Sharon Tahirkheli Accepts New Role as AGI Interim Executive Director

Alexandria, Va. - The American Geosciences Institute (AGI) is pleased to announce that longtime AGI Director of Scholarly Information Sharon Tahirkheli takes on an additional new role as AGI Interim Executive Director, effective immediately.

Tahirkheli has provided leadership in the field of geoscience information for more than 30 years. She currently oversees GeoRef, AGI’s premier bibliographic database for the geosciences, as well as other information products and services such as the Glossary of Geology, additional online databases, and open geoscience information collections. She was instrumental in establishing GeoScience World, an aggregate of linked and interoperable earth science journals, and participated in the development of the Digital Library for Earth System Education (DLESE) and the Multilingual Thesaurus of Geosciences.

Tahirkheli has authored numerous publications and served as speaker at professional conferences, meetings, and workshops. She is a past president of the Geoscience Information Society (GSIS) and was honored with the GSIS Mary B. Ansari Distinguished Service Award, which recognizes significant contributions to the geoscience information profession.

“This appointment recognizes Sharon Tahirkheli’s leadership and service to both AGI and the publishing transformation occurring in the geoscience community,” said AGI President Carolyn Olson in making the announcement. “Since becoming the Director of GeoRef more than 20 years ago, Sharon has overseen the evolution of the bibliographic database from print products to a web-based search system relied upon by geoscientists around the globe. Sharon has not only been a witness to the advancement of geoscience professions, she has helped enable that advancement.”

The AGI Executive Committee launches a search for a permanent Executive Director following the departure of former Executive Director Allyson Anderson Book, who is pursuing a new opportunity in the private sector. AGI wishes to express thanks to Anderson Book for her contributions to AGI over the past three years.