Meet the Council

MEET THE AGU COUNCIL

AGU Leadership: Council

AGU's Council enables input from leaders representing a wide variety of our members. While the Board is responsible for the overall health of the organization, the Council is responsible for scientific affairs. The Council plays three unique and critical roles: forming science policy, generating and deliberating science-related ideas, and advising on science and member issues.

The Council is chaired by AGU’s president-elect who, along with AGU’s executive director/CEO, president, past president, and Council vice chair, serves on both the Board and Council to ensure consistency, continuity and communication throughout AGU leadership. The Council meets four times per year, in a combination of virtual and in-person meetings.

Council Code of Conduct

Leadership Criteria for the Council (PDF)

AGU Leadership Council

Council Leadership Team

The Council Leadership Team has nine members and meets monthly by conference call; it has the authority to conduct Council affairs in between full Council meetings. AGU’s president-elect chairs the Council Leadership Team and the seven members are elected by the Council, including one who serves as Council vice chair. AGU’s executive director/CEO is a nonvoting member.

Council Leadership

2025-2026 Council

Brandon Jones

Brandon Jones

AGU President

Ben Zaitchik

Ben Zaitchik

AGU President-elect, Council Chair

Janice Lachance headshot

Janice Lachance

Interim Executive Director and CEO

Headshot of Rachel Abercrombie

Rachel Abercrombie

President, Seismology section

Headshot of Jonathan Ajo-Franklin

Jonathan Ajo-Franklin

President, Near-Surface Geophysics section

Aderonke Obafaye

Aderonke Akerele

Early Career Scientist

Maya Almaraz

Maya Almaraz

Early Career Scientist

Headshot of Suzanne Anderson

Suzanne Anderson

President, Earth and Planetary Surface Processes section

Headshot of Krisa Arzayus

Krisa Arzayus

President, Earth and Space Science Informatics section

Headshot of Sonja Behnke

Sonja Behnke

President, Atmospheric and Space Electricity section

Soumaya Belmecheri

Soumaya Belmecheri

Chair, Position Statement Committee

Headshot of Emily Bernhardt

Emily Bernhardt

President, Biogeosciences section

Julie Bowles

Julie Bowles

President-elect, Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism & Electromagentism section

Eric Bruning

Eric Bruning

President-elect, Atmospheric and Space Electricity section

Sanlyn Buxner

Sanlyn Buxner

President-elect, Education section

Headshot of Wendy Calvin

Wendy Calvin

President, Planetary Sciences section

Headshot of Enrico Camporeale

Enrico Camporeale

President, Nonlinear Geophysics section

Guido Cervone

Guido Cervone

Chair, Annual Meeting Program Committee

Somita Chaudhari

Somita Chaudhari

Student

Kai Chen

Kai Chen

President-elect, GeoHealth section

Headshot of Amy Clement

Amy Clement

President, Atmospheric Sciences section

Headshot of Steven Constable

Steven Constable

President, Geomagnetism, Paleomagnetism & Electromagnetism section

Bianca Corpuz

Bianca Corpuz

Student

Ingrid Daubar

Ingrid Daubar

President-elect, Planetary Science section

Headshot of Marie Edmonds

Marie Edmonds

President, Volcanology, Geochemistry, and Petrology section

James Famiglietti

Jay Famiglietti

President-elect, Hydrology section

Maya Fields

Maya Fields

Student

Alice Fremand

Alice Fremand

Chair, Data Management Advisory Board

Edward Garnero

Edward Garnero

President-elect, Seismology section

Andrew Gettelman

Andrew Gettelman

President- elect , Atmospheric Sciences section

Deb Glickson

Deb Glickson

Chair, Meetings Committee

Lisa Graumlich

Lisa Graumlich

Chair, Leadership Development and Governance Committee, AGU Past-president

Charles Greene

Chuck Greene

President-elect, Ocean Sciences section

Ian Grooms

Ian Grooms

President-elect, Nonlinear Geophysics section

Thushara Gunda

Thushara Gunda

President-elect, Science and Society section

Yun Hang

Yun Hang

Student

Steven Hauck II

Steven A. Hauck II

Chair, Publications Committee

Headshot of Kripa Jagannathan

Kripa Jagannathan

President, Science and Society section

Headshot of Jonathan Jiang

Jonathan H. Jiang

President, Global Environmental Change section

Kristina Keating

Kristina Keating

President-elect, Near Surface Geophysics section

Eric Kirby

Eric Kirby

President-elect, Earth and Planetary Surface Processes section

Headshot of Matthew Kirby

Matthew Kirby

President, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimatology section

Headshot of Venkat Lakshmi

Venkataraman Lakshmi

President, Hydrology section

Nadia Lapusta

Nadia Lapusta

President-elect, Tectonophysics section

Michael Liemohn

Michael Liemohn

President-elect, Space Physics and Aeronomy section

Headshot of Jory Lerback

JoryLerback

Early Career Scientist

Headshot of Laura Lukes

Laura Lukes

President, Education section

Carlos Martinez

Carloz Martinez

Early Career Scientist

Headshot of Lisa McNeill

Lisa McNeill

President, Tectonophysics section

Headshot of Lorrayne Miralha

Lorrayne Miralha

Early Career Scientist

Jessica Oster

Jessica Oster

President-elect, Paleoceanography and Paleoclimateolgy section

Elizabeth Patterson

Elizabeth Patterson

Early Career Scientist

Headshot of Dana Peterson

Dana Peterson

Early Career Scientist

Matthew Preisser

Matthew Preisser

Student

Yuhan Rao

Yuhan Rao

Chair, Honors and Recognition Committee

Headshot of Kathy Reeves

Kathy Reeves

President, Space Physics and Aeronomy section

Headshot of Asa Rennermalm

Åsa Rennermalm

President, Cryosphere section

Tyrone Rooney

Tyrone Rooney

President-elect, Volcanology, Geochemistry and Petrology section

Lauren Schaefer

Lauren Schaefer

President-elect, Natural Hazards section

Headshot of Nicholas Schmerr

Nicholas Schmerr

President, Study of the Earth’s Deep Interior section

Sybil Setizinger

Sybil Seitzinger

Chair, College of Fellows

Sudhir Shrestha

Sudhir Shrestha

President-elect, Informatics section

McKenzie Skiles

McKenzie Skiles

President-elect, Cryosphere section

Anne Socquet

Anne Socquet

President-elect, Geodesy section

Headshot of Janet Sprintall

Janet Sprintall

President, Ocean Sciences section

Headshot of Daniel Tong

Daniel Tong

President, GeoHealth section

Rodrigo Vargas

Rodrigo Vargas

President-elect, Biogeosciences section

Marie Violay

Marie Violay

President-elect, Mineral and Rock Physics section

Headshot of Laura Wallace

Laura Wallace

President, Geodesy section

Headshot of Christelle Wauthier

Christelle Wauthier

President, Natural Hazards section

Headshot of Renata Wentzcovitch

Renata Wentzcovitch

President, Mineral and Rock Physics section

Lisa White

Lisa White

Chair, Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee

Branwen Williams

Branwen Williams

President-elect, Global Environmental Change section

Jin Zhang

Catherine Johnson

President-elect, Study of the Earth's Deep Interior section

Mei Zheng

Mei Zheng

Vice Chair, Global Engagement Committee