The Unidata Program Center is pleased to welcome six new members to our governing committees. Committee members normally serve three-year terms; these terms are finishing up for four members of the Users committee and two members of the Policy committee. New members and those finishing their terms will overlap for one meeting, which will take place in mid-October, 2011.
The UPC staff looks forward to working with our new committee members, and to having all the current members of both committees at the Program Center in Boulder, Colorado for the October meeting.
The following provides a brief introduction to the scientists joining Unidata's committees. You can additional information about the governing committees, including contact information for committee members, on the Governing Committees page.
Bart Geerts, Users Committee
Dr. Bart Geerts is an associate professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Wyoming. He teaches a wide range of courses including Introduction to Meteorology, Weather Analysis and Forecasting, Synoptic Meteorology, and Mesoscale Dynamics. His current research includes study of the dynamics and microphysics of orographic precipitation, the dynamics of radar fine-lines in the pre-convective continental boundary layer, dynamical processes in orographic cumuli, and boundary-layer circulations over relatively warm water.
"I am really looking forward to serve on the Unidata committee, after many years of benefitting from Unidata's efforts in my teaching and research," says Dr. Geerts.
Dave Dempsey, Policy Committee
Dr. David Dempsey is a professor of meteorology at San Francisco State University. He served on Unidata's Users Committee from 1996-2000, co-chairing the Planning Committee for the 1997 Unidata Triennial workshop. He was also involved in planning the 2000 Triennial workshop, the MetApps Task Force, and the IDV Steering Committee. His current research includes mesoscale numerical modeling of topographically-forced circulations and numerical model building.
"Unidata has the modest-sounding mission of helping academic and research institutions access, share, analyze, and visualize earth science data," says Dr. Dempsey. "To do that, Unidata has not only stayed on the cutting edge of technology — I remember first hearing about the World Wide Web from Unidata staff at a software training workshop in 1993 — but has helped to create the cutting edge."
"Unidata has actively engaged a wider and wider pool of community members in program governance, and — with justification — now refers to itself as a community, not just a program. I'm gratified for the chance to engage with Unidata more deeply than I have as a beneficiary of its work, and to serve that community," Dempsey continues. "Along the way, I expect to learn a great deal, as I always have from Unidata!"
Gerald Creager, Users Committee
Gerald Creager of Texas A&M University has been an active member of the Unidata community for more than ten years, and is a user of numerous Unidata software packages. He operates a widely available set of LDM servers providing IDD data to research and educational institutions, and has been instrumental in implementing a private IDD network for the NOAA-funded Southeastern Coastal Ocean Observing and Prediction (SCOOP) program. Mr. Creager was co-chair of the Open Geospatial Consortium's University Domain Working Group until the fall of 2011.
Mr. Creager brings his broad experience with data distribution, analysis, and visualization tools from Unidata and other sources to assist Texax A&M teaching and research faculty.
Jennifer Collins, Users Committee
Dr. Jennifer Collins is an Associate Professor of Geography in the Department of Geography, Environment, and Planning at the University of South Florida. Her research focuses on weather and climate. As a hurricane researcher, Dr. Collins is interested in the interaction between large scale climatic patterns such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and the Madden-Julian Oscillation and seasonal patterns of tropical cyclone activity in multiple oceanic basins.
Dr. Collins is active in the Tampa area meteorological community, and was elected President of the West Central Florida Chapter of the American Meteorological Society in 2010.
Martin Baxter, Users Committee
Dr. Martin Baxter is an Assistant Professor of Meteorology in the Department of Geology and Meteorology at Central Michigan University. His research has examined the climatology of snow to liquid ratio and methods for forecasting this quantity, as well as the effects of upstream convection on mesoscale banded snowfall. He teaches Synoptic Meteorology and was awarded CMU's Excellence in Teaching Award for 2010.
"Of late I have become more interested in how numerical weather prediction can best be used in operational forecasting," says Dr. Baxter. "I consider myself a synoptic meteorologist who is more interested in mesoscale processes, rather than planetary/climate scale processes."
William Gallus, Policy Committee
Dr. Bill Gallus is a Professor of Synoptic and Mesocale Meteorology, Numerical Weather Prediction in the Department of Geological and Atmospheric Sciences at Iowa State University. He served as a member of Unidata's Users Committee from 2007-2010, and uses Unidata software and data in weekly lab exercises given to his students. His current research interests are primarily directed toward improved prediction of small-scale atmospheric phenomena, especially severe thunderstorms and their rainfall.
Dr. Gallus received the ISU Foundation Award for Outstanding Achievement in Teaching in 2005, and has been recognized by the ISU College of Liberal Arts & Sciences as a Master Teacher.
Fantastic additions! Great group indeed, congratulations to the new committee members, and to Unidata for adding such good people to the team.
Posted by Brian Etherton on September 23, 2011 at 09:20 AM MDT #