This past summer Miranda became the AGA Blog Editor, assisting Social Media Editor Stacy Krueger-Hadfield. Stacy is stepping down at the end of the year, and we are thrilled that Miranda moved into her role. Miranda received an EECG award in 2022 and recently submitted a manuscript to JHered on her PhD research (also check out her Blog post). Her work focuses on using various ‘omic tools to address questions related to anthropogenic impacts on biodiversity. She currently works as a researcher in the Meek Lab at Michigan State University and will begin her next scientific adventure as a postdoctoral researcher in the Sin Lab at the University of Hong Kong in January. ‘
As a scientist (especially one with dreams of continuing on in academia), it is important to commit to various acts of ‘service’ for both the University you work for and the broader scientific community as a whole. This can take many forms, from serving on University committees and participating on the editorial board of a journal to peer-reviewing articles. Note: the weirdness that is the scientific publishing industry is problematic, as this 2017 article from The Guardian illustrates.
Since I also believe in the importance of science communication and increasing the accessibility of scientific ideas to the broader community, joining the American Genetic Association (AGA) as their associate blog editor made sense. After the AGA (mistakenly? fortuitously? who can say) also gave me access to their Twitter/X and Bluesky I began posting bits about the blog, which somewhat organically morphed my duties into proper social media editor land.
What is the AGA? Broadly, it is a 100+ year-old society for scientists in the fields of non-human genetics or genomics. It has its own journal, the Journal of Heredity. Many of the past and present ‘big names’ in conservation genetics, evolution, and other forms of molecular ecology have published with JHered! However, as with most things related to genetics in the early 20th century, the AGA was originally involved in eugenics, but today both recognizes that troubled past and is taking steps toward creating a better AGA.
Also, it is worth mentioning that, even with ‘American’ in its name, the AGA is interested in and publishes science from countries outside the Americas. It regularly provides grants toward research symposia or workshops outside of the US. I’m excited to see what I get to be a part of in my tenure as social media editor.
Here’s to a productive partnership with the AGA!
'Omics in the Anthropocene 