Full Announcement
The Board of Directors of the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS) announces a leadership transition within the organization. Helen Wiggins, the current Executive Director, will step down from her position as of 1 May 2024 and Audrey Taylor, PhD, will succeed her as Interim Executive Director.
Ms. Wiggins has been with ARCUS since 2003, serving as Executive Director since 2019. The Board is profoundly grateful for her knowledgeable and intuitive leadership across ARCUS’ varied programs and initiatives. She will remain with ARCUS for the next few months to provide a smooth leadership transition as well as continuing expert guidance for ongoing projects.
Dr. Taylor brings to the Interim Executive Director position considerable experience working within the Arctic research community as well as with ARCUS, specifically. She received her BS from Cornell University in Natural Resources, an MS from Colorado State University in Wildlife Biology, and a PhD in Biological Sciences from the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She spent seven summers in the Arctic doing fieldwork and ten years as faculty at the University of Alaska Anchorage in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies. She also served on the ARCUS Board of Directors from 2014–2020, and was President of the Board from 2019–2020. She looks forward to working with the exceptional group of ARCUS board members, member representatives, staff, and collaborators in her new position.
“While we are saddened by Helen’s imminent departure, we are thrilled to welcome Audrey as Interim Executive Director,” ARCUS Board President David Cairns said. “Audrey’s deep knowledge of ARCUS, her wealth of experience in Arctic research and education programs, and her collaborative leadership style makes her exceptionally well-qualified to lead ARCUS in this next chapter of the organization.”
About ARCUS
ARCUS is a nonprofit membership organization serving a globally-connected Arctic research community. ARCUS achieves its mission through networking, communications, education, and research community support & facilitation. ARCUS programs work to connect Arctic research and education across the boundaries of organizations, disciplines, geographies, sectors, knowledge systems, and cultures.