Professor Emeritus Named Fellow of American Geophysical Union

Jeffrey A. Karson, professor emeritus of Earth and environmental sciences (EES) in the College of Arts and Sciences, has been elected as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), an honor bestowed to fewer than 0.1% of members each year. AGU is a nonprofit organization that supports 130,000 members worldwide in Earth and space sciences. Karson is among 53 other individuals in the 2022 Class of Fellows and is the second Syracuse University professor to receive the honor, joining EES Professor Emeritus Donald Siegel, who was named a Fellow in 2013.

Karson was selected in recognition of his outstanding achievements and contributions to the field of Earth sciences. A press release distributed by AGU states, “Karson embodies the organization’s vision of a thriving, sustainable and equitable future powered by discovery, innovation and action. Equally important is that he has conducted himself with integrity, respect and collaboration while creating deep engagement in education, diversity and outreach.”

Karson joined the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences in 2006 and was recognized with emeritus status in 2022. During his time at the University, he served as EES department chair and was the Jessie Page Heroy Professor from 2007 to 2013, and again from 2019 to 2021. He is also a co-founder of the Syracuse University Lava Project, a fusion of science and art that creates experimental lava flows for scientific, educational and artistic projects.