By Katie Baker, President-Elect
Word from the Board - Feb 2023
As I move closer to the start date of my official tenure as GSH president this July, I have been reflecting on the mission of the society and how I can best serve its members and volunteers.
“The Geophysical Society of Houston was formed in 1947 to promote the science and profession of geophysics and to foster fellowship and cooperation among all persons interested in geophysics. The GSH forms the heart of a Houston-based geophysical community and gives opportunities to interact with colleagues throughout the profession. It is a public foundation and a charitable, tax-exempt organization. As one of the largest sections of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG), the GSH encourages and supports scientific, educational, and charitable activities of benefit to geophysicists.”
Currently, the GSH has over 1,100 members (some of these need to renew!) Many professional societies have been struggling to recruit and retain members. Amid the digital revolution, there have been significant changes in how we work and interact professionally. More people than ever before are working remotely and use social media sites such as LinkedIn and Instagram as a form of connection. Training can easily be done remotely. Even university courses can be taken online or for free! During the pandemic, many individuals experienced major burn-out that lead to renewed focus for many on work-life balance.
The society has indeed gone through growing pains to adapt to changes in the way we interact and work together, and I am excited to be a part of the evolution. I can list many of the benefits of being a member of GSH including continued education, professional development, job prospects, mentoring & scholarship opportunities, access to resources, diversity in thought on a topic, getting your name and/or your firm's name out there, and one of my favorites, networking.
Some important benefits that I have realized out of GSH over the years are growing my network and gaining valuable leadership experience through volunteering on the Board of Directors as Treasurer in 2017, and now President-Elect.
Current GSH President, Peter Eick, has a mission to make GSH fun. We have several fun events lined up that will provide professional development and great networking opportunities. Simon Voisey, 1st Vice President, is organizing the GSH Spring Symposium honoring Matt Hall, which will be held at the Houston Museum of Natural Science this year. I am looking forward to seeing the program for this two-day event! Michael Martinez, head of the NextGen committee is also organizing great networking events and happy hours where we hope to attract summer interns and early-career geoscientists. We also have legacy events such as the Golf Tournament and Salt Water Fishing that we plan to continue in 2023.
Currently, we are looking for volunteers for the Board of Directors to help lead the GSH and bring new ideas for technical and social engagements that make people want to step away from the screen/desk, interact and have fun. If you are interested in volunteering please contact me at KatieBaker.gsh@gmail.com. We are looking for new leaders to retain and grow our membership and maintain a strong geophysics community that will evolve with the technological needs of industry and science.