News Archive

July - September 2007

8/3/2007 - Beat Schmid Named as Technical and Mission Science Director of the ARM Aerial Vehicles Program

Dr. Beat Schmid is the new Technical and Mission Science Director of the ARM Aerial Vehicles Program.

Effective August 2, 2007, Dr. Beat Schmid will take on the position of Technical and Mission Science Director of the ARM Aerial Vehicle Program (AVP). Dr. Schmid is replacing Dr. Jim Mather as the lead for the ARM AVP and is responsible and accountable for the successful overall management of its activities.

Beat brings an extensive background in aerosol and atmospheric radiation measurements using airborne, space, and surface-based instrumentation to the position. He has been involved as a participant or leader in more than 10 large aircraft campaigns and has personally performed research aboard 7 different aircraft. Beat has been involved with ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF) field campaigns since 1997, became an ARM PI in 2003, and has been leading the ARM Aerosol Working Group (AWG) since 2005. Beat also represents the AWG as a member of the ARM Science Team Executive Committee and the ACRF Science Board. Beat earned both his M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Bern in Switzerland.

7/10/2007 - Jim Mather Selected as New ACRF Technical Director

Congratulations to Dr. Jim Mather, who will take the position of Technical Director of the ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF) effective August 1, 2007. The Technical Director is responsible and accountable for the successful overall management of the user facility and works with the other ACRF managers to this end. Jim's leadership will be critical for the successful development and evolution of the technical infrastructure needed to meet scientific user needs.

Dr. Jim Mather will be the new Technical Director for ACRF as of August 2007.

Jim has been with the ARM Program since 1994, when he joined the Tropical Western Pacific site scientist office. He worked closely with teams from several labs on developing the measurement facilities that were ultimately deployed at Manus, Nauru and Darwin, and participated in the deployments at each of these sites. He was involved with the development and implementation of data quality procedures which have been applied across all the ARM sites and has used ARM remote sensing and radiation data in his research.

Jim has extensive field campaign experience, both in the operation and data analysis of remote sensing instrumentation. In 2006, he was co-PI for the Tropical Warm Pool International Cloud Experiment, and as Interim Technical Director for the new ARM Aerial Vehicles Program he was instrumental in the successful completion of the recent Cloud and Land Surface Interaction Campaign. Jim obtained his education at the Pennsylvania State University, earning a B.S. in Electrical Engineering, an M.S. in Physics, and a Ph.D. in Meteorology.

7/10/2007 - Jimmy Voyles Moves to Role of Instrument Coordinator

Jimmy Voyles moves to his new role as Instrument Coordinator in August 2007.

Mr. Jimmy Voyles, the current ACRF Technical Director, will move to the role of Instrument Coordinator for the ACRF effective August 1, 2007. In this role, he will provide leadership for the technical and engineering oversight of ACRF instrument systems and future deployment planning. In addition, he will contribute to the broader engineering and operations needs of ACRF, including the planning and implementation of field campaigns. Congratulations to Jimmy, who now brings his valuable leadership and program knowledge to the role of Instrument Coordinator.

During his tenure as Technical Director, Jimmy brought his team leadership approach and management experience to the ACRF, in addition to his deep technical knowledge of the ARM Program. He established and maintained a strong relationship with the ARM Chief Scientist, the ARM Science Team Executive Committee, and the other ACRF managers. Jimmy also established management systems and communication protocols for the program that have increased the overall effectiveness and productivity of the team, and has ensured that the contributions of the ACRF to the broader scientific community are widely communicated. Jimmy has a degree in Electronic Engineering and Technology from the University of Houston, and participated in the masters program in Electrical Engineering through Washington State University.

Events

8/22/2007 - Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics Announces Three-Week Physics of Climate Change Program

The Physics of Climate Change program will be at the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics (KITP) at the University of California, Santa Barbara, April 28-July 11, 2008. KITP programs differ from many conferences and workshops because they create situations where scientists learn from each other and actually do substantive research, often collaborating with other participants. To foster these interactions, KITP encourages all theory participants to stay for at least three weeks; however, the schedule can be flexible.

There will be an associated intensive conference on Frontiers of Climate Science during the second week of the program (May 5-9), and the conference will end with a public science forum focused on some geoengineering proposals to stem global warming.

The latest information about the program can be found online at KITP activities website.

Updated 8/20/2007 - American Geophysical Union (AGU) Fall Meeting Abstracts Due September 6

Abstracts are now being accepted for the 2007 Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) to be held December 10-14 in San Francisco, California. The meeting will cover topics in all areas of Earth and space sciences and is expected to draw a crowd of more than 15,000 from around the world. Many ARM participants are conveners of atmospheric science and global environmental change sessions, such as the samples below.

To locate a session for your abstract, use the Preplanned Session Search. For more information on the meeting and to submit your abstract by the September 6 deadline, go to the AGU Fall Meeting website.

7/31/2007 - Second International African Monsoon Multidisciplinary Analyses (AMMA) Conference Abstracts Due August 15

The Second International AMMA Conference will take place in Karlsruhe, Germany, November 26-30. Abstracts will be accepted in English and French until August 15. The conference aims to bring together researchers from around the world working on the Western African monsoon and its impacts, to review ongoing research and modeling activities, and to discuss ongoing and future contributions to the AMMA research program. For more information, see the conference website.

7/24/2007 - Abstracts Due August 1 for Annual American Meteorological Society Meeting

Abstracts for the 2008 American Meteorological Society (AMS) meeting are being accepted until August 1. The meeting will take place in New Orleans, Louisiana, January 20-24, and is being organized around the broad theme of "Enhancing the Connectivity between Research and Applications for the Benefit of Society." For more information, see the meeting website.

7/12/2007 - First U.S.-China Symposium on Meteorology to Take Place in Norman, Oklahoma

The First U.S.-China Symposium on Meteorology: Mesoscale Meteorology and Data Assimilation will take place February 26-28 in Norman Oklahoma at the National Weather Center. The goals of the symposium are to define the state of knowledge in the two countries for mesoscale meteorology and data assimilation, and to identify the most important challenges for the next decade.

The symposium will be organized into six half-day sessions on each of the following themes: The Symposium will be organized into six half-day sessions, each of which will deal with one of the following themes:

Observations of Mesoscale Phenomena
Theory of Mesoscale Phenomena
Data Assimilation Techniques and Mesoscale Applications
Simulation of Mesoscale Phenomena
Forecasting of Mesoscale Phenomena
Connections between Mesoscale Phenomena, Regional Climate, and Larger-Scale Circulation.

The deadline for abstracts is October 1, 2007. Notification of acceptance and assignment to poster or oral sessions will occur by November 1, 2007. For more information, see the symposium website.

7/11/2007 - Workshop on Patagonian Dust and Its Climate Implications Scheduled for October

There will be a workshop on Patagonian dust and its climate implications on October 3-5, in Puerto Madryn, Argentina. The objective of this meeting is to share information and promote collaborations among groups from different disciplines to improve understanding of southern South America (notably Patagonia) and its role in influencing the past/present climate and marine biogeochemistry in the Southern Ocean and Antarctica. Note that October is high tourist season and hotels tend to be booked up fast. It is recommended to make hotel reservations as soon as possible.

For more information, see http://www.cenpat.edu.ar/dustmeeting/ or contact Dr. Santiago Gasso at santiago@climate.gsfc.nasa.gov.

Employment Opportunities

9/18/2007 - Faculty Position Open at the University of North Dakota

The University of North Dakota's (UND) Department of Atmospheric Sciences is seeking qualified applicants for a tenure-track faculty position in the area of Radar Meteorology. This faculty member will be expected to teach courses at the graduate and undergraduate levels, maintain a program of externally-funded research and direct graduate student research. A Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences or a related discipline is required. A proven record of publication and external funding and demonstrated expertise in teaching is highly desirable. This position will be filled at the Assistant/Associate Professor level, depending on qualifications.

The Department of Atmospheric Sciences is part of the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at UND. The undergraduate program leading to a B.S. in Atmospheric Sciences was started in 1983 and now has approximately 60 majors. A Master of Science program was begun in the fall of 1998 and a Ph.D. program in the fall of 2006; 20 students are now enrolled in these graduate programs. Facilities include a 5-cm wavelength Doppler weather radar with dual polarization capability and two instrumented ground research sites. We are also planning to acquire a research aircraft platform. Additional information can be found on our web site: http://www.atmos.und.edu.

A review of applications will begin 1 November, 2007, and the position will remain open until filled. Salary will be commensurate with experience. Please send a curriculum vitae, statement of professional goals and the names and addresses of at least three professional references to: Prof. Michael Poellot, Chair of Search Committee, Atmospheric Sciences, Clifford Hall Room 400, 4149 University Avenue Stop 9006, Grand Forks, ND 58202-9006. Phone: 701-777-3180; Fax: 701-777-5032; Email: poellot@atmos.und.edu.

9/18/2007 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow School of Mathematical Sciences at Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia

Applications are invited for a two-year fixed-term postdoctoral research fellow position to work on furthering our understanding of the land-sea contrast in tropical atmospheric convection and to improve its representation in global models. The successful applicant should be an active researcher with a Ph.D. (or equivalent) in atmospheric science or a related discipline. Salary range for a Research Fellow Level A will be $58,271 - $62,550 per annum and the location is the Clayton campus. Please send inquiries to Professor Christian Jakob, Tel: +61-3-9905-4461, Fax: +61-3-9905-4403, Email: christian.jakob@sci.monash.edu.au

Applicants should send a curriculum vitae, research interests and experience, list of publications, together with names and contact addresses of three references by email to Professor Christian Jakob, School of Mathematical Sciences, Monash University, by September 28.

9/17/2007 - Assistant Professor Position Posted at McGill University

The Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at McGill University is seeking outstanding applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in the area of atmosphere-ocean general circulation modeling. The successful applicant will be expected to develop an active research program, supervise graduate students, and teach a variety of undergraduate and graduate courses. Depending on the qualifications of the successful candidate, hiring may be possible at either the Associate or Full Professor level.

Preference will be given to candidates whose area of expertise is climate-change dynamics.

A Ph. D. in atmospheric or oceanic sciences or a closely-related field is required. McGill University is an English-speaking university located in Montreal, one of North America's most cosmopolitan cities. For more information about McGill University and the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, please see http://www.mcgill.ca/meteo.

A hard copy (not via email) of the applicant's curriculum vitae, research proposal, and teaching statement should be sent to:

Dr. John R. Gyakum, Chair
Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences
McGill University
805 Sherbrooke Street West
Montreal, QC H3A 2K6
Canada
514-398-3760; fax: 514-398-6115

Candidates should also arrange to have three letters of reference sent directly to the above address. In accordance with Canadian employment and immigration regulations, this advertisement is directed to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada. However, applications from all outstanding candidates will be considered. McGill University is committed to equity in employment. The preferred starting date for this position is September 1, 2008. Review of the applications will begin in December 2007 and continue until the position is filled.

7/18/2007 - University in Munich Seeks Professors in Experimental and Theoretical Meteorology

The Meteorological Institute University Munich is seeking two (full) professors in theoretical meteorology and experimental meteorology in the Department of Physics. Applicants with strong backgrounds in atmospheric physics—especially radiation, aerosols, and trace gases—with experience in regional and global climate change or extreme weather and climate dynamics are encouraged to apply.

Suitable qualifications include a Ph.D. and a habilitation or equivalent (e.g., a postdoctoral research experience) as well as lecturing experience in a tertiary institute. Successful candidates will be expected to conduct research at both the LMU and the DLR Institute for Atmospheric Physics (near Munich) and to promote collaboration between the two.

Interested applicants should send full curriculum vitae by August 15, 2007, to the Dean of the Faculty of Physics, Schellingstrasse 4, 80799 Munchen. Both positions officially begin in the spring 2009, but can start earlier for the successful candidate. To learn more, see the English announcements for Full Professor (W3) for Experimental Meteorology and Full Professor (W3) for Theoretical Meteorology or see the university website in German.

7/11/2007 - Computer Network Manager Position Available at the ACRF SGP Site

The ARM Climate Research Facility (ACRF), funded through the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), is seeking a Computer Network/Systems Engineer for its Southern Great Plains (SGP) site, near Lamont, Oklahoma. The ACRF is a DOE National User Facility, with facilities around the world dedicated to making long-term climate measurements. As part of this user facility, the SGP site contains state-of-the-art instruments and computer systems and is a focal point for collaborative national and international research. The successful candidate will be part of a team responsible for the maintenance and design evolution of the ACRF global network and communications infrastructure. The duties of the position include:

Maintenance and operation of wide- and local-area networks, and communications for ACRF measurement systems and facilities deployed worldwide
Ensuring continued, reliable operation of data collection processes and data flow from measurement facilities to a central data management facility
Monitoring of ACRF communications
Developing, implementing, and monitoring cyber security policies
Providing technical support to ACRF operations staff and to scientists visiting the ACRF facility.

The successful candidate will have strong managerial and leadership experience, as well as the necessary technical skills and experience. Minimum requirements are:

Considerable systems administration skill with Linux operating systems
Knowledge and experience with scientific data collection and instrumentation, especially regarding interfaces to networks and computer systems
Considerable skills in C, Perl, XML, Java, and secure programming practices.

Desired skills:

Systems administration skill with Solaris and Cisco operating systems
Working knowledge of wide- and local-area networks and telecommunication systems including satellite and ground-based systems, design specifications, procurements, reliability, and integrity
Certifications in Red Hat Linux or Cisco IOS.

This exciting research-driven position is located in a rural location at the SGP site near Lamont, Oklahoma, and is operated by the Cherokee Nation Distributors of Stilwell, Oklahoma. Additional information about the site and its mission can be found at http://www.arm.gov/sites/sgp.stm. Some international travel may be required. There will be frequent interaction with other ACRF staff located throughout the world. We offer a competitive salary and benefits package, please fax or mail your résumé to:

Fax: 580-388-4052
Email: HR@ops.sgp.arm.gov
Mail: Human Resource Department
309600 EW 28
Billings, OK 74630

This position has been filled.

7/11/2007 - Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Science (CIRES) Announces Three Openings

Three positions were recently posted on the CIRES website (http://cires.colorado.edu/jobs/) including the following:

professional research assistant for the NOAA Earth System Research Lab (ESRL) Global Systems Division (GSD) - involves sharing responsibilities with the Forecast Verification SEction within the Aviation Branch of the ESRL's GSD (posted May 7, 2007).
professional research assistant for the NOAA Earth System Research Lab (ESRL) Global Systems Division (GSD) - needs to possess strong computer and mathematics skills with a background in physical sciences, will be part of the Forecast Verification Section engineering team (posted April 23, 2007).
professional research assistant for the NOAA Earth System Research Lab (ESRL) Global Systems Division (GSD) - will lead and coordinate a small team in the development of new verification and user-based techniques for the evaluation of aviation forecasts (posted April 23, 2007).

For more information, see the CIRES website.

7/11/2007 - Research Scientist Position Available at the University of Oklahoma

The Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies at The University of Oklahoma invites applications for a full-time research scientist position. The appointee will join the research group led by Dr. Yefim Kogan and will be responsible for performing numerical simulations of clouds and cloud observing systems. The main research tool is an advanced LES model with explicit formulation of microphysics that uses extensively observations from the ARM Climate Research Facility.

Interested applicants should send a full curriculum vitae with the names of three references (including phone numbers and email addresses) to:

Prof. Peter Lamb, Director
c/o Ms. Tracy Reinke
Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies
University of Oklahoma
120 David L. Boren Blvd, Suite 2100
Norman, OK 73072-7304
email: treinke@ou.edu

For more information, see the online posting.

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