Fred Spilhaus was executive director of the American Geophysical Union for nearly 40 years. He stepped down at the end of last month, but will stay involved in an emeritus role. Robert van Hook, of Transition Management Consulting Inc, is serving as interim executive director until the post is filled. Says AGU president Tim Grove, a geologist at MIT, “The AGU is indebted to Fred for his excellent service, his leadership, and his dedication. He has really shaped the union and helped us articulate our values. We are in good shape because of Fred.”
Still, the AGU council felt it was time “to move into the future,” Grove says. “And the way to do that is with new leadership. With the change in [US] administration, we felt it was an excellent time to seize the opportunity to begin the executive transition here.” In particular, Grove adds, the council would like...
