By , Published: Sept. 18, 2024

Michael Gooseff has been elected as a Fellow of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), the union announced today.

Gooseff is among 54 scholars in the 2024 cohort of Fellows. AGU, the world's largest Earth and space science association, bestows the honor annually on a select number of individuals who have made exceptional contributions in their fields. Since its inception in 1962, less than one tenth of one percent of AGU members have been selected as Fellows each year.

It’s such an honor and a great surprise. While I am the one receiving this honor, it is really a testament to my collaborations with colleagues and students throughout my career 

Michael Gooseff (left) with Anthony Bourdain and Byron Adams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys after shooting outreach science discussions for the CNN show Parts Unknown

Michael Gooseff (left) with Anthony Bourdain and Byron Adams in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica after shooting outreach science discussions for the CNN show Parts Unknown, January 2017.

Gooseff was selected for his exemplary leadership and for advancing our understanding of how a changing climate affects ecosystems and freshwater supply.

Gooseff has conducted field and modeling research studies from Arctic Alaska to Antarctica, including many sites in the intermountain western U.S. He and his students investigate the relationships between earth systems and ecosystems to better understand mechanisms of natural water movement in the environment, particularly the interactions of surface water and groundwater, and the consequences of these physical processes on the transport and fate of solutes such as pollutants and nutrients. Quantifying these linkages directly informs our understanding of water quality and its response to changes within these systems.

Gooseff is a fellow of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research and a professor in the Department of Civil Architectural & Environmental Engineering. He is currently the Associate Dean for Research for the College of Engineering and Applied Science, lead principal investigator of the McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER project, and a co-director of the Hydrologic Sciences Graduate Program at CU.

He is a celebrated teacher and effective graduate student advisor and mentor.

In addition to his academic contributions, Gooseff recently chaired the Water Quality Control Commission for the State of Colorado and was a member of the Scientific Advisory Board on Water Body Connectivity for the Environmental Protection Agency.

“It’s such an honor and a great surprise,” said Gooseff. “While I am the one receiving this honor, it is really a testament to my collaborations with colleagues and students throughout my career.”

Gooseff joins a number of AGU Fellows active within INSTAAR, including Robert Anderson, Suzanne Anderson, Diane McKnight, and Gifford Miller. With the rest of the 2024 Fellows, Gooseff will be recognized at AGU’s annual conference in December 2024.