Officers & Committees

Officers

Note: SPD officers who are federal government employees represent themselves as private citizens and not the federal government in any and all Society business.

The SPD officers are:

SPD Committee The SPD Committee consists of the officers (above) and the following Committee members:

  • Craig DeForest, former chair (to 2026)
  • Rebecca Centeno (to 2026)
  • Vanessa Polito (to 2026)
  • James Mason (to 2027)
  • Lucas Tarr (to 2027)

Former Officers and Committee Members

PDF chars of past officers and committee members:

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee (see by-laws) submits nominations to the SPD Secretary for vacancies in the positions of Officers and Committee-persons. The Nominating Committee ascertains the willingness of its nominees to serve if elected.

Current Nominating Committee members are:
  • Sarah Jaeggli (Chair)
  • Terry Kucera
  • Holly Gilbert

Hale, Harvey and González-Hernández Prize Committee

  • Yuhong Fan (Chair) (2021-2025)
  • Säm Krucker (2021-2025)
  • Valentin M. Pillet (2024-2028)
  • Laurel Rachmeler (2021-2025)
  • Kristopher Klein (2025-2029)

Popular Writing Award Committee

  • James Mason (Chair) (2021-present)
  • Nishu Karna (2020-present)
  • Erika Palmerio (2022-present)
  • Ryan French (2025-present)

Many thanks to Angela Des Jardins and Cooper Downs for their 10 years of service.

Public Policy Committee

  • Gordon Emslie (Chair)
  • Ian Cohen
  • Ofer Cohen
  • Nicole Duncan
  • Shea Hess Weber
  • Graham Kerr
  • Brian Welsch (“ex-officio”)

Education and Public Outreach Committee

  • Milo Buitrago-Casas (Chair) (he/his)
  • Alexander Koufos (he/his)
  • Maria Weber (she/her)
  • Santiago Vargas Dominguez (he/his)
  • Alessandra (Ale) Abe Pacini (she/her)
  • Savannah Sky Perez-Piel (she/her)
  • Adam Kobelski (he/his)

Webmaster

  • Alisdair Davey
  • James Paul Mason

SPD Student Committee

  • Gordon Emslie (Chair)
  • Marc DeRosa (“ex-officio”)
  • Shea Hess Webber
  • Matthias Rempel
  • Lisa Upton

Metcalf Travel Award Committee

  • Maria Kazachenko (Chair)
  • Michael Kirk
  • Andrés Muñoz-Jaramillo
  • Lucas Tarr

Press Officer

SolarNews Editor

  • Sherry Chhabra

Archivist

  • Jack Thomas

Liaisons

  • Brian Welsch (AAS Committee on Astronomy and Public Policy)