ESWN Welcomes

New Leadership
Board Members

September, 2016

We are excited to announce that Asmeret Asefaw Berhe, Melissa Burt, Maura Hahnenberger,
Aisha Morris, and Melanie Harrison Okoro have joined ESWNs Leadership Board! We
appreciate their dedication to women in the geosciences. These amazing women join our
continuing board members Tracey Holloway (President), Meredith Hastings (Vice-President),
Erika Marin-Spiotta (Treasurer), Manda Adams (Secretary), Becca Barnes, Emily Fischer,
and Christine Wiedinmyer. We also thank past Board Member Carmen Rodriguez, who is
rotating off the ESWN Board after over four years of service to our community. To learn
more about the new and continuing board members, check out our bios.

Asmeret Asefaw Berhe is an associate professor of soil biogeochemistry in the

School of Natural Resources at the University of California, Merced. Her research primarily
focuses on biogeochemical cycling of essential elements (esp. carbon and nitrogen)
in the soil system and how physical perturbations in the environment (ex. erosion, fire,
changes in climate) affects stability and mechanisms of stabilization of soil organic
matter. Asmeret has a BSc in Soil & Water Conservation from the University of Asmara,
a M.Sc. in Resource Development from Michigan State, and a Ph.D. in Environmental
Science, Policy, & Management from UC-Berkeley.
I have been a member of ESWN since 2005, it has been a joy to be part of this supportive
community of researchers dedicated to increasing representation and advancing careers of women in earth sciences.
It was a pleasure to be invited to join the leadership board, and I am excited to do my share to advance the mission of
ESWN.

Melissa Burt is a research scientist at Colorado State University. Her research focuses

on the interactions of Arctic clouds, radiation, and sea ice, with interests ranging from
cloud-radiation feedbacks, hydrological and energy cycles in climate, and climate change
feedbacks. Melissa also serves as the Education and Diversity Manager in the College
of Engineering and Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University. In
this position she is committed to improving and increasing diversity in STEM by designing
programs to encourage participation, and increase access and retention for members
of historically underrepresented groups. Melissa has a B.S. degree in Meteorology from
Millersville University and a M.S. and Ph.D. in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State.
I am very excited and honored to join the ESWN leadership board. ESWN has provided me with an exceptional network of
talented and brilliant women, and more importantly a supportive and welcoming community. I look forward to contributing
to more efforts aimed at increasing participation and engagement of women of color in the earth and environmental
sciences.

Maura Hahnenberger is an Assistant Professor in the Geosciences Department at

Great Basin of Utah.

Salt Lake Community College, where she teaches and advises in the Atmospheric
Sciences and Geography programs in both face to face and online settings. Maura is
the founder of the WaterGirls outreach program which provides middle school girls with
field experiences conducting water science. She also serves on the boards of the Utah
Chapter of the American Meteorological Society and the SLCC Chapter of the Utah
Women in Higher Education Network. Her research and teaching interests center around
natural and human-caused environmental hazards including dust storms, air pollution,
and hazardous weather. Maura received her B.S. and M.S. in Meteorology and Ph.D. in
Atmospheric Sciences from the University of Utah studying dust storms in the eastern

ESWN has been a huge benefit to me as I have began my career by expanding my network of scientists and helping me
connect with critical opportunities such as grants and invited talks. It has also become a place where I know I can go to
get thoughtful advice and guidance as I move through my career. I am joining the ESWN board with three main goals in
mind (1) expand opportunities for female scientists to network and connect with each other, both in person and virtually,
(2) continue highlighting the great work that ESWN members do in their professional lives and improve recognition of that
work, and (3) endeavor to help women scientists find support systems to tackle personal and professional challenges
they face. ESWN has made great strides over time and I feel privileged to be part of its continued evolution.

Aisha Morris is an Education Specialist and the Director of the Research Experiences

in Solid Earth Science for Students (RESESS) internship program managed by UNAVCO.
Aishas primary area of focus is crafting strategies for attracting, training, and retaining the
diverse geoscience workforce of the future. In her current position, Aisha is responsible
for UNAVCOs Geo-Workforce Development Initiative, including managing undergraduate
and graduate student internship programs and supporting early career professionals
as they transition into the geoscience workforce. Aishas graduate and postdoctoral
research interests focused on the geology and evolution of volcanic terrains on Earth
and terrestrial planets. Aisha earned her B.Sc. in Geology from Duke University and both
her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Geology and Geophysics from the University of Hawaii at Manoa.
I am honored and excited to join the Leadership Board in service to the ESWN members. The ESWN continues to provide
an unparalleled network of support and resources for women of all career stages in the earth sciences. I look forward to
supporting the geoscience community, and particularly the ESWN, in ongoing and new initiatives to broaden participation
in the geosciences.

Melanie Harrison Okoro is an environmental scientist at the National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS).

Her major research interests include understanding biogeochemical processes (flux and
pools of nitrogen and phosphorus) in alluvial wetlands and aquatic ecosystems across
landscapes. Melanies current interest also include topics related to ecosystem level
impacts of pollutants on water resource and natural resource management. She has a
B.S. degree in Biology from Johnson C. Smith University and a Ph.D. in Marine Estuarine
and Environmental Science from the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Melanie
is currently on faculty as a LEO Lecturer teaching General Ecology at the University of
Michigan.
As a research scientist, mother, and wife, I know how important it is to see women doing science and sharing their
experiences with one another. The need for representation and visibility of different perspectives as we shape our vision
of what a scientist looks like has reached a critical point, and ESWN provides a powerful platform and supportive network
for women to share their perspectives. As an African-American woman, who has been subject to the pressures and
challenges of forging a successful career as a scientist while an underrepresented minority, I value ESWNs commitment
to career development, peer mentoring and community building for women in the geosciences. I hope to continue the
mission and vision of ESWN, and work with the ESWN board and members to build a supportive community and network
for women forging a career in science. One of my goals as a board member, is to reach those who most need to see
themselves in science, and as scientists: those who have been traditionally underserved by science.