Meet the current-officers (Board Members and Ex-Officios), of AASP - The Palynological Society.
By the way, the board meetings at each Annual Meeting of AASP - The Palynological Society are public. Consider joining as an observer, to better understand what is going on. Additionally, the Board will give a brief report on updates and current business matters (financials, journal statistics, etc.) at the Business Luncheon at each Annual Meeting.
Next year we will be looking for a new President-elect, Director-at-Large and Student Director-at-Large. If you are interested in the roles, please contact our secretary.
While the tenure of most officers of of AASP - The Palynological Society is 2-years, the secretary, treasurer and managing editor are elected yearly.
President
The President manages and coordinates all affairs of AASP -The Palynolgical Society.
Matthew Pound |President 2025-2027 | Northumbria Univeristy, AASP Chair, Newcastle ( UK), Associate Professor in Physical Geography & Environmental Science
- PhD 2013 University of Leeds and British Geological Survey
- Cenozoic palynology and melissopalynology
- Main work: palaeoclimates, palaeoenvironments, and global data syntheses
Past-President
The Past-President shall assume the responsibilities of President-Elect in terms when no President-Elect is in office. These years should coincide with the first year of a President’s first year in office.
Sophie Warny | Past-president 2025-2026 | CENEX, Director, Professor of Palynology & Curator, Louisiana State University (USA)
- PhD 1999, Université Catholique de Louvain, Belgium
- Mesozoic to Recent palynology, stratigraphy, energy & melissopalynology
- Main work: palynostratigraphy, paleoclimatology & paleoecology from Antarctica, Africa, North America, and Europe
Secretary
The secretary is probably your first contact, when getting in touch with us. Contact the secretary, if you have questions about membership of The Palynolgical Society for example.
Stephen Stukins | Secretary 2024-2025 | Natural History Museum, Senior Curator of Micropalaeontology, London, UK
- Ph.D. 2011, University of Aberdeen, UK
- Mesozoic palynology and palaeoecology; emphasis on event stratigraphy
- Main work: Mesozoic micropaleontology and collection-based research
Treasurer
The treasurer is handling society's financials and typically situated in Houston. For example, when receiving an award (e.g. student research or student travel award) the treasurer sends you the money.
Vladimir Torres Torres | Treasurer 2024-2025 |ExxonMobil Upstream, Bio-/Stratigrapher, Houston (USA)
- Ph.D. 2006, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Cretaceous–Cenozoic palynology, emphasis on tropical vegetation & Cretaceous dinos
- Main work: improving stratigraphic frameworks and interpreting depositional environments of clastic rocks in South America
Directors-at-Large
The Directors-at-Large support the Board of AASP - The Palynological Society on all actions points that are coming up.
These usually include short-termed or immediate tasks that need to be dealt with.
Paula Narváez | Board Member 2024-2026 | Instituto Argentino de Nivología, Glaciología y Ciencias Ambientales, Mendoza (Argentina)
- Ph.D. 2009, National University of Cuyo, Mendoza Argentina
- Mesozoic and Cenozoic palynology with emphasis in terrestrial assemblages
- Main work: Palynostratigraphy, paleoenvironment, and paleoclimate from northern Argentina
Damián Cárdenas | Board Member 2025-2027 | Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Assistant Professor, Bogotá (Colombia)
- Ph.D. 2021, Missouri S&T, USA
- Ordovician, Cretaceous and Neogene palynology in the tropical Americas
- Main work: Biostratigraphy
Student
Director-at-Large
The Studen DaL is representing the student's interests on the Board of The Palynological Society and organizes student events at the Annual Meetings (e.g. the Early Career Lunch or mentoring events)
- M.Sc. 2017, Keele University, Newcastle under Lyme, UK
Triassic palynology
Main work: biostratigraphy and palynology of the Norwegian North Sea and Barents Sea
Managing Editor of Palynology
The Managing Editor is steering the journal Palynology, that is published on behalf of The Palynological Society.
- Ph.D. 1986, University of Sheffield, UK
- Mesozoic & Cenozoic palynology with emphasis on the Jurassic, Cretaceous & Miocene; dinoflagellates and their cysts; forensic palynology; history of palynology; plankton evolution; preparation techniques; provincialism
- Main work: palynology of the Jurassic & Cretaceous of the world
Ex-officio members
Aside the current-officers mentioned above (Board Members), the ex-officio members of AASP - The Palynological Society assist the board without having a vote in board decisions.
WEBMASTER & WEBSITE CONTENT
Paula Narvaez, IANIGLA / CCT-CONICET-Mendoza, Argentina
Julia Gravendyck, University of Bonn, Germany
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Jan Hennissen, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, UK
GSA LIAISON
Martin B. Farley, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke, USA
IFPS COUNCILLOR
Sophie Warny, Louisiana State University, USA
Standing Committees (2024-2025)
AWARDS COMMITTEE
The Awards committee deals with all awards-related affairs like accepting and reviewing nomination packages for professional awards of AASP - The Palynological Society, student travel awards and conducting the scoring of contributions eligible for student awards during the Annual Meeting.
Marie Thomas, Hess Corporation, Houston, USA (Chair)
Annette E. Götz, Georg-August Universität, Göttingen, Germany
Jan Hennissen, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, UK
NOMINATING COMMITTEE
The Nominating committee is responsible for assuring nominations for Board positions and coordinates all related business (e.g. advertisement of positions in the Newsletter).
Francisca Oboh Ikuenobe, Missouri University of Science & Technology, USA (Chair)
Julia Gravendyck, University of Bonn, Germany
Shaan Hydenrych, University of Aberdeen, UK
BALLOT COMMITTEE
The Ballot committee is conducts the formal elections of Board positions.
Martha Gibson, Petrostrat, UK (Chair)
Vera Korasidis, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Jan Hennissen, British Geological Survey, Keyworth, UK