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Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations (2003)

Chapter: Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
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D
Biographical Information for Committee Members

Richard A. Anthes (Chair), president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, is an atmospheric scientist, author, educator, and administrator. His research interests include weather phenomena, such as tropical cyclones, and remote sensing using the Global Positioning System. Following a faculty position at Pennsylvania State University, he joined the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR), first as director of the Atmospheric Analysis and Prediction Division, then as director of NCAR. Dr. Anthes has published more than 90 articles and books. He chaired the National Research Council (NRC) Committee on National Weather Service Modernization and has served on numerous other NRC committees and boards, including the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (1986-1989) and the Committee on Earth Studies (1982-1984).

Susan K. Avery (Vice Chair) is professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Colorado and director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. Her research program utilizes ground-based Doppler radar techniques for observing the neutral atmosphere. Current research topics of her program include studies of wave dynamics and wave interactions between scales of motion; the coupling of energy and momentum from the lower to the upper atmosphere; and precipitation structure using combined radar measurements. Dr. Avery has served as chair of the U.S. National Committee for the International Union of Radio Science (USRI); chair of the National Science Foundation’s Geosciences Advisory Committee; scientific discipline representative and URSI representative for

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×

the Scientific Committee on Solar-Terrestrial Physics; and commissioner of the American Meteorological Society (AMS). She is also a fellow of the AMS and of the Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers and a member of the National Research Council’s Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate.

Mark R. Abbott is dean of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, where he has been a professor since 1988. His research, which focuses on the interaction of biological and physical processes in the upper ocean, relies on both remote sensing and field observations. Dr. Abbott deployed the first array of bio-optical moorings in the Southern Ocean as part of the U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS). He chairs the U.S. JGOFS Science Steering Committee and is also a member of the Moderate-resolution Imaging Spectrometer (MODIS) and Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) science teams. He was a member of the Space Studies Board and chaired its Committee on Earth Studies.

Grant C. Aufderhaar is principal director and distinguished engineer at The Aerospace Corporation, where he directs aerospace research and development in support of national security space programs. His technical expertise lies in the areas of environmental effects, satellite-based and in situ remote sensing technology, and the application of space systems data to user needs. During his tenure in the Air Force, Dr. Aufderhaar served as the Department of Defense (DOD) representative on the National Research Council’s (NRC’s) Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate and was a member of the Interdepartmental Committee for Meteorological Services and Supporting Research. While at The Aerospace Corporation, he has served as chair of the R&D Panel of the NRC Committee on National Aviation Weather, was a member of the Air Force Scientific Advisory Board (AFSAB) Space Review Vehicles Panel, was a member of the AFSAB Commercial Space Services Panel, and served as chair of the DOD Battlespace Environments Technology Area Review and Assessment Panel.

George L. Frederick is general manager, Windprofiler Business Unit, Vaisala Meteorological Systems, Inc. He manages a strategic business unit of Vaisala involved with atmospheric projects that include design, installation, and data processing of atmospheric measurement systems employing both in situ and remote sensing techniques. He is working with government, state, and private industry to better employ remote sensing technology for the enhanced monitoring of atmospheric pollutants, aviation safety, and mesoscale weather forecasting. Mr. Frederick a fellow and past president (1999-2000) of the American Meteorological Society.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×

Russell Koffler provides consultant services to clients in the area of Earth observations. He formerly served as deputy assistant administrator for Satellites and Information Services, the chief operating officer of NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service. In this position, Mr. Koffler managed the federal government’s civil operational Earth-observing satellite systems and the principal national environmental data centers. As Very High Resolution Radiometer project coordinator, he was responsible for developing and implementing the ground data processing system for NOAA’s first high-resolution visible and infrared satellite instrument. Mr. Koffler is a recipient of the Department of Commerce 1986 Silver Medal and is a senior member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is a member of the American Meteorological Society, the Association for Computing Machinery, and the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.

Peter R. Leavitt is president of Weather Information, Inc. Previously, he was chief executive officer of Weather Services Corporation and held several other positions with the company. He is active in several professional associations and has served on various National Research Council committees, including the National Weather Service Modernization and Transition Committee (chair), the Committee on Modernization of the National Weather Service, and the Committee on Aviation Weather Services. Mr. Leavitt has served as president of the Boston chapter of the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and has participated in numerous AMS committees. He is the recipient of the AMS Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Advance of Applied Meteorology.

William L. Smith is chief scientist for atmospheric sciences at NASA Langley Research Center where he plans, directs, and coordinates research, technology, and science programs dealing with the problems of Earth’s atmosphere. Previously, Dr. Smith was a principal investigator of several satellite programs for NOAA and was professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Currently, he is lead scientist for the Geosynchronous Imaging Fourier Transform Spectrometer, which will fly on NASA’s Earth Observing-3 mission in 2005. Dr. Smith is past president of the International Radiation Commission of the International Association for Meteorology and Atmospheric Physics, and he has received the American Meteorological Society’s Clarence Leroy Meissinger Award. He served on the Panel on Mesoscale Research of the National Research Council’s Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate.

Richard W. Spinrad is technical director of the Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy, and his supervisor sits as the naval deputy to NOAA. As the technical

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×

director, Dr. Spinrad is the senior civilian technical adviser to the Navy’s meteorological and oceanographic (METOC) organization, ensuring that the technical elements of naval oceanography programs are adequate, realistic, and consistent with established policy. He is also the Oceanographer’s principal adviser on scientific and technical issues and is a key liaison to the military and civilian METOC communities.

Paul D. Try is senior vice president and program manager at Science and Technology Corporation and director of the International Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Project Office. Dr. Try served in the U.S. Air Force from 1960 through 1988, during which time he rose to the position of chief of staff of Air Weather Service headquarters. He has more than 30 years of federal and private sector experience in operational meteorological services and supporting research and has provided direct support to several federal organizations in technical program planning and requirements definition. His special expertise is in meteorological in situ and remote sensors (satellite and radar), as well as in national and international data collection, processing, exchange, and archival activities. In addition, Dr. Try served as president of the American Meteorological Society and received the Bronze Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, and the Legion of Merit.

Christopher S. Velden is a physical science senior researcher in the Space Science and Engineering Center at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. His current research interests include hurricanes and tropical cyclones and satellite data applications. Mr. Velden is also leader of the Tropical Cyclones Group at University of Wisconsin, Madison, and NOAA’s Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies and chair of the International Satellite Winds Working Group. He served as a member of the U.S. Weather Research Project Science Steering Committee (1996-1999), the GOES Science Team (1996-1998), and the Geostationary Microwave Sounder Working Group (1995-1996). Mr. Velden was the recipient of the American Meteorological Society’s Banner Miller Award in 2000 for “an outstanding contribution to the science of hurricane and tropical weather forecasting.”

Committee on Earth Studies Liaisons

Michael H. Freilich is a professor in the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. His research interests include microwave ocean remote sensing, especially surface wind measurement and analysis techniques; surface wave modeling; and nearshore processes. His current research focuses on development of empirical models relating radar backscatter to near-surface winds; characterization of centimetric ocean surface roughness and atmo-

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×

spheric mesoscale phenomena using satellite measurements; and development and application of advanced statistical validation techniques. Dr. Freilich heads the Ocean Vector Wind Science Team on NASA’s QuikSCAT mission. (QuikSCAT is a “quick recovery” mission—accomplished in 11 months—that is filling the gap created by the loss of data from the NASA Scatterometer [NSCAT]). Dr. Freilich served on the National Research Council’s Ocean Studies Board (1992-1995). He was also a member of the Panel on the NOAA Coastal Ocean Program (1993-1994).

William B. Gail is director, Advanced Programs for Earth Science, Ball Aerospace and Technologies Corporation. Dr. Gail is responsible for business development and proposal activities for NASA, NOAA, and international customers covering instruments, spacecraft, and space systems in the areas of earth sciences.

Staff

Carmela J. Chamberlain is a senior project assistant for the Space Studies Board. She began working for the National Research Council in 1974 as a senior project assistant in the Institute for Laboratory Animals for Research, which is now a board in the Division on Earth and Life Studies. In 1977 she transferred to the Space Science Board, which is now the Space Studies Board.

Catherine A. Gruber has been a senior project assistant with the National Research Council’s Space Studies Board since 1995, working part-time for the past 5 years on report preparation and archiving. Ms. Gruber came to the NRC in 1988, working first as a senior secretary for the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board and then as an outreach assistant for the National Academy of Sciences-Smithsonian Institution’s National Science Resources Center. Previously, she was a research assistant (chemist) in the National Institute of Mental Health’s Laboratory of Cell Biology. She received a B.A. in natural science from St. Mary’s College of Maryland.

Richard Leshner is a research associate for the Space Studies Board and a Ph.D. candidate in science and technology policy at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C. Mr. Leshner worked as a space systems engineer focusing on the integration of power, heating, and propulsion systems before coming to the National Research Council. In addition to a general interest in space policy, Mr. Leshner’s research interests include the history and progress of satellite programs in the Earth sciences, international cooperation in space, export control policy and the politics of defense trade controls, the theory and practice of technology transfer, and the role of interest groups in the policy-making process.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×

Pamela L. Whitney is a senior program officer at the Space Studies Board, where she has directed studies and workshops on international cooperation in space, remote sensing from space and its applications, and several other space research, technology, and policy topics. Ms. Whitney also serves as the executive secretary of the U.S. national committee to the Committee on Space Research (COSPAR), an interdisciplinary committee of the International Council for Science (ICSU). Previously, she held positions as an analyst at CSP Associates, Inc., an aerospace consulting firm; as a researcher and writer for Time-Life Books, Inc.; and as a contractor for the National Geographic Society, the World Bank, and the Office of Technology Assessment. Ms. Whitney holds an A.B. in economics from Smith College and an M.A. in international communication from American University. She is a member of Women in Aerospace and the International Academy of Astronautics.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×
Page 152
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×
Page 153
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×
Page 154
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×
Page 155
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×
Page 156
Suggested Citation:"Appendix D: Biographical Information for Committee Members." National Research Council. 2003. Satellite Observations of the Earth's Environment: Accelerating the Transition of Research to Operations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/10658.
×
Page 157
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This report addresses the transition of research satellites, instruments, and calculations into operational service for accurately observing and predicting the Earth’s environment. These transitions, which take place in large part between NASA and NOAA, are important for maintaining the health, safety, and prosperity of the nation, and for achieving the vision of an Earth Information System in which quantitative information about the complete Earth system is readily available to myriad users. Many transitions have been ad hoc, sometimes taking several years or even decades to occur, and others have encountered roadblocks—lack of long-range planning, resources, institutional or cultural differences, for instance—and never reached fruition. Satellite Observations of Earth’s Environment recommends new structures and methods that will allow seamless transitions from research to practice.

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