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Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration (1999)

Chapter: Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors

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Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6464.
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Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors

Committee Members

Richard A. Anthes (chair) is president of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), a nonprofit consortium that manages the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and collaborates with many international meteorological institutions. Dr. Anthes received his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has been a research scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), a professor of meteorology at Pennsylvania State University, and director of NCAR. Dr. Anthes, a fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), was awarded the Meisinger and Charney awards of the AMS for his research on the theory and modeling of tropical cyclones and mesoscale meteorology. In addition to publishing more than 90 peer-reviewed articles and books, he has been a member or chair of more than 30 national committees for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), NOAA, AMS, the National Science Foundation, and the National Research Council.

William E. Gordon (vice chair) is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. His professional career has been devoted to designing and developing radio communication systems (e.g., tropospheric forward scatter) and powerful radars (e.g., incoherent scatter) for studying the Earth's atmosphere. During his military service and at the University of Texas, he studied the effects of atmospheric refraction on radars. He received a Ph.D. in electrical engineering from Cornell University for his work on radiowave propagation. Dr. Gordon is known as ''the father of the Arecibo Observatory" for his work, with others, in conceiving that facility and directing its design, construction, and early operations. He was professor, dean of science and engineering, and provost at Rice University, where he is a distinguished professor emeritus. Dr. Gordon is also a member of the Japan National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). He received the van der Pol Medal from the International Union of Radio Science (URSI), the Arctowski Medal from the National Academy of Sciences, the Centennial Medal from the IEEE, and honorary medals from the Soviet Academy of Sciences and the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences.

David Atlas is a distinguished visiting scientist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he was formerly the director of the Laboratory for Atmospheric Sciences. He received his B.S. from New York University and his M.S. and D.Sc. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has been the chief of the Weather Radar Branch, Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories, a professor at the University of Chicago, and a program director at NCAR. In addition to serving as president of the AMS, he received the Rossby, Meisinger, Abbe, and Remote Sensing awards of that society for his work in radio science and meteorology. He has also received awards from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, the Royal Meteorological Society, and NASA. He was president of the Inter-Union Commission on Radio Meteorology of the URSI and the International Union of Geophysics and Geodesy.

William D. Bonner, now a senior research associate at NCAR, was previously director of programs at UCAR and director of the UCAR Cooperative Program for Operational Meteorology, Education, and Training. Prior to joining UCAR, Dr. Bonner spent 20 years with the National Weather Service (NWS), working first in the Techniques Development Laboratory and then in the National Meteorological Center. He later served as director of the eastern region, deputy director of the NWS, and director of the National Meteorological Center. His Ph.D. in geophysical sciences (meteorology) is from the University of Chicago. He has

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6464.
×

taught at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the University of Maryland. For his NWS service, he received two Senior Executive Service awards (presidential rank) and the U.S. Department of Commerce Gold Medal. An AMS fellow and past president, Dr. Bonner served twice on the AMS Council. He is co-author of a textbook, Understanding Our Atmospheric Environment, and author or co-author of 40 scientific publications.

Robert F. Brammer is currently a vice president and technical director at TASC, where he heads several inter-organizational technology programs for independent research and development, university research, and new business activities. He led the development of TASC's Computing Technology Center, where research is conducted on digital mapping, precision guidance, remote sensing, nondestructive testing, photo-sensor realistic scene generation, and computational fluid dynamics. The center also evaluates advanced computing architectures for the government and industry. In addition to a decade of work on Trident submarine programs at TASC, Dr. Brammer initiated programs to develop ground stations for meteorological satellites, which led to TASC's acquisition of WSI Corporation. TASC/WSI is the largest private-sector provider of value-added meteorological and oceanographic information services. Prior to joining TASC, Dr. Brammer worked on real-time software and ground-station engineering for Apollo and Skylab at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. He also did research on adaptive control, coherent communications, and precise time transfer. Dr. Brammer received his B.S. from the University of Michigan and his M.A. and Ph.D. in mathematics from the University of Maryland. He is a member of a number of professional and honorary societies.

Kenneth C. Crawford is a professor of meteorology at the University of Oklahoma, director of the Oklahoma Climatological Survey, and the state climatologist. He came to the university after 28 years with the NWS, where he was a research meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory, an operational meteorologist, and a senior field manager. Professor Crawford is director of the Oklahoma Mesonet, a statewide network of 115 automated observing and transmitting stations, and the senior administrative official for the OK-FIRST project to improve the dissemination of weather information to local public safety officials. Dr. Crawford is a fellow of the AMS and has made numerous international presentations. He earned his B.S. from the University of Texas at Austin, his M.S. from Florida State University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma.

Dara Entekhabi, an assistant professor in hydroclimatology and hydrometeorology at MIT, holds two M.A. degrees, in statistical climatology and stochastic hydrology, from Clark University and a Ph.D. in civil engineering (global hydrology and climate modeling) from MIT. He is a member and fellow of the American Geophysical Union, a member of the AMS, and a member of the National Weather Service Modernization Committee.

Albert J. Kaehn, Jr., retired from the U.S. Air Force with the rank of brigadier general after commanding the Air Weather Service. Prior to that, he served as commander of the Third Weather Wing at Offutt Air Force Base; as the assistant for environmental sciences in the Office of the Undersecretary, Defense Research and Engineering; and in various other command and staff positions in the Air Weather Service. He received an M.A. in mathematics from the State University of New York and a B.S. in meteorology from Pennsylvania State University. He is a fellow and past president of the AMS and has served on its executive and governing councils. For his Air Force service, he received, among other honors, the Air Force Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and a Bronze Star. After retiring, General Kaehn worked for Global Weather Dynamics, Inc., and Harris Corporation; he is currently a consultant on organization, management, system development, and business development. He has chaired several committees for the National Research Council.

Veronica F. Nieva is a social and organizational psychologist whose research has focused on evaluating the effectiveness of procedural, organizational, and technological interventions in public-sector organizations, military institutions, and private industry. Her consulting and research are aimed at understanding, measuring, and improving human resource and organizational functioning. She has also studied the behavior of women in relation to gender issues in the workplace at WESTAT. Dr. Nieva is a vice president and director of the Organizational and Management Research Group at WESTAT. Previously, she worked at The Urban Institute, the Advanced Research Resources Organization, and the Institute for Social Research (University of Michigan). She has taught at the Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines and the University of Michigan. Dr. Nieva holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in social psychology from the Ateneo de Manila University. She has published two major books and numerous articles and technical reports.

Dorothy C. Perkins is deputy associate director of flight projects for Earth Observing System (EOS) Information Systems at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center where she is in charge of implementing the EOS Data and Information System, which includes the ground systems for spacecraft control and the processing, archiving, and distribution of scientific data from the NASA Earth Sciences Enterprise missions. She previously served as deputy director of applied engineering and technology at Goddard, mission services manager for the NASA Space Operations Management Office, chief of the Mission Operations and Systems

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6464.
×

Development Division at Goddard, and manager of information system technology programs at Goddard.

Paul L. Smith is professor emeritus at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology. Dr. Smith received a B.S. in physics and an M.S. and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from the Carnegie Institute of Technology, where he subsequently was on the faculty. He worked at Midwest Research Institute before moving to the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences, where he served as director from 1981 to 1996. His major research interests are radar meteorology, cloud physics, and weather modification. Dr. Smith has held numerous other posts, including postdoctoral fellow at the National Science Foundation; visiting professor in meteorology at McGill University; chief scientist at Air Weather Service Headquarters, Scott Air Force Base; visiting scientist at the Alberta Research Council; Fulbright Lecturer in radar meteorology at the University of Helsinki; and member of the Executive Committee of the International Commission on Clouds and Precipitation. He has twice chaired the AMS Committee on Radar Meteorology and is currently on the NEXRAD Technical Advisory Committee.

Arthur I. Zygielbaum is the director of research and development, as well as the assistant director, of Nebraska Educational Telecommunications, which is associated with the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. He took these posts in 1998, after 30 years at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), where his positions included manager of Science Information Systems, deputy manager of the Information Systems Division, and co-principal investigator for the Consortium for the Application of Space Data to Education. At JPL, Mr. Zygielbaum developed systems for spacecraft navigation, measurement of solar charged particle densities, and tests of general relativity theory. He also created JPL's Minority Science and Engineering Initiatives Program. Mr. Zygielbaum holds a B.S. in physics from the University of California, Los Angeles, and an M.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Southern California. He holds several patents, has received numerous NASA awards, and is a member of the National Weather Service Modernization Committee.

Advisors

George J. Gleghorn retired from TRW Space and Technology Group as vice president and chief engineer. During his 37 years at TRW, he contributed to numerous "firsts" in space flight, including Pioneer I, the first NASA spacecraft; Pioneer 5, which reported the first data from interplanetary space; Intelsat III, the first satellite to broadcast live television worldwide; the Orbiting Geophysical Observatory; and NASA's tracking and data relay satellite. He also contributed to Pioneers 6, 10, and 11 and the development of the Atlas, Thor, and Titan ballistic missiles. Earlier, he worked at Hughes Aircraft and the JPL and served in Korea as a naval officer. Dr. Gleghorn holds a B.S. from the University of Colorado and a Ph.D. in electrical engineering and mathematics from the California Institute of Technology. He is a fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the NASA Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel. He recently chaired two studies for the National Research Council on the effects of orbital debris on the International Space Station and has participated in design and readiness reviews for NASA spacecraft.

Charles L. Hosler is a fellow and past president of the AMS and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. From 1947 to 1991, he was on the faculty of Pennsylvania State University, where he was professor and head of the Department of Meteorology, dean of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, senior vice president for research, dean of the graduate school, acting executive vice president, and provost. He was chairman of the board and acting president for UCAR and has served on the National Advisory Committee for Oceans and Atmosphere, the National Science Board, and the World Meteorological Organization's panel of experts on education and training. For the National Research Council, Dr. Hosler chaired the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate and the National Weather Service Modernization Committee, as well as serving on many other panels and committees. He currently chairs the board of the Pennsylvania State Research Foundation. He has an M.S. and Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University.

David S. Johnson worked for 26 years on the U.S. operational meteorological satellite program and the cooperative international network of meteorological satellites and ground stations. He retired from NOAA as the assistant administrator for satellites. After retirement, he was a consultant on remote sensing satellite systems and served for eight years as a study director at the National Research Council for the post-Challenger evaluation of NASA' s risk management and as first director of the National Weather Service Modernization Committee. Mr. Johnson received A.B. and M.S. degrees in meteorology from the University of California, Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the AMS, American Geophysical Union, and American Astronautical Society, and an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was president of the AMS in 1974 and has received numerous awards from government agencies and professional societies.

Robert J. Serafin worked at Hazeltine Research Corporation, where he designed and developed high-resolution radar systems, and then at Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) and IIT Research Institute. He joined NCAR as manager of the Field Observing Facility, and, in 1980, he became director of the Atmospheric Technology Division. Since 1989, he

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6464.
×

has been director of NCAR. Dr. Serafin has published more than 50 technical and scientific papers, holds three patents, and founded the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. He received B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees in electrical engineering from Notre Dame University, Northwestern University, and IIT, respectively. He has served on several National Research Council committees, and was chair of the National Weather Service Modernization Committee. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the AMS and the IEEE.

Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6464.
×
Page 15
Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6464.
×
Page 16
Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6464.
×
Page 17
Suggested Citation:"Biographical Sketches of Committee Members and Advisors." National Research Council. 1999. Review of the Draft Plan for the Modernization and Associated Restructuring Demonstration. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. doi: 10.17226/6464.
×
Page 18
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The public law that authorized the National Weather Service (NWS) to modernize its technical systems and restructure its field office organization set the requirements for what has become known as the modernization and associated restructuring demonstration (MARD). The law requires testing of the integrated performance, over a sustained period, of the modernized components and an operational demonstration that no degradation in service will result from the modernization and associated restructuring. In this report, the National Research Council's National Weather Service Modernization Committee reviews the September 1998 draft plan for MARD. The committee drew three conclusions from its review of the plan and offers five recommendations to the NWS.

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