Science is global, and international scientific collaboration is increasing. Solutions to the world’s most pressing problems require the efforts of the entire global scientific community, but how can individual scientists and organizations like AGU build, support, and participate in those efforts? As a post-doctoral fellow at the Geological Survey of Japan in the early 1990s, … Read more
A lot can happen in 72 hours. With the deadline for abstract submission looming, I’m sure you were feeling a sense of excitement. I have submitted an abstract to the Fall Meeting myself, so I know the exhilaration that comes from hitting the submit button. Unfortunately, for many of you that excitement turned into frustration … Read more
As I sat down to compose this post, the irony of the situation was striking to me. A few weeks ago, AGU and NASA released a press statement regarding new findings of serious water decline in the Colorado River Basin, potentially posing an even greater threat to water availability in the West than previously thought. … Read more
Have you ever stopped to think about what AGU’s more than 62,000 members represent? With a crowd that large, there’s bound to be some variety, right? We have members hailing from 142 countries around the world. They represent the public and private sectors, conduct research at academic institutions and government agencies, and work for Fortune … Read more
Since AGU’s strategic plan was developed in 2010, we are becoming recognized as authoritative voices for our science within numerous communities, including policy makers. But why is communicating our science and its impact on the world to policy makers important? The answer to that question can be found in AGU member research. Understanding our changing … Read more
16 November 2012 Amazing! Inspiring! Incomparable! These are words that describe AGU’s Fall Meeting—the largest gathering of Earth and space scientists in the world. Every December for 45 years, scientists from around the globe have converged on the Fall Meeting in San Francisco, Calif. Excitement and enthusiasm pervade this unique annual event, where our members … Read more
31 August 2012 The world is a very different place than it was 43 years ago. In 1969, Jimi Hendrix rocked the legendary Woodstock music festival, Neil Armstrong took the first steps on the Moon, and U.S. drivers paid an average of 35 cents a gallon for gas. Today, digital music files have replaced vinyl … Read more
20 July 2012 Last month, in a message titled, “Transforming AGU Publishing in an Evolving Marketplace,” I described for you the process underway to evaluate our options for taking AGU publications to the next level and positioning them for the future. This process extended over a period of seven months and reached its culmination last … Read more
11 October 2011 You can hardly pick up a newspaper or turn on the TV nowadays without seeing a story on the impacts of the debt crisis in America (and around the world). Unfortunately, the proposed solutions rarely seem to include strategic investments in science and research. This is particularly troubling because we know that … Read more