Past EGU employees
This page list past EGU employees who worked at the EGU Executive Office in Munich.
-
Nov 2021 – Mar 2024
Gillian D'Souza
Gillian D’Souza is originally from Mumbai, India. At present, she is Media and Communications Officer at the European Geosciences Union. She oversees the Union’s blog writing, press interactions and media communication. She has been a science writer on various subjects including health and the environment since 2014.
Gillian has an M.Sc. in Food Microbiology and Biochemistry, with her thesis centred on bacterial food infections causing meningitis. Before EGU, Gillian worked in the Communications team at a multinational pharmaceutical company, and prior to that, in the healthcare team of a global public relations agency, and a reputed peer-reviewed medical journal.
-
Feb 2022 – Dec 2022
Berit Schwichtenberg
Berit joined the EGU office in early 2022 as the first Editorial Manager, supporting the work of our 19 Open Access journals, our preprint server (EGUsphere) and the Publications Committee. As the first person to hold this position, she has been actively involved in shaping and directing the tasks of her new role. It has always been important for her to act as a strong link between the editors and the publishing house.
A structural geologist by training, Berit graduated with a PhD in geology from the University of Edinburgh, UK, in 2021. Her research interests are in the field of experimental rock deformation and the microstructural record of deformation events.
In late 2022, Berit returned to academia when she was offered a unique opportunity to combine her passions for teaching and research at an early stage of her career. She will remain in our EGU community as a passionate advocate of open access publishing and an active ECS member. -
Oct 2019 – May 2021
Terri Cook
Terri Cook joined the office in 2019 to oversee the EGU’s media, communications, and outreach activities and serve as the liaison between the Union and its membership, the press, and the general public. In addition to producing EGU news articles, press releases, and the monthly EGU newsletter, she manages the press office at the EGU General Assembly and coordinates all press activities at the conference. She also works on outreach efforts such as Planet Press, an EGU educational project that brings geoscience news to children, parents, and teachers.
Terri’s interest in the geosciences began at an early age while growing up in a home whose cornerstone was a meteorite. Thinking about the uncharted journeys that rock must have taken sparked Terri’s passions for geology and storytelling and inspired her career as a science communicator. Prior to joining the EGU, Terri worked as a science and travel writer, penning award-winning content for clients and outlets ranging from the U.S. Geological Survey, Eos, Scientific American, and New Scientist to Lonely Planet and the L.A. Times travel section. She previously worked as the Outreach Director for the Extreme Ice Survey and as a member of the environmental studies faculty at a liberal arts college in Arizona.
Terri earned a master’s degree in geology at the University of California-Santa Cruz and an undergraduate degree in archaeology from Tufts University. She is the author or co-author of five books, including Hiking the Grand Canyon’s Geology. Terri is a 2016 EGU Science Journalism Fellow, a 2019 AHCJ Fellow, and the 2019-2020 Science Communication Fellow for the Geological Society of America.
-
Feb 2018 – Dec 2019
Olivia Trani
Olivia Trani has been working as the EGU Communications Officer since February 2018. She is responsible for the management of the Union’s social media presence and the EGU blogs, where she writes regularly for the EGU’s official blog, GeoLog.
She is also the point of contact for early career scientists (ECS) at the EGU Office. In this capacity, she liaises with the ECS representatives and assists in their initiatives, provides EGU early career scientist members with relevant information and resources, and coordinates networking and career development activities.
Before joining the EGU Office, Olivia completed internships in science journalism and public information at the American Institute of Physics and the American Geophysical Union.
Olivia is originally from Richmond, Virginia in the United States. She received her undergraduate degrees in biology and environmental science at the College of William & Mary in 2016 and her master’s degree in science journalism from Boston University in 2017.
-
Sep 2011 – Sep 2019
Bárbara Ferreira
Bárbara Ferreira, a Portuguese citizen, started working at the EGU Executive Office in Munich, Germany, as EGU Media and Communications Officer in September 2011, being promoted to EGU Media and Communications Manager a couple of years later. She managed communications at EGU, including coordinating media-related and science communications between the Union and its membership, the working media, and the public at large. Her activities included producing EGU news items, press releases and the EGU newsletter, as well as managing the press office at the EGU General Assembly and coordinating all press activities at the conference. She also worked on Planet Press, an EGU educational project that brings geoscience news to children, parents and teachers.
Bárbara has also worked as a science writer specialising in astrophysics and space sciences, producing articles for the European Space Agency and others on a freelance basis. Before joining EGU, Bárbara worked as a public outreach assistant at the European Southern Observatory and as a freelance scientific editor. Prior to that, she was an assistant scientific adviser (on secondment from her PhD) at the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology in London.
Bárbara’s background is in physics, mathematics and astronomy. She completed an undergraduate degree in astronomy from the University of Porto, Portugal, in 2005, and a masters in applied mathematics (Part III of the Mathematical Tripos) from the University of Cambridge, UK, in 2006. She has a PhD in mathematical astrophysics, also from the University of Cambridge. Her thesis, completed and defended in 2010, focused on the variability of black-hole accretion discs.
-
Aug 2014 – Dec 2017
Laura Roberts Artal
Laura completed an undergraduate Masters in Geology at the University of Liverpool, where she investigated how and why magma/water interactions lead to typically explosive eruptions. After graduating, she spent three years in industry as an environmental consultant working on land contamination issues, before returning to Liverpool University to undertake a PhD researching whether the Earth had a magnetic field during the Archean, 3.5 billion years ago.
During her PhD she became an advocate for science outreach and communication. She regularly volunteered for the STEM Ambassador Network and Science Grrl, at outreach and public engagement events across the UK; designing and developing interactive activates for children and adults alike to raise the profile of Earth Sciences amongst the general public.
Laura was the EGU Communications Officer from the summer of 2014 to the end of 2017, a time during which she was in charge of the Union’s blog and social media activities as well as of liaising with the EGU’s early career scientists.
-
Sep 2015 – Dec 2016
Sarah Connors
Sarah Connors held the first Science Policy Fellowship at EGU. Based in the EGU Executive Office in Munich, Sarah’s responsibilities were two-fold: to inform EGU members on science policy issues, and to highlight the EGU’s scientific expertise to relevant policy institutions. These activities involved establishing the EGU website with science policy resources, organising relevant sessions at the General Assembly, providing a point of contact for policy organisations looking to find scientific advice, and representing the EGU at related conferences.
Before joining the EGU, Sarah studied for a PhD in Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of Cambridge. Her thesis focused on estimating greenhouse gas emissions in the East of England. Additionally, she spent 3 months working at the UK Centre for Science and Policy during her PhD.
-
Jan 2015 – Aug 2016
Leslie Anne Todd
Leslie was the second EGU Secretary. She ensured the smooth running of the EGU Executive Office in Munich for about a year and a half, starting in January 2015.
-
Sep 2010 – Sep 2014
Karen Resenberger
Karen was the first EGU Secretary. Together with the EGU Executive Secretary, she helped set up the Executive Office in Munich, where she worked from its early days until September 2014.
During her time at EGU, she provided assistance on all office matters, including administrative duties, human resources and meeting coordination.
-
Jan 2013 – Jul 2014
Sara Mynott
After completing a Masters in Environmental Geoscience at the University of Bristol, and a second in Marine Ecology, from Queen Mary University of London, Sara investigated areas such as: the use of microphones to monitor volcanoes; how crustacean fisheries can be managed effectively, and how warming climates may impact the fitness of cold-blooded animals.
She has a keen interest in informal education, having volunteered at many a science festival, school and exhibition centre. Before joining the EGU in January 2013, she worked for PLoS, which gave her a good grounding in the essentials of open access publishing and the merits of alternative ways to share and discuss research online.
As EGU Communications Officer from 2013 until the summer of 2014, Sara contributed to the EGU blog, run the EGU’s social media channels and contributed to the development of communications with young scientists.
-
Sep 2013 – May 2014
Jane Robb
Jane held the first Educational Fellowship at EGU. Jane, a Scottish citizen, has a bachelors degree in geology from the University of Edinburgh and an MRes in Heritage Science from University College London (UCL). Jane has a significant background in geoscience education and communication, working at a science centre, with schools delivering outreach and at a residential summer school over the past several years.
Jane’s role at the EGU was to develop and expand on the Union’s educational offering, working jointly with the Executive Office and the Committee on Education. In her time at the EGU, Jane worked on several projects including: I’m a Geoscientist, an innovative online educational event connecting school students with scientists; Planet Press, geoscience news for 7-11 year olds; Teacher’s Corner, Geolocations and Courses databases collating educational content; a collaboration with UNESCO to develop the first African Geosciences Information for Teachers workshop in South Africa; a GeoEd blog series on GeoLog and an educational strategy for the next three years.
In addition, Jane aided the media and communications team in creating content and editing contributions for the GeoQ monthly magazine and GeoLog blog, and convened sessions on geoscience education, and presented on best practice in schools outreach, at the EGU General Assembly.
-
Jan 2012 – Dec 2012
Edvard Glücksman
Edvard, a Swedish citizen, was EGU Science Communication Fellow in 2012, working on blogs, social media, and other communication and policy activities. Before joining EGU, he completed his doctorate (DPhil) at the University of Oxford, where his molecular biology project explored the diversity and ecology of Apusozoa, a phylum of free-living protozoan flagellates. During his PhD, he took an active interest in science policy and communication and spent three months on a NERC-funded Secondment to the UK Parliamentary Office of Science & Technology (POST), where he researched and wrote a parliamentary briefing on biodiversity offsetting, market-based conservation strategies.
Having served as a Trans-Atlantic Junior Fellow at the Colorado-based El Pomar Foundation, Edvard maintains a keen interest in large-scale transatlantic policy issues and was chosen to participate in the Emerging Leaders in Environment and Energy Policy (ELEEP) network, a project hosted by the Atlantic Council of the United States.
Edvard’s studies include an MSc degree from the University of Oxford as well as undergraduate degrees in Environmental Biology (BSc) from the University of St Andrews and Sociology/Psychology (BA) from McGill University.
-
Mar 2011 – Dec 2011
Jennifer Holden
The first EGU Fellowship was held by Jennifer Holden in 2011. A British national, she had recently completed her PhD in the Department of Geography, King’s College London, UK on Environmental Hazards (heavy-metal contamination). During her time at EGU she developed outreach networks with young and female scientists within the Union. These have included fostering relationships with discipline specific young scientists groups and beginning a Women in Geoscience Mentoring programme.
Alongside these activities, Jennifer coordinated and further developed EGU’s social media activities, focusing on the General Assembly. She had begun these on a voluntary basis for the General Assembly 2010 but during her fellowship she increased the activity on existing platforms (Twitter and blogging) and added new platforms (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube).
Other activities during the time spent at the Executive Office included merchandise design, attending affiliate organisation conferences, and providing general support to the Executive Secretary. Before joining the EGU office, Jennifer was involved in EGU activities as a member of the General Assembly Programme Committee (representing Young Scientists), and by being a scientific secretary and session convener within the Natural Hazards Division.
