Contact: James Carskadon

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State University Provost and Executive Vice President David Shaw has been named general secretary of the American Geophysical Union.

AGU is a global network of scientists working across disciplines in Earth and space science. As general secretary of the organization, Shaw will serve on the board and executive committee, as well as chair the finance and investment committee.

“David has the financial experience as well as consensus building and leadership skills we are looking for as AGU implements a new strategic plan and navigates a world still dealing with a pandemic,” AGU Past President Robin Bell said in an announcement last week.

In his current role at MSU, Shaw oversees all academic operations of Mississippi’s largest university. Prior to becoming provost, he led research and economic development efforts for the National Science Foundation top 100 university. A William L. Giles Distinguished Professor at MSU, he served as founding director of the Northern Gulf Institute, a NOAA Cooperative Institute, and the Geosystems Research Institute, which focuses on spatial technology visualization and computational modeling.

Shaw is a fellow of the Weed Science Society and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. In 2017, the Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program selected him for its prestigious U.S.-France International Education Administrators Program. He holds a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from Cameron University in Oklahoma and a master’s and doctorate from Oklahoma State University, both in weed science.

AGU supports 130,000 enthusiasts to experts worldwide in Earth and space sciences. Through broad and inclusive partnerships, the organization aims to advance discovery and solution science that accelerate knowledge and create solutions that are ethical, unbiased and respectful of communities and their values. For more, visit www.agu.org.

MSU is Mississippi’s leading university, available online at www.msstate.edu.