, providing member input, and nominating scientists for honors and recognition. The Education section marks the second new section … Read more
AGU is pleased to see that President Trump has taken action to appoint Dr. Kelvin Droegemeier, a well-qualified scientist from our community, to head the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). After nearly 560 days, the longest any Administration has been without such crucial science advice, this nomination has been long in coming. AGU has been consistently … Read more
AGU and AAS are the fortunate recipients of a major grant from The Kavli Foundation that brings together our communities to advance the science of exoplanets. I’m proud to be a part of these institutions, particularly at critical junctures in with exoplanetary research, since this is exactly the kind of action that needs to be taken at the institutional level to help move the science … Read more
Frustration is mounting over nationalist policies in the U.S. and other countries, which are obstructing the free exchange of ideas and effective collaboration among scientists. These policies have multiple impacts. The most immediate and visible human tragedies are borne by refugees and immigrants. At the same time, several academics have lost their jobs or their … Read more
“It’s ok to be gay – just don’t tell anyone.” That was the advice that a senior administrator gave me as I started my career as an assistant professor. My would-be mentor didn’t feel she needed to name the consequences of being out as they were obvious. As women we were already sorely underrepresented in … Read more
By Lauren Parr, Vice President, Meetings Paying tribute to the achievements of the past is a critical part of understanding the possibilities of the future, and there is certainly no better place to do that than at AGU’s Fall Meeting. The Fall Meeting has long been a place where ideas and concepts that will change … Read more
AGU’s Centennial is just around the corner, officially kicking off at the 2018 Fall Meeting in Washington, D. C., and running through the 2019 Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. I look forward to a celebration marked by a variety of elements that will highlight the talents and drive of both our scientific sections and … Read more
On June 17, the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) will observe its World Day to Combat Drought and Desertification. The devastating impacts of drought and desertification on people are highlighted this year, as the UNCCD has made the linkages between desertification and human migration its annual theme. As noted by the UN[i], one billion … Read more