Geological Society of America Announces 2020–2021 Fellows for Science
Policy and Communication
Boulder, CO, USA: GSA welcomes three new 2020–2021 Fellows who will assist
with efforts to increase efficacy in serving society through science.
The 35th GSA-USGS Congressional Science Fellow (CSF) is Charles Gertler, a climate scientist with a broad
background in earth sciences and public policy. Gertler has worked on the
physics of the atmosphere, glaciers, and sea level, as well as
geoengineering, air quality, and energy policy. He recently earned his
Ph.D. at MIT, where his doctoral work focused on the extratropical storm
tracks and their response to climate changes. Outside of research, he has
been consistently engaged on issues of science policy and community. For
example, as co-chair of the 11th annual Graduate Climate Conference,
Gertler helped expand emphasis on the social sciences, science outreach,
and the science-policy interface.
Before his Ph.D., Gertler worked for an intergovernmental environmental
research organization in Kathmandu, Nepal, where he led a field campaign to
assess the effects of air pollution on high altitude Himalayan glaciers. He
holds an M.Phil. from the University of Cambridge in glaciology and an A.B.
from Harvard College in environmental science and public policy, where his
thesis addressed the potential for utility-scale solar power in China. “I
am thrilled to bring these experiences to Capitol Hill and build on them as
the GSA-USGS Congressional Science Fellow,” said Gertler.
Connor Dacey
has been appointed to serve as the 2020–2021 GSA Science Policy Fellow in
Washington, D.C. Dacey is a recent graduate from the University of Delaware
where he received a Ph.D. in disaster science and management after
finishing his dissertation, “The Perceptions of Storm Spotters as part of a
Natural Hazards Integrated Warning System.” While obtaining his Ph.D.,
Dacey worked as both a graduate teaching assistant and graduate research
assistant at the Disaster Research Center (DRC), where he helped spearhead
the DRC It! Initiative. This initiative aimed to make disaster research
more accessible to emergency management practitioners, media outlets, and
disaster research scholars on a variety of emergency management topics such
as hurricane evacuation decision making and business preparedness and
continuity.
Dacey is also a meteorologist, having obtained both B.S. and M.S. degrees
in meteorology and atmospheric and oceanic sciences from Florida State
University and the University of Wisconsin–Madison, respectively. His
interests lie at the intersection of both the meteorological and emergency
management industries, specifically as it relates to science communication
and policy regarding topics such as climate change, disaster preparedness,
and renewable energy. Dacey has completed internships in research,
operational, and broadcasting positions in both industries. He has been the
recipient of numerous honors and awards including the National Weather
Association David Sankey Minority Scholarship in Meteorology and the
Schwerdtfeger Award for Academic Excellence in the First Year of Graduate
Studies, and has been named an Ernest F. Hollings Scholar, a Truman
Scholarship Finalist, and a Florida State University Rhodes Scholar
Nominee.
Rebecca Dzombak
began her term on 1 July as the 2020–2021 GSA Science Communication Fellow.
In this role, Dzombak will help translate technical research from GSA
journals and presentations into relatable stories for non-technical
audiences.
Dzomback is a Ph.D candidate in earth and environmental sciences at the
University of Michigan. After receiving a dual B.S. in communication
studies and earth & environmental. science, she opted to stay in
geology to research how terrestrial nutrient cycles have changed over
Earth’s history. Her research has taken her to India, New Zealand, Norway,
Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and the southwestern U.S. Visiting this array
of inspiring environments instilled a sense of curiosity that she passes on
to readers through her writing. In addition to her graduate-school duties,
she has been covering climate change and environment research and serving
as editor-in-chief for the Michigan chapter of the Association for Women in
Science blog, which she founded as a platform for Michigan women in STEM to
share their stories. Now in her fifth and final year of her Ph.D., she is
excited to bring her skillsets together as GSA’s Science Communication
Fellow, where she looks forward to sharing both cutting-edge geoscience
research and the unique stories of people carrying it out.
Dzomback’s writing interests focus on the intersection of science and
society, ranging from covering the latest climate change studies to
critically examining how gender and race impact both science and science
communication. To this end, she aims to use this position to increase
visibility and representation of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, as well as
geoscientists from other traditionally underrepresented groups in the
geosciences by highlighting their work and providing them a platform with
GSA. She is looking forward to getting to know the GSA community of
researchers better and hearing their stories. More information can be found
on her website.
# # #
The Geological Society of America, founded in 1888, is a scientific society
with members from academia, government, and industry in more than 100
countries. Through its meetings, publications, and programs, GSA enhances
the professional growth of its members and promotes the geosciences in the
service of humankind. Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, USA, GSA
encourages cooperative research among earth, life, planetary, and social
scientists, fosters public dialogue on geoscience issues, and supports all
levels of earth science education.
www.geosociety.org