I’m excited for a new journey for myself and 34 fellow AGU members…

Announcing our 2019 #VoicesForScience class! These amazing scientists will spend a year w/ @AGU_SciComm & @AGUSciPolicy diving into #scicomm, #scinews, & #scipol to become better science advocates. More here: https://t.co/y3xsFsxdCK & Twitter here: https://t.co/eS73TosOTK pic.twitter.com/1ovKWtgttd

— Am Geophysical Union (@theAGU) March 25, 2019

This is the second year that the AGU Sharing Science program has gathered scientists who are actively sharing their science with a variety of important audiences in key locations (see Class of 2019). This year’s cohort of Voices for Science advocates is a group of 35 individuals selected from a competitive pool of over 200 applicants, split into two groups (science communication and science policy) to amplify the “voice of science” and to build valuable dialogues and relationships with communities, journalists, and stakeholders.

Part of the requirements for the Voices for Science advocates includes conducting an outreach activity a month for a full year. In order to best prepare to do this, the Class of 2019 has gathered in Washington DC for a two-day professional development workshop to work on our communication/engagement plans and develop our community that will continue to meet virtually on a monthly basis.

We started the evening before the first full day with a reception at the newly-remodeled AGU headquarters building. On a side note – if you have a chance to visit the building and take a tour, and/or if you need some space to work the next time you are in DC, this is a must-see! Start online with https://building.agu.org/.

I’m finishing up the evening with completing the worksheets we were provided ahead of time to help us identify our target audiences, their interests, our goals, etc. The challenge for me has been to stick with my own development plan! When I came down on Amtrak to DC earlier today, I was still adjusting and modifying what I envision working on for the next year! But it is all exciting to think about and to know that the work I will complete with the support of my new AGU community will be making a difference for individuals, groups, science, and society.

In fact, this quote at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial at the tidal basin in DC I’m using to remind myself why this work is important – that as a scientist and educator, I can’t sit back and watch the attacks on and arguments against proven science. I can’t be comfortable on the sidelines and in my classroom – time for me to push myself even further with outreach and engagement, and the Voices for Science program will help me be an even better advocate for Earth science.

Stay tuned for more blog posts on my journey as a part of the Voices for Science community! I’m also posting on Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #DrGvoice