Candidate Statement: Caroline Simpson

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Nominated Office: Nominating Committee

Affiliation: Florida International University

Position/title: Associate Professor

PhD institution: University of Florida (1995)

Areas of scientific interest:

  • Galaxy Structure and Evolution
  • Star formation in Dwarf Galaxies
  • Astronomy Pedagogy

AAS positions:

  • Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy (2007-2013)
  • Editor, AASWomen Newsletter (2007-2013)

Other relevant positions and experience:

  • Session Chair, AAS Special Session 219: CSWA: Increasing Diversity in your Department (January 2012)
  • Presentation on the accumulation of disadvantage, AAS Special Session 202: CSWA: Addressing Unconscious Bias (May 2010)
  • Chair, Scientific Organizing Committee, Lowell Workshop on Star Formation in Dwarf Galaxies (June 2012)
  • Member, NSF-AST Review Panel - Extragalactic Structure (2011)
  • Member, NRAO Science Review Panel (2013-2014)

Candidate statement: The AAS is our profession's national policy and public awareness advocate, provides scientific leadership, and supports the careers of its members. It is the job of the nominating committee to come up with a deep pool of viable candidates for AAS leadership positions. My experience with the AAS Committee on the Status of Women in Astronomy has provided me with the knowledge and tools to search out and recruit people with a broad range of talent and experience. The AAS must continue representing all professionals working in astronomy, and that increasingly includes people in non-academic careers, as well as people from historically underrepresented groups. It is not sufficient to look in the 'usual places' for candidates; one must look in many different environments to ensure finding the best, most appropriate people to guide the field. Talent is everywhere, and it is the Nominating Committee’s job to find it.