30 July 2018
AGU and AAS: Working Together to Expand the Understanding of Exoplanets
By Dr. Lindy Elkins-Tanton, Director of the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, Principal Investigator of NASA’s Psyche mission, and Co-chair of the Interplanetary Initiative
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 forward. Exoplanet science ranks among those discoveries that inspire humankind to look beyond and think above …
25 July 2018
Solidarity Among Scientists Across the Globe Is Needed Now More Than Ever
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 ability to carry out their missions where nationalist governments have restricted academic freedoms and defunded …
3 July 2018
LGBT STEM Day: Time to Talk About It
Dr. Lisa Graumlich - Dean of the University of Washington College of the Environment and member of AGU's Board of Directors
“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 our fields. Why call further attention to yourself? She tacitly implied that it was the …
21 June 2018
2018 Fall Meeting: What Science Stands For
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 the course of science come to light, so it’s particularly appropriate that this year’s meeting …
How the Cryosphere Sciences Section Will Celebrate 100 Years of AGU
Lora Koenig, President-elect, Cryosphere Sciences Section, AGU; and Senior Research Scientist, National Snow and Ice Data Center, Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado Boulder
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 our membership. The Centennial offers us the opportunity for a coast-to-coast celebration of scientific achievement. …
20 June 2018
Combating Drought and Desertification to Preserve Human Health
Iris An, MPIA, MPH candidate, The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health and John Balbus, MD, MPH, Senior Advisor for Public Health Director, NIEHS-WHO Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health Sciences
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 of the world’s poorest, most vulnerable people in over one hundred countries are at risk, …
19 June 2018
Bridging Communities: The First Centennial Project
Carol Finn, AGU Past-President and United States Geological Survey Geophysicist, and Raj Pandaya, AGU Thriving Earth Exchange Program Director
During the last century, discoveries in Earth and space science have changed society’s understanding of the world around us and improved economic security and public health and safety around the globe. And looking to the future, science can help society address the challenges – and take advantage of the opportunities – it faces. So, it’s no surprise that, in 2012, the AGU Council came together in Washington, D.C. to discuss …
100 Years of AGU: Our Building Legacy
By Janice Lachance, Executive Vice President of Strategic and Operational Excellence Editor’s Note: This blog post was originally shared on AGU’s building blog. While AGU will formally kick off our Centennial in December of this year, we are building excitement this week by sharing information on the many programs Centennial will touch during our 2019 celebration. AGU’s building renovation project is one of those. Our existing headquarters was built in …
18 June 2018
AGU Launches Its Centennial Celebration
When AGU was founded, nearly 100 years ago, the world was a very different place. However, despite the century’s worth of change between 1919 and today, the ability of Earth and space science to improve our society—and the desire of scientists to provide those benefits to humanity—has remained the same. That’s why, as we approach the celebration of our Centennial, we are using the energy of the past to start the …
12 June 2018
Tackling Harassment in the Sciences
Since AGU adopted its revised ethics policy in September 2017, and even prior to that time, we have seen a movement toward creating a safe, inclusive environment for science. As AGU President Eric Davidson, President-elect Robin Bell and Past President Margaret Leinen wrote, “We’ve seen and heard of too many instances, stories, and studies that show harassment in the sciences is happening and that the problem is significant.” We heard …
From the Prow is a two-way conversation between AGU’s leaders and the broad Earth and space science community they serve. It features discussions on trends, Union programs and initiatives, and reflections on the strategic direction of the organization.