Serve Environmental Geosciences through DEG
Every year both the AAPG and its divisions call on its members to step forward into leadership roles as they are able. As the Immediate past president of the Division of Environmental Sciences, one way that I serve the Division is to seek officer candidates for open positions in 2020-21. Open DEG positions are the president-elect, vice-president and editor. While we have written descriptions of each office and its duties (available upon request), let me share my observations on these officer positions.
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Every year both the AAPG and its divisions call on its members to step forward into leadership roles as they are able. As the Immediate past president of the Division of Environmental Sciences, one way that I serve the Division is to seek officer candidates for open positions in 2020-21. Open DEG positions are the president-elect, vice-president and editor. While we have written descriptions of each office and its duties (available upon request), let me share my observations on these officer positions.
The president-elect makes a longer commitment to the Division, as that person will become DEG president the following year. The most important job the president-elect does is to observe the Division, interact with the DEG officers and Advisory Council, and understand the greater role that environmental geosciences can and do play in AAPG. You are planning out your presidency for the following year. The DEG presidency does not consume a great deal of time, and understanding our Division and how to plan your year will allow you to be a much more effective leader. Immediate past presidents, current presidents and the president-elect are committed to helping each other understand the duties and roles of the DEG president and the Division as a whole.
The DEG vice-president is a one-year position. That person’s main role is in reach out to the sections and regions by serving as the DEG Advisory Board’s chair. Active members of the Advisory Council can assist sectional, national and international meeting planning committees by helping to arrange quality environmental geosciences programs. The VP also acts as the Awards Committee chair. Dan Jackson, 2018-19 VP, played an active role in assisting the ICE 2019 planning committee in putting together environmental geosciences-related talks. Current VP Autumn Haagsma helped organize CCUS-related talks given at both the AAPG Eastern Section and 2019 ACE meetings to be published in the DEG’s journal.
The DEG editor is a two-year position. The main work of the DEG editor is responsibility for the content and quality of material published in the division’s quarterly journal, Environmental Geosciences. Dr. Olga Popova, the current DEG editor, has successfully overseen the EG journal, including a special edition on carbon capture, utilization and storage and the geosciences. She has served as a leader to other DEG officers and members to promote and attract high quality environmental geosciences manuscripts for our journal.
It is an interesting and challenging time in the environmental geosciences, especially as applied to the role of the petroleum industry in developing natural resources in a responsible manner. DEG is not a large group, but our impact through meetings and our journal are significant to the AAPG membership and the larger environmental geosciences community. Please consider how you can serve. Write me at [email protected] if you are interested in knowing more about these offices.