Dear Colleagues,
Here is the May issue of the VGP section newsletter.  This issue, together with the newsletter archives, can be found at vgp.agu.org.  Feedback and suggestions for future issues can be sent to Sarah Fagents at fagents@hawaii.edu.

In this issue:


(1) MESSAGE FROM THE VGP PRESIDENT
This will be my last contribution to the quarterly VGP Newsletter as your President.  The two-year terms of newly elected officers and most committees begin July 1.  Bernie Wood will become VGP President, Alex Halliday President-elect, Terry Plank Secretary for Petrology and Volcanology, and Craig Manning Secretary for Geochemistry.  I trust that the new VGP officers will strive to broaden membership in VGP throughout the three disciplines.  The section presently has about 3500 members, of whom nearly 600 are student members.  About 3600 members of Focus Groups and other Sections give VGP as their secondary affiliation, and nearly 600 of those are student members.  In all of the above categories, roughly 1/3 of the people reside in countries other than the USA.  Total AGU membership is around 43,000, so VGP amounts to about 8% of the Union.

I have greatly enjoyed this opportunity to serve our community and to meet other AGU officers, staff, and volunteers.  I truly appreciate that many VGP members have served on our committees and given generously of their time toward such things as Outstanding Student Presentation Awards, Fellow and award nominations, organizing sessions for meetings, and many more.  Being section President has a large component of "making the trains run on time" by ensuring that committees are effective and the things that matter to our members are done, such as arrangements for beer at VGP receptions.  Being President also means serving on the AGU Council, where Union policy is made and where the Section's voice must be heard.  As the Union grows, we want our section to grow and, in order to appeal to more AGU members, we added a Secretary for Geochemistry.  I've also tried to make VGP organization more transparent by modernizing and posting our bylaws.  The actions of your officers and committees are aimed at increasing the visibility of our section within AGU and of the science that our members pursue.  AGU depends on participation of its members, not only at scientific meetings, but as volunteers who serve the organization.  As I finish my term as VGP President, I encourage you to get involved in AGU activities.  I'm glad that I was given the opportunity to represent VGP.
    ---Charles R.  Bacon, VGP President

(2) UPCOMING MEETINGS
* SPRING JOINT ASSEMBLY, BALTIMORE, MD
* WESTERN PACIFIC GEOPHYSICS MEETING, BEIJING

(3) CALL FOR AGU FELLOWS NOMINATION
Fellows nomination deadline is now June 15.  In case you didn't see the announcement sent to VGP members April 6, the deadline for nominations for AGU Fellow has been changed.  The deadline for nominations for 2007 Fellow to be received at AGU Headquarters is June 15, 2006.  AGU Headquarters will forward nominations to the Sections and Focus Groups that will process them and forward ranked lists to the Union Fellows Committee.  The 2007 Fellows will be elected by the Union Fellows Committee at its meeting immediately before or after the 2006 Fall Meeting in San Francisco.  See http://www.agu.org and click the link "Place your nominations for the 2007 Union Fellows" (http://www.agu.org/inside/fellguides.html).  People who are considering nominating someone for 2007 Fellow and wish to communicate with the VGP Fellows Committee in advance of the deadline should contact Ken Farley (farley@gps.caltech.edu), VGP Fellows Committee Chair (2006-2008).

(4) A MESSAGE FROM VGP WPGM MEETING CHAIR
The 2006 WPGM (Western Pacific Geophysics Meeting, http://www.agu.org/meetings/wp06/) will be held in Beijing on 24-27 July 2006.  Organization of the meeting is well under way.  Abstract deadline has passed.  There will be a strong showing by the VGP section.  Of the 2149 abstracts submitted to the meeting, 144 are from VGP section (7% of the total).  Many thanks to all VGP participants in the 2006 WPGM! Next, we need to ensure that all who submitted abstracts will show up.  This is more than an excellent opportunity to present your new discoveries; Beijing is a beautiful city to visit!

There will be a reception by VGP section at the WPGM.  The details have not been worked out yet but it will likely be a Tuesday or Wednesday evening, and I assure you that there will be plenty of drinks and excellent food.  Hence, when you register for the WPGM, pay attention to the VGP section reception event.  See you in Beijing!
    ---Youxue Zhang (VGP program chair for 2006 WPGM)

(5) THE IAVCEI BOOK SERIES
IAVCEI and the Geological Society of London have begun a book series that promotes and encourages a greater understanding of volcanology.  The series will include topics such as the mitigation of volcanic disasters and research into closely related disciplines, igneous geochemistry and petrology, geochronology, volcanogenic mineral deposits, and the physics of the generation and ascent of magmas in the upper mantle and crust.

The Geological Society of London is the national society for the geosciences in the United Kingdom, established in 1807, and is charged with promoting the interests of the science and the professional interests of geoscientists.  GSL has a publishing operation that publishes, promotes, sells and distributes books and journals on the Earth Sciences.  The books will be published within the IAVCEI series, but will bear the logos of the two organizations.

IAVCEI members will be able to purchase books in this series with a 40% discount.

The first book in the series is “Statistics in Volcanology,” edited by Heidy Mader, Chuck Connor and Stuart Coles and will be published in June, 2006.  The next two books, which will be published in 2007, will be “The Alban Hills Volcanic Field,” edited by Giordano and Funiciello and “Acid Rivers and Lakes of Copahue Volcano, Argentina,” edited by Varekamp and Geller.  Five other books have been proposed but the completed proposals have not yet been submitted.

If you are interested in publishing a book on a volcanological topic, please send a brief proposal to the series editors.  For the proposal, include the purpose, the expected audience, an outline, and projected submission date.

Series Editors:
Grant Heiken (IAVCEI) 331 Windantide Place, Freeland, WA 98249-9683 Phone/Fax: 1-360-331-5904 e-mail: heiken@whidbey.com
Angharad Hills (GSL) Geological Society Publishing House Unit 7 Brassmill Enterprise Centre Brassmill Lane BATH BA1 3JN UK Phone: 44-(0)-1225 445046 Fax: 44-(0)-1225 442836 e-mail: angharad.hills@geolsoc.org.uk

(6) “WRITING SCIENCE” WORKSHOP AT THE 2006 SPRING JOINT ASSEMBLY
Please consider attending the following workshop at the Spring Joint Assembly in Baltimore.

Sharing Your Enthusiasm: Writing Science for a Broad Audience

Date: Tuesday, 23 May
Time: 1245h - 1545h
Location: Camden Room (Level II), Sheraton Inner Harbor Hotel (adjacent to Baltimore Convention Center.)
Cost: Free

Steven Ross, former science writing instructor at Columbia University, will lead this workshop.  In three hours of hands-on, interactive training, he will teach the basics of writing clear, concise summaries of scientific research papers for a broad audience.  Plain English summaries enhance a study's visibility and help the public better understand science.  Authors of AGU journal papers are encouraged to submit a summary along with their article, to facilitate wider exposure; this workshop will show you how.  Pre-registration is required, and attendees are expected to attend the full three-hour session.  Lunch is provided.

Space is limited! AGU contact: Jonathan Lifland, jlifland@agu.org; (202) 777-7535.