SY Newsletter

2025

Science & Society Newsletter

AUGUST 2025

SY 2025 Dialogue: Navigating Science Careers

The Science and Society (SY) Dialogues series is back! Over the last few years, we’ve discussed our section tracks, important core values, understanding connections with other sections, and career pathways. This year, we will be revisiting the career pathways topic to understand different ways to navigate careers in science.

Our 2025 webinar "Navigating Science Careers” will be held on September 4 at 2pm ET. We will have a discussion with scientists who have made their mark in various sectors. The panelists will share how they’ve successfully navigated their career journeys, across nonprofit resource management and international climate adaptation policy to regional resilience commercialization efforts to science communication. We will also discuss resources and recommendations for students and early career researchers who are interested in pursuing meaningful careers in science.

Speakers:

  • Katherine Browne, PhD, is a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute, where she leads the International Climate Risk and Adaptation team. Her research focuses on climate adaptation, international climate finance, and inequality.

  • Galen Treuer, PhD, works at the intersection of climate resilience, innovation, and economic development. He is Director of Regional Innovation for South Florida's Risk and Resilience Tech Hub, which is a regional collaboration commercializing a new generation of resilient infrastructure technology. 

  • Joy Buongiorno, PhD, is a geomicrobiologist and Senior Editor of Biogeochemistry at Nature Communications. With cross-training in the fields of geoscience, environmental microbiology, and bioinformatics, she is able to communicate effectively with a wide audience. 

  • Marja Copeland, PhD, is the Stormwater Projects Manager at the Mystic River Watershed Association (MyRWA). At MyRWA, she oversees projects addressing stormwater pollution across the Mystic River watershed. 

Registration link is here: https://agu.zoom.us/meeting/register/ubsv9zGbT62QX3UBk0vHIQ#/registration 

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.

Please join us!

H3S Webinar: “Reframing research language for impactful and relevant broader impact statements”

In partnership with CUAHSI, the hydrology student section committee is hosting a Navigating (beyond) Academic Waters webinar focused on "Reframing research language for impactful and relevant Broader Impact statements". The webinar, which will take place on 27 August 2025 at 12 pm EDT, will feature speakers from NSF, EPA, academia, and AGU, who will discuss the intent of Broader Impacts statement, how they’ve been redefined over the years, and how best to navigate these changes to develop exemplary statements. More information about the webinar and registration link can be found here: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_q4TnJRFXR6WNwKKMIAiMkQ#/registration

Travel Support for AGU25

As the AGU Annual Meeting approaches, the Science and Society Section would like to use the newsletter as a resource for AGU members looking for travel support to AGU25 (see AGU25 website). Please see these upcoming opportunities.

Due 15 July 2025:

Due 13 August 2025: 

  • AGU Student Travel Grants

    • Requires that applicants be a first author on an abstract and enrolled in high school, undergraduate, or graduate school.

    • Provides up to $1,000 to support either in-person or virtual attendance.

  • Lloyd V. Berkner Travel Fellowships

    • Be an active AGU member under age of 35.

    • Low and middle-low income country, international students, and scholars.

    • Fully cover expenses of in-person attendance (registration, airfare, lodging, dining, visa fees, etc.).

    • Virtual attendees will receive an award amount of $2500 USD, with $1500 USD to cover Meeting-related expenses and $1000 USD to cover educational expenses.

  • David E. Lumley Young Scientist Scholarship

    • High school or undergraduate student interested in exploring a career in energy or environmental sciences.

    • $1000 scholarship and $500 to support travel to AGU Annual Meeting 

  • The Basu Innovation Scholar Grant

    • Up to $2000 to support an early-career scientist/recent Ph.D. graduate to attend AGU24 (virtually or in-person).

Due September 10, 2025:

Due 15 September 2025:

  • Faculty Travel Grant for AGU Annual Meeting 

    • AGU will support up to 50 first-time faculty attendees from under-resourced institutions, including Emerging Research Institutions (ERI), Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), and community colleges (2YC) to attend AGU25.

    • In addition to a travel stipend, the travel grant awardees will have the opportunity to participate in a professional development workshop, networking and social events, and are expected to review student presentations.

Ethical Framework Principles for Climate Intervention Research

AGU received a "Power of Associations Gold Award" from the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) for their Ethical Framework Principles for Climate Intervention Research. This Power of Associations Awards, which recognizes associations that use their collective strength to lead positive change in society, honors AGU’s work to develop ethical guidelines in a fast-evolving field. Released in October 2024, the framework responds to growing interest in climate intervention methods like carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and solar radiation modification (SRM), and it fills a critical gap in public understanding and policy guidance. Since its release, the framework has been downloaded more than 1,300 times, translated into 10 languages, presented at over 30 events, and shared with stakeholders across 6 continents.

Member Spotlight

Interested in being featured in our next SY Newsletter or know someone who we should feature? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch.

Follow SY!

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JULY 2025

Submit AGU25 Abstracts - Due 30 July 2025

Yet another AGU Annual Meeting is almost here, and session abstract submissions are now open. Excitingly, the Science and Society (SY) Section is leading ~50 sessions at this year’s meeting on a variety of topics ranging from supporting geosciences workforce development and AI to societal resilience and methods for developing impactful sciences. As usual, this year, Science and Society Section will host five track sessions:

You are also welcome to find a more specific SY session that fits your topic of abstract. Abstracts are due July 30, 2025, 23:59 EDT/03:59 UTC and we look forward to many of you submitting your abstracts to any of the ~50 Science and Society sessions!

New this year is the AGU Session Finder, an innovative and easy way to find the session that best fits your research. AGU has also launched a pilot program for first-time presenters to get one-on-one help with their presentation, and have recently published a guide for anyone submitting an abstract for the first time.

AGU Career Resources and Programs

The AGU Career Center provides resources, advice and job listings for careers that span the Earth and space sciences. As many AGU scientists are being impacted by the current challenges for science funding, the AGU career center can be used for finding advice, resources, programs, services, and support for students and professionals at all levels in Earth and space science. Employers and recruiters can access the most qualified talent pool with relevant work experience to fulfill staffing needs. Job seekers can develop their career by attending regular career advice webinars and workshops, apply for hundreds of jobs, and post their resume online. There are several new resources from AGU available at https://findajob.agu.org/staticpages/12004/agu-career-resources-and-programs/

Useful Toolkits

  • Nurture Your Mental Health in Academia Amid Challenging Times: Building up your career as a young scientist is hard enough. How do you navigate it while managing the other facets of your life? This article in Science highlights early career scientists’ journey and how they nurtured their mental health and well-being through the difficulties they faced.

  • How Busy People Find Joy: Joy, along with achievement and meaningfulness, is one of the three keys to a satisfying life. While you may feel achievement and meaningfulness from your work and family, joy is often experienced during your free time. In this article in Harvard Business Review, learn about the five strategies that will help you get more out of your free time.

Travel Support for AGU25

As the AGU Annual Meeting approaches, the Science and Society Section would like to use the newsletter as a resource for AGU members looking for travel support to AGU25 (see AGU25 website). Please see these upcoming opportunities.

Due 15 July 2025:

Due 13 August 2025: 

  • AGU Student Travel Grants

    • Requires that applicants be a first author on an abstract and enrolled in high school, undergraduate, or graduate school.

    • Provides up to $1,000 to support either in-person or virtual attendance.

  • Lloyd V. Berkner Travel Fellowships

    • Be an active AGU member under age of 35.

    • Low and middle-low income country, international students, and scholars.

    • Fully cover expenses of in-person attendance (registration, airfare, lodging, dining, visa fees, etc.).

    • Virtual attendees will receive an award amount of $2500 USD, with $1500 USD to cover Meeting-related expenses and $1000 USD to cover educational expenses.

  • David E. Lumley Young Scientist Scholarship

    • High school or undergraduate student interested in exploring a career in energy or environmental sciences.

    • $1000 scholarship and $500 to support travel to AGU Annual Meeting 

  • The Basu Innovation Scholar Grant

    • Up to $2000 to support an early-career scientist/recent Ph.D. graduate to attend AGU24 (virtually or in-person).

Due September 10, 2025:

Due 15 September 2025:

  • Faculty Travel Grant for AGU Annual Meeting 

    • AGU will support up to 50 first-time faculty attendees from under-resourced institutions, including Emerging Research Institutions (ERI), Minority Serving Institutions (MSI), and community colleges (2YC) to attend AGU25.

    • In addition to a travel stipend, the travel grant awardees will have the opportunity to participate in a professional development workshop, networking and social events, and are expected to review student presentations.

Member Spotlight

Name: Kyra Selina Hagge
Affiliation: East Carolina University
Title:  PhD candidate/graduate research assistant

 SY Experiences: Do we do something for the greater good at a cost to the individuals, or do we lift up those individuals at a cost to the greater good? A fundamental question asked in many social dilemmas, which has been fascinating me since a young age. Why are we still not making the necessary changes in our human systems, in the economy or society, needed to prosper in the future? At the end of my master's degree in economics I felt like I had some of the answers, but I lacked the environmental knowledge, I didn't quite know how the natural systems worked that are paramount to our thriving on this planet. So, I enrolled in my current interdisciplinary PhD degree at East Carolina University called "Integrated Coastal Sciences", to learn about hydrogeology. My dissertation is focused on understanding how individual human behavior and cooperation affect water quality, through individual on-site wastewater treatment systems (septic systems). I am passionate about giving policy makers and stakeholders the tools to understand the environmental costs so they can decide what to prioritize: the greater good or the individual freedom.

I would love to connect - so please reach out!


Interested in being featured in our next SY Newsletter or know someone who we should feature?  Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch .

Call for Volunteers

Help foster the science and society community at AGU! Fill out this form to volunteer and nominate colleagues to become more involved in SY section activities and leadership. Check out our list of current SY volunteers to get a sense of the various positions!

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JUNE 2025

AGU Update: National Climate Assessment
AGU is partnering with the American Meteorological Society (AMS) to launch a new special collection aimed at maintaining the research momentum of the National Climate Assessment (NCA). Congressionally mandated, the NCA advances climate science and maintains scientific integrity but the Administration’s recent dismissal of authors and staff has hindered this work. The new special collection being led by AGU and AMS does not replace the NCA but instead creates a mechanism for this important work to continue. This new, first-of-its-kind, special collection (comprising over 29 peer-reviewed journals) will focus on all aspects of climate change in the United States, including observations, projections, impacts, risks, and solutions. This special collection is a unique and open opportunity for the scientific community to share their work in support of any U.S.-based scientific assessment. Submission details are forthcoming and will be posted and shared across all AGU platforms. You can learn more about this initiative here.

You can learn more about other activities at AGU on The Prow. 
AGU Resource: Scholarships & Grants
Did you know AGU offers 14 different travel grants and scholarships for students and early-career researchers? Some of these opportunities are tailored towards specific sections while others are open to many individuals. For example, AGU has a Student Travel Grant (for supporting travel to AGU Annual Meeting), Berkner Travel Fellowship (tailored towards international students), and the David S. Miller Young Scientist Scholarship (can be used for research or travel). If you are interested in additional support for your work, we encourage you to check out these opportunities. Applications will open in July 2025.
Upcoming Event: Sally
Known as the first American woman to launch into space, Sally Ride has made her mark in history. However, little is known about her personal life until now. In a Sally Ride documentary, you can learn more about her incredible journey. Learn more here. For those in the Washington D.C. area, you can attend a screening on Sunday, 15 June (use promo code SPACE10 for 10% discount) at the Burke Theatre at the US Navy Memorial.
Member Spotlight
Name: Matthew A. Bizer
Affiliation: University of Connecticut
Title: Research Specialist
SY Experiences: I am passionate about addressing our environmental polycrisis of climate change, emerging contaminants, and other intersecting challenges. Two of my undergraduate summer research experiences included helping to develop environmentally friendly oil spill cleanup methods, and working to develop butanol as a renewable energy source. While these projects demonstrated great promise and ecological advantages, they never reached uptake, struggling with the human dimensions of innovation. As a result, I became engaged in policy and organizing alongside my undergraduate studies, aiming toward a career that brings science and society closer together. I chose my doctoral program at the University of Connecticut for the opportunity to work in science-policy interactions, specifically for critical infrastructure that must adapt to the polycrisis. I dedicated myself to interdisciplinary research collaborations, particularly those directly involving key actors/decision-makers in water resources infrastructure. For my dissertation fieldwork, I worked at the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management to lead a participatory research project that produced new insights on the uptake (or not) of transformative climate adaptation in the wastewater sector. My collaborators and I learned that transformative adaptation in infrastructure is driven by organizational culture and learning, and by trust in forward-thinking external actors that provide information, funding, and technical assistance. I am now working on a public-sector report to communicate these findings to applicable regulatory agencies and their regulated communities. To best help society address our environmental polycrisis, I believe that accessible communications and contributions do far more than publishing a dissertation and journal publications alone! I am actively seeking opportunities to continue applying these lessons to bring science, society, and intersecting sectors closer together.

Interested in being featured in our next SY Newsletter or know someone who we should feature?  Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch .
Call for Volunteers
Help foster the science and society community at AGU! Fill out this form to volunteer and nominate colleagues to become more involved in SY section activities and leadership. Check out our list of current SY volunteers to get a sense of the various positions!

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APRIL 2025

What has AGU been up to in the U.S.?
In these tumultuous times, it is hard to know who is doing what at all times. Here are a few highlights about what AGU was up to during March:
  • On March 4, AGU joined as a plaintiff in a lawsuit before the United States District Court, Northern District of California, arguing that the firings of probationary employees in agencies across the federal government were illegally directed by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, and that the impacts of this reduced federal scientific workforce has harmed the economy, public health, environment, and national security. The U.S. Supreme Court has allowed the firings to remain in effect while the case plays out in the lower court.
  • On 14 March in a From the Prow post, AGU strongly advocated against Congress's continued reliance on short-term continuing resolutions, emphasizing that stopgap funding harms U.S. science, delays critical research, and creates instability for scientists and public agencies. We’re asking members to call on lawmakers to pass full-year appropriations that reflect the urgency of challenges like climate change, public health, and innovation—and to ensure science remains a national priority supported with sustained, predictable investment.
  • On 20 March, AGU was proud to announce it was hosting a new alliance of U.S.-based academic institutions—called the USAA-IPCC—to nominate scientists to the IPCC’s Seventh Assessment working groups. This initiative ensures U.S. experts remain engaged in shaping global climate science, especially as federal participation becomes uncertain. It’s a critical step in protecting scientific leadership, advancing evidence-based climate policy, and reinforcing AGU’s role as a convener of global scientific collaboration.
  • On 26 March, AGU’s Editors-in-Chief published a powerful editorial reaffirming their commitment to publishing evidence-based Earth and space science that is free from political interference. In the face of growing challenges to scientific integrity, they emphasize that AGU journals will remain a trusted platform for rigorous, peer-reviewed research that informs solutions and upholds the core values of transparency, independence, global collaboration, and inclusivity.
  • On 27 March, AGU hosted its annual Local Science Partners Congressional Visit Day, where scientists from across the country met with lawmakers to advocate for strong federal support for Earth and space science. These conversations focused on how federal science is critical for local communities and national competitiveness—and reinforced the importance of sustained research funding and science-informed policy. Our Science Policy and Government Relations program is following up with the AGU Days of Action initiative, which begins with a push to support scientists in engaging legislators in their home districts.
Leverage AGU Career Resources
Did you know that AGU has career development resources? Whether you are looking to launch your career or make a change, AGU members have exclusive access to virtual group discussions on career development topics in the geosciences, led by professionals who understand career struggles. Connect with peers, gain insights, and develop a personalized action plan to advance your career - join today!

Did you know that AGU has also set up a community on AGU Connect for members impacted by job and funding losses? Participants can use this forum to share information and resources with one another. You can also check out this  AGU Member Resources Page.
AGU Annual Meeting Proposals Due 23 April
When you submit a proposal for AGU25, you are shaping the discussion at the annual meeting, as well as more broadly within the Earth and space sciences community. Please join us in elevating topics that facilitate a stronger connection between science and society! The deadline for proposing sessions for the AGU25 is Wednesday 23 April 2025. Submit a proposal here.

We look forward to seeing all the incredible ways our members are connecting Earth and space science with societies.
Editor-In-Chief Opening: Perspectives for Earth and Space Scientists 1 May 2025
The AGU journal Perspectives of Earth and Space Scientists is seeking an Editor-in-Chief to start 1 January 2026. This is a great opportunity for someone to:
  • Set the editorial vision and strategic direction of a leading scientific journal
  • Collaborate with top researchers across the globe
  • Drive the publication of groundbreaking scientific discoveries
  • Play a key role in advancing Earth and space science
For any questions, feel free to contact us at  pubmatters@agu.org . You can also nominate a colleague by sending a letter of recommendation to  pubmatters@agu.org  with the journal name in the subject line.
The application period is now open and runs through 1 May 2025. Learn more and apply here.
Call for Volunteers
Help foster the science and society community at AGU! Fill out this form to volunteer and nominate colleagues to become more involved in SY section activities and leadership. Check out our list of current SY volunteers to get a sense of the various positions!

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March 2025

Acknowledging Unusual Times
With any new administration, there is always some churn, but are aware that the current transition is proving more turbulent and chaotic. Now more than ever, it is crucial to continue fostering our community and support each other through the churn that many are experiencing. To that end, the AGU Science and Society Section leadership are committed to supporting the needs of our members, and continue providing a space that encourages and promotes societally relevant geosciences work. We want to spotlight our members who are actively working at the intersection of Science and Society. Your efforts in connecting science and societal needs are even more valuable during these turbulent times, so please reach out to us if you would like to be featured in our newsletters. We also encourage you to nominate teams for our SY team award. Finally, we will continue to highlight useful resources in future newsletters, and in our LinkedIn group so please join our group on LinkedIn for more updates.
Nominations for Team Award are Open! 27 March 2025
AGU’s SY Section is excited to announce the opening of nominations for our section’s team-based honor! Producing scientific knowledge for societal benefit often means advancing scientific understanding as a collaborative activity between researchers and those the research aims to serve (e.g., practitioners, communities, and other producers and users of scientific knowledge and technology). The “Science for Society Team Award” recognizes successful efforts and advances at the interface of science and society, including but not limited to the use of co-production models, jointly produced research, research-to-operations, and partnerships to build scientific capacity. This award is unique to AGU in that it is designed to recognize a team of researchers and their partners, with the goal of jointly addressing societal needs. New this year, we welcome both peer and self-nominations.

The nomination period is now open and runs through 27 March 2025. Learn more and nominate a team here.
Member Highlight
Interested in being featured in our next SY Newsletter or know someone who we should feature? Fill out this form and we’ll be in touch!

Name: Thushara Gunda
Affiliation: Sandia National Labs
Title: Principal Member of Technical Staff
SY Experiences: My foray into science and society began during my undergraduate studies. I was studying distribution of mercury in the leaves and soils of the Shenandoah mountains and had discovered there were significant differences between the western and eastern side of the mountains. After a presentation, a colleague asked me if I was planning to share these findings with local communities, which hadn’t been on my radar. This question ended up being a watershed moment for me. Since then, I actively incorporate considerations for possible use/users of my scientific findings as I design the research. This has resulted in my research products shifting from only peer-reviewed research to consider technical reports and release of open-source software to small-group community presentations. Over the years, however, I have observed a mismatch in timelines and metrics between scientific and societal discourses. For example, the latter might want things faster than the former is able to provide while the former might not necessarily recognize the effort or need for engaging with the latter. So how could we create better structures and processes to better realize the potential between science and society? As the president-elect for our section, I am excited to continue probing into these important questions with our community (AGU and beyond).
Call for Volunteers
Help foster the science and society community at AGU! Fill out this form to volunteer and nominate colleagues to become more involved in SY section activities and leadership. Check out our list of current SY volunteers to get a sense of the various positions!

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February 2025

AGU Annual Meeting Recap!
We can’t believe that another AGU Annual Meeting has come and gone (and that we are already planning for AGU25!). A huge thank you to all the session conveners, Outstanding Student Presentation Award judges, presenters, and everyone else who helped AGU24 Annual Meeting be a success. It is rewarding to see our Science and Society (SY) community continue to grow and come together to share the progress we’ve made, and some of the challenges we’ve faced, over the last year. As usual, we look forward to continuing these conversations as a section throughout 2025. See below for a couple highlights from our business meeting and the Art and Science plenary.
  • SY Luncheon


At the Science and Society luncheon at AGU in December, SY leadership shared many highlights from this past year. If you missed them or want to see them again, flip through our slideshow.
  • Art and Science Plenary Recap - “What’s next for corals?”


The theme of this year’s art and science plenary was “What’s next for corals?” and featured an interdisciplinary dialogue between distinguished NOAA coral reef ecologist, Derek Manzello, and an acclaimed artist and ocean advocate, Courtney Mattison, who offered insights into the impacts of climate change on coral ecosystems.The discussion was moderated by Rebeka Ryvola de Kremer, artist, activist, podcaster, and story strategist with the Red Cross Red Crescent Climate Centre.

The plenary highlighted the transformative power of the arts in engaging the public and shining a light on the collaborative benefits between the arts and sciences. Our goals are to elevate awareness of climate change impacts on coral reefs; to inform about coral conservation; to inspire active participation in broader environmental conversations; and to explore innovative pathways to solutions.
Nominations for Team Award are Open! Deadline 13 March 2025
AGU’s SY Section is excited to announce the opening of nominations for our section’s team-based honor! Producing scientific knowledge for societal benefit often means advancing scientific understanding as a collaborative activity between researchers and those the research aims to serve (e.g., practitioners, communities, and other producers and users of scientific knowledge and technology). The “Science for Society Team Award” recognizes successful efforts and advances at the interface of science and society, including but not limited to the use of co-production models, jointly produced research, research-to-operations, and partnerships to build scientific capacity. This award is unique to AGU in that it is designed to recognize a team of researchers and their partners, with the goal of jointly addressing societal needs. New this year, we welcome both peer and self-nominations.

The nomination period is now open and runs through 13 March 2025. Learn more and nominate a team here.
Recruiting for SY Leadership



Many thanks to the members of our outgoing 2024 Executive Committee who are rotating off! We are incredibly grateful for your hard work and dedication to representing the interests of our members both at and outside of the Annual Meeting! 

Help foster the science and society community at AGU! Fill out this form to volunteer and nominate colleagues to become more involved in SY section activities and leadership. Check out our list of current SY volunteers to get a sense of the various positions!
Member Highlight
Name: Dabo Guan
Affiliation: Tsinghua University and University College London (UCL)
Title: Professor



Tell us about your science and society experiences: I specialise in environmental economics for international climate change mitigation, climate change adaptation, scenario analysis on environmental impacts, water resources accounting and management, input-output modelling and their applications in both developed and developing countries. I serve as the Chief Scientist in coordinating the China-EU Flagship Cooperation Programme on Climate Change and Biodiversity. I was a Lead Author for the IPCC AR5. I was the Highly Cited Researcher for 2018-2023, top thousand climate academics. I have authored over 300+ publications, including 9 articles published in Nature, and 60+ in Nature Research Journals, and PNAS. I received the PNAS Cozzarelli Prize 2014, the Leontief Prize 3 times and the Philip Leverhulme Prize. My research received 2018, 2019 and 2020 Altimetric Top 100 awards.

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