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Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned (2007)

Chapter: Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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E
Biographical Sketches of Committee Members

Dr. Guy P. Brasseur (Chair) was educated at the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, where he earned two engineering degrees: one in physics (1971) and one in telecommunications and electronics (1974). Dr. Brasseur worked for several years at the Belgian Institute for Space Aeronomy, where he developed advanced models of photochemistry and transport in the middle atmosphere. In 1988, Dr. Brasseur moved to NCAR where he became a staff scientist. He became director of the Atmospheric Chemistry Division in 1990. In January 2000, Dr. Brasseur moved to Hamburg, Germany, where he became Director at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, and is also Professor at the Universities of Hamburg and Brussels, and the Scientific Director of the German Climate Computer Center. Since January 1, 2002, Dr. Brasseur is the Chair of the Scientific Committee of the IGBP. As Chair of IGBP, Dr. Brasseur also serves on the Joint Scientific Committee of the World Climate Research Program (WCRP) and on the Scientific Committee of the International Human Dimension Program (IHDP) for Global Environmental Changes. In addition to his management tasks, Dr. Brasseur’s primary scientific interests relate to global change, climate variability, chemistry-climate relations, biosphere-atmosphere interactions, climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, global air pollution including tropospheric ozone, and solar-terrestrial relations.


Ms. Katharine L. Jacobs (Vice-chair) is the Executive Director of the Arizona Water Institute, a consortium of the three Arizona state universities focused on water-related research, education, and technology transfer related to

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
×

water supply sustainability. She is also the Deputy Director of the NSF Center for Sustainability of Arid Region Hydrology and Riparian Areas at the University of Arizona, and Professor and Specialist at the Department of Soil, Water and Environmental Science and Water Resources Research Center. She has twenty years of experience as a water manager for the state of Arizona Department of Water Resources. Her research interests include water policy, connecting science and decision making, stakeholder engagement, use of climate information for water management applications, and drought planning. Ms. Jacobs earned her M.L.A. in environmental planning from the University of California, Berkeley. She was a co-author of the National Assessment and part of the National Assessment Synthesis Team, and has served on numerous NRC committees.


Dr. Eric J. Barron is dean of the Jackson School of Geosciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He received his Ph.D. in geophysics from the University of Miami. Dr. Barron has been a fellow and scientist at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, associate professor of marine geology and geophysics at the University of Miami, and director of Penn State’s Earth System Science Center and EMS Environment Institute. His research emphasizes global change, specifically numerical models of the climate system and the study of climate change throughout Earth history. Dr. Barron is a fellow of the American Geophysical Union and the American Meteorological Society. He has served on and chaired numerous NRC committees and was chair of the Panel on Climate Variability and Change. He was a coauthor of the National Assessment and part of the National Assessment Synthesis Team (NAST).


Ambassador Richard Benedick is currently senior adviser to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory–Joint Global Change Research Institute and president of the National Council for Science and the Environment. He has played a major role in global environmental affairs, as chief U.S. negotiator and a principal architect of the historic Montreal Protocol on protection of the ozone layer, and as special adviser to Secretaries-General of both the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) and the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994). A career diplomat, Dr. Benedick served in Iran, Pakistan, Paris, Bonn, and Athens, and directed policy formation at the State Department on environment, natural resources, population, health, and development. His acclaimed book Ozone Diplomacy (Harvard, 1991, 1998; Kogyo Chosakai, 1999) was selected for a McGraw-Hill anthology of 20th century environmental classics. In 1991 he was elected to the World Academy of Art and Science, and in 2002 to the American Academy of Diplomacy. Among many awards, he received the two highest Presidential

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
×

career public service honors—the Distinguished and Meritorious Service Awards. He holds an A.B. summa cum laude, Columbia; an M.A. (honors) in economics, Yale; a D.B.A., Harvard Graduate School of Business Administration; a D.Sc. honoris causa, North Carolina State; and was Evans Fellow at Oxford in metaphysical poetry.


Dr. William L. Chameides (NAS) is Professor Emeritus at the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta. Dr. Chameides received his Ph.D. from Yale University. He is currently the Chief Scientist at the Environmental Defense. He is a pioneer of the chemistry of ozone “smog.” He demonstrated that natural hydrocarbons contribute to smog and established the chemistry that produces ozone pollution over many rural regions in China and the southeastern United States. He was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1998 and has served on numerous NRC committees. He was also a co-chair of the North American Research Strategy for Tropospheric Ozone (NARSTO) Synthesis team.


Dr. Thomas Dietz is Professor of Sociology and Crop and Soil Sciences, Director of the Environmental Science and Policy Program, and Assistant Vice President for Environmental Research at Michigan State University. Dr. Dietz is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been awarded the Sustainability Science Award of the Ecological Society of America, the Distinguished Contribution Award of the American Sociological Association Section on Environment, Technology and Society, and the Outstanding Publication Award, also from the American Sociological Association Section on Environment, Technology and Society. His research interests are in human ecology and cultural evolution. His current research examines the human driving forces of environmental change, environmental values and the interplay between science and democracy in environmental issues. He is a contributing author to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Dr. Dietz received a Ph.D. in ecology from the University of California, Davis.


Dr. Patricia Romero Lankao is a Deputy Director Scientist at the Institute for the Study of Society and Environment (ISSE) at UCAR. Previously she was a Professor in the Department of Politics and Culture at the Autonomous Metropolitan University, Campus Xochimilco, in Mexico City, Mexico. Her general field of expertise and interest is the interface of the human dimensions of global environmental change. She has published on issues such as the design of Mexican environmental policy, water policy in Mexico City, environmental perceptions and attitudes towards public environmental strategies and instruments, and vulnerability to climate variability and change among farmers and water users. She is a member of the

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
×

Scientific Steering Committee of the Global Carbon Project sponsored by IHDP, WCRP, and IGBP. In the past few years she has been involved with the Latin American Center of Administration for the Development (CLAD), the International Human Dimensions Program on Global Environmental Change (IHDP) and associated with the 8th Cohort of the Program Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD), Mexican Chapter. Dr. Romero, a sociologist by training, has two doctoral degrees: a Ph.D. in regional development from the Autonomous Metropolitan University and a Ph.D. in agricultural sciences from the University of Bonn, Germany. She has been a member of the National System of Researchers since 1994. She won a national environmental prize in 1992 (Mención honorífica, Premio Serfín del Medio Ambiente), and has twice shared the Annual Research Prize with her university research group.


Dr. Mack McFarland is Environmental Fellow at DuPont Fluoroproducts. Dr. McFarland received a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin in 1970 and a Ph.D. in chemical physics from the University of Colorado in 1973. From 1974 through 1983, first as a postdoctoral fellow at York University and then as research scientist at the NOAA Aeronomy Laboratory, he planned, conducted, and interpreted field experiments designed to probe the cycles that control atmospheric ozone concentrations. These studies included measurements of gases and processes important to the global climate change issue. In late 1983 he joined the DuPont Company. His primary responsibilities have been in coordinating research programs and assessment and interpretation of scientific information on stratospheric ozone depletion and global climate change as a basis for policy decisions on these global environmental issues. During 1995 and 1996 Dr. McFarland was on loan to the Atmosphere Unit of the United Nations Environment Programme and in 1997 he was on loan to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group II Technical Support Unit. The value of his contributions to DuPont has been recognized through a C&P Flagship Award, Environmental Respect Awards, and Environmental Excellence Awards. In 1999 he was awarded an individual Climate Protection Award by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for his contributions in providing understandable, reliable information to decision makers. Dr. McFarland has served on the NRC Committee Panel for Chemical Science and Technology. He has participated in every major international scientific assessment on stratospheric ozone and global climate change as author, reviewer, or review editor.


Dr. Harold A. Mooney (NAS) is a professor at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. from Duke University. He was elected to the National Academies of Sciences in 1982. He has demonstrated that convergent evolu-

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
×

tion takes place in the properties of different ecosystems that are subject to comparable climates and has pioneered in the study of resource allocation in plants. He has worked in many of Earth’s diverse ecosystems, including the arctic-alpine, the Mediterranean-climate scrub and grasslands, tropical wet and dry forests, and the deserts of the world. Dr. Mooney’s research is currently centered on the study of the impact of global changes on ecosystem structure and function. Professor Mooney has received the Mercer Award of the Ecological Society of America and the Merit Award of the Botanical Society of America. He is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the American Philosophical Society, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Mooney was a co-chair of the science panel of the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment and served as chair of the NRC Committee on Global Change.


Dr. Ravi V. Nathan is Senior Vice President with ACE Global Weather. The ACE Group of insurance and reinsurance companies serves a variety of clients around the world, from large multinational corporations to smaller clients in local markets. Dr. Nathan has more than 20 years of experience, most recently serving as the General Manager for Aquila Inc.’s Weather Derivatives Group where he was responsible for the strategic initiatives, overall profitability and day-to-day management of the weather derivatives business. His expertise is related to the relationship of managing weather/ climate risk for finance, insurance, and business. In addition to his corporate roles, Dr. Nathan has served as the President of the Weather Risk Management Association. During his tenure the association introduced standardized contracts for weather derivatives and hosted conferences in the United States, Japan, and Europe to bring together global participants in weather risk management. Dr. Nathan earned a B.A. and M.A. in economics from Madras University, an M.B.A. from Xavier Institute of Management, and a Ph.D. in finance from Oklahoma State University. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst.


Dr. Edward A. Parson is Professor of Law and Professor of Natural Resources and Environment at the University of Michigan. He received his Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University, where he served on the faculty of the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Dr. Parson’s research interests lie in the fields of environmental policy, particularly its international aspects, and negotiations. His recent environmental research has included projects on scientific and technical assessment in international policy making; policy implications of carbon-cycle management; design of international market-based policy instruments; and development of policy exercises, simulation gaming, and related novel methods for assessment and policy analysis. He

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
×

is the author of a series of simulated multiparty negotiation exercises that are used for policy research and executive training in ten countries. He has worked and consulted for the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Commission of the European Union, The White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the Office of Technology Assessment of the U.S. Congress (OTA), the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Environment Canada, and the Privy Council Office of the Government of Canada. Dr. Parson was a member of the National Assessment Synthesis Team.


Dr. Richard Richels directs global climate change research at the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in Palo Alto, California. His current research focus is the economics of mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. In previous assignments, he directed EPRI’s energy analysis, environmental risk, and utility planning research activities. Dr. Richels has served as a lead author for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) Second, Third, and Fourth Scientific Assessments and served on the Synthesis Team for the US National Assessment of Climate Change Impacts on the United States. He also served on the Scientific Steering Committee for the US Carbon Cycle Program. He currently serves on the Advisory Committee for Princeton University’s Carbon Mitigation Initiative and Carnegie-Mellon University’s Center for Integrated Study of the Human Dimensions of Global Change. Dr. Richels received a B.S. degree in physics from the College of William and Mary in 1968. He was awarded an M.S. degree in 1973 and Ph.D. degree in 1976 from Harvard University’s Division of Applied Sciences where he concentrated in decision sciences. While at Harvard he was a member of the Energy and Environmental Policy Center.

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Dr. Claudia Mengelt is a program officer for BASC. She received her M.S. in Biological Oceanography from the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences at Oregon State University. Her Master’s research focused on how chemical and physical parameters in the surface ocean affect Antarctic phytoplankton species composition and the resulting impacts on biogeochemical cycles. She subsequently obtained her Ph.D. in the Marine Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she conducted research on the photophysiology of harmful algal species. She joined the full time staff of BASC in the fall of 2005 following a fellowship with the NRC Polar Research Board in the winter of 2005. At the National Academies, she has worked on studies addressing the design of Arctic observing systems, providing strategic guidance for the National Science Foundation’s support of

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
×

the atmospheric sciences, and highlighting major scientific accomplishments of Earth observations from space.


Dr. Amanda C. Staudt was a senior program officer with BASC. She received an A.B. in environmental engineering and sciences and a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences from Harvard University. During her tenure at the National Academies, Dr. Staudt staffed the National Academies review of the U.S. Climate Change Science Program Strategic Plan and the long-standing Climate Research Committee. Dr. Staudt also worked on studies addressing radiative forcing of climate, surface temperature reconstructions, air quality management in the United States, research priorities for airborne particulate matter, the NARSTO Assessment of the Atmospheric Science on Particulate Matter, weather research for surface transportation, and weather forecasting for aviation traffic flow management. In March 2007, she joined the National Wildlife Federation as their climate scientist.


Ms. Elizabeth A. Galinis is a research associate for BASC. After completing her B.S. in marine science from the University of South Carolina in 2001, she received her M.S. in environmental science and policy from Johns Hopkins University in 2007. Since her start at the National Academies in March 2002, Ms. Galinis has worked on studies involving next-generation weather radar (NEXRAD), weather modification, climate sensitivity, climate change, radiative forcings, the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment Americas Prediction Project, U.S. future needs for polar icebreakers, and the effects of climate change on federal lands.


Ms. Rachael Shiflett is a senior program assistant with the Polar Research Board. She received a J.D. from Catholic University and a Masters in Environmental Science from Vermont Law School. Ms. Shiflett has coordinated National Research Council studies that produced the reports a Vision for the International Polar Year 2007-2008, International Polar Year 2007-2008 Report of the Implementation Workshop, Toward an Integrated Arctic Observing Network, Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned, and Exploration of Antarctic Subglacial Aquatic Environments: Environmental and Scientific Stewardship.

Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Suggested Citation:"Appendix E Biographical Sketches of Committee Members." National Research Council. 2007. Analysis of Global Change Assessments: Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/11868.
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Global change assessments inform decision makers about the scientific underpinnings of a range of environmental issues, such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, and loss of biodiversity. Dozens of assessments have been conducted to date by various U.S. and international groups, many of them influencing public policies, technology development, and research directions. This report analyzes strengths and weaknesses of eight past assessments to inform future efforts. Common elements of effective assessments include strong leadership, extensive engagement with interested and affected parties, a transparent science-policy interface, and well defined communication strategies. The report identifies 11 essential elements of effective assessments and recommends that future assessments include decision support tools that make use of information at the regional and local level where decisions are made.

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