Daily Planet
University of Michigan College of Engineering
SPRING 2010
The Department of
Atmospheric,
Oceanic and Space
Sciences Newsletter
AOSS Professors Talk Policy
and Science
This summer found a number of AOSS faculty members writing and publishing about climate change, potential
impacts of space weather, the role of entrepreneurship in the space industry and an introduction to high-energydensity physics — in very understandable terms. In the August issue of “Nature Geoscience” online, Joyce Penner,
Ralph J. Cicerone Distinguished University Professor of Atmospheric Science, and five of her distinguished
colleagues, made the case for scientists and policy-makers to look beyond carbon dioxide for strategies to curb and
to understand global warming. Following the Pakistani flood in early August, AOSS Professor Ricky Rood put
forth the position that this horrific occurrence may indeed become more frequent as the Earth’s climate continues to
warm in his Weather Underground blog. In the May issue of "The Coronal Courant", Professor Mark Moldwin
explored what could happen should Earth experience an extreme space weather occurrence, such as the one
experienced in 1859. CoE Associate Dean Thomas Zurbuchen presents an argument for a greater appreciation
of entrepreneurship both in education and industry. Finally, Paul Drake, Henry S. Carhart Collegiate Professor
of Space Sciences and Director of the Center for Radiative Shock Hydrodynamics (CRASH) discusses why the
study of high-energy-density physics is fundamental to expanding our knowledge of planets, stars and the universe.
INSIDE
AOSS Accolades.................. 2
FREE Supernovas................ 5
Faculty Promotions............. 7
Footloose Glaciers............ 12
AGU Reception Moving..... 13
Upcoming Events.............. 16
What follows are excerpts from the two commentaries about climate change, which are available online (see page 17 for
links). You'll find Prof. Moldwin's article on page 10 and both Prof. Zurbuchen's commentary and Prof. Drake's "miniprimer" on page 11. Links to the complete articles can be found in the "On the Web" boxes accompanying the articles.
If you care to share your thoughts on the pieces, you can join the discussion on the AOSS Facebook page:
"UMAOSS" or send your comments to aossnews@umich.edu. We'd love to here from you.
Penner: Move Beyond CO2 to Better
Understand Climate Change
Rood: Pakistani Flood is a Climate
Disaster Case Study
Reducing emissions of short-lived greenhouse
gases and black-carbon aerosols,
as well as quantifying their effects
on the climate, could mitigate
global warming in the short term
and improve long-term climate
predictions. Short-lived pollutants
can have an atmospheric lifetime of
What is happening in Pakistan cannot be
described in a single word – like
disaster or catastrophe. We are
watching a combination of climate,
weather, population, societal
capacity, and geopolitics whose
scope and ramifications are far
beyond a “historic flood.”
continued on page 17
Sasha Zou Receives AGU
Scarf Award
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Daily Planet on the web at
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Chair
Tamas I. Gombosi
Associate Chair
for Academic Affairs
Perry J. Samson
Newsletter Editor
Mary Nehls-Frumkin
Assistant Editor
Deborah Eddy
©
Copyright 2009
AOSS Research Scientist Shasha Zou is the 2010 recipient
of the prestigious F.L. Scarf Award. The award, which is
given by the Space Physics and Aeronomy Section of
the American Geophysical Union (AGU), recognizes
an outstanding dissertation that contributes directly to
solar-planetary science. Dr. Zou completed her doctoral
work at UCLA and joined AOSS last November as a research fellow working with
Mark Moldwin. She is now a research scientist working with Mark. In addition to
Shasha’s outstanding dissertation, “Evolution of High Latitude Ionospheric Convection
Associated with Substorms: Multiple Radar Observations,” she has been very active
in presenting research through more than sixty publications, invited presentations,
seminars and colloquia while completing her doctoral studies.
Shasha has also received the UCLA Jacob A. Bjerknes Award for most promising
graduate student and a COSPAR young scientist and outstanding student travel grant.
She is a frequent reviewer for JGR-Space Physics and GRL; the executive secretary
for the 2010 NASA Geospace Review Panel; and, a panel reviewer for the 2010 NSF
Space Weather program (Magnetospheric Physics).
AOSS Student Accolades
Amanda Mims was awarded third place in the Student Prize Paper Competition at the
IEEE 2010 International Geoscience and Remote Sensing Symposium. Amanda’s paper
was titled “WindSat Retrieval of Ocean Surface Wind Speed in Tropical Cyclones.”
Rachael Kroodsma, Prof. Chris Ruf and Dr. Darren McKague were co-authors. Prof.
Ruf is the advisor for both Amanda and Rachael.
Dalal Najib is a recipient of the AGU Outstanding Paper Award for “A 3D Multi-fluid
MHD Study of the Interaction of the Solar Wind with the Ionosphere/Atmosphere
System of Mars”. Dalal’s advisor, and one of her co-authors, is AOSS Professor Emeritus
Andy Nagy. AOSS Alumna Yingyuan Ma and AOSS Research Scientist Gabor Toth
also were co-authors.
The Regents of the University of Michigan
Julia Donovan Darlow, Ann Arbor
Laurence B. Deitch, Bingham Farms
Denise Ilitch, Bingham Farms
Olivia P. Maynard, Goodrich
Andrea Fischer Newman, Ann Arbor
Andrew C. Richner, Grosse Pointe Park
S. Martin Taylor, Grosse Pointe Farms
Katherine E. White, Ann Arbor
Mary Sue Coleman, ex officio
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/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
AOSS Faculty Accolades
AOSS Associate Research Scientist Chip Manchester is the 2010 U-M Research
Faculty Recognition Award recipient. In addition to being an excellent team worker,
Dr. Manchester has advanced the knowledge of the origins of coronal mass ejections
through his diligent and innovative numerical modeling and simulations. The level of
Chip’s influence and quality of his work in solar and heliospheric science is evidenced
by the letter of support that was submitted by Professor Eugene Parker, the father of
the solar wind concept.
AOSS Associate Professor Anna Michalak is one of three recipients of one of the
highest honors bestowed by U-M upon junior faculty, the Henry Russel Award.
Anna, who came to U-M in 2005, focuses her research on characterizing complexity
and quantifying uncertainty in environmental systems in order to improve the
understanding of those systems and the ability to forecast their variability. She has
developed three new courses, at undergraduate and graduate levels, on statistical
methods and uncertainty modeling. She was awarded the 2008 Outstanding Educator
Award by the Association of Environmental Engineering and Science Professors. Prof.
Michalak is co-director of the Carbon Cycle Science Working group that is developing
the next US Carbon Cycle Science Plan, and serves on numerous committees at U-M.
Joyce Penner, Ralph J. Cicerone Distinguished University Professor of Atmospheric
Science, will be a review editor on the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Fifth Assessment Report (AR5). Prof. Penner will be reviewing the chapter on Clouds
and Aerosols in the Working Group I Contribution to the IPCC Fifth Assessment
Report Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis.
AOSS Assistant Professor Allison Steiner recently received an NSF Faculty Early Career
Development (CAREER) Award. This is the NSF’s most prestigious award in support
of junior faculty who “exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through outstanding
research, excellent education and integration of education and research.” Prof. Steiner
received the award, which is expected to run for five years, for her project, “The Climatic
Relevance of Pollen in the Atmosphere.” She heads the Climate Interactions Group,
whose research focuses on the interactions between atmospheric chemistry and climate
at the biosphere-atmosphere interface, and is a co-founder and board member of the
Earth Sciences Women’s Network (ESWN).
Thomas Zurbuchen, AOSS Professor and Coe Associate Dean for Entrepreneurship,
has been appointed a member of the National Academies Space Studies Board, which
is the focal point for activities on space research. In addition, Prof. Zurbuchen is the
vice chair of the steering committee for the decadal review in solar and space physics.
This will be a broadly-based assessment of the “scientific priorities of the U.S. solar
and space physics research enterprise for the period 2013-2022.”
More AOSS Accolades can be found on page 15
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
3
AOSS Student Continues
Solar Car tradition
Following traditions is often not easy, but in the
case of AOSS students who work as meteorologists
on the U-M Solar Car Team, they make it seem
effortless. This past June, the latest U-M Solar Car,
the Infinium, won the American Solar Challenge for a third consecutive North American title. For this win, Jordan Feight was the third straight
AOSS undergraduate student to serve as team meteorologist. Here's what Jordan had to say about his involvement and the team
I was just getting accustomed to the long nights, hard work, and college food when I
discovered that the U-M Solar Car Team needed a meteorologist — and I was ecstatic!
I've had a great interest in weather and its awesome power
and influence on the world since I was young. In fact, that's
why I'm at U-M: I want to become a meteorologist. So the
news of this opportunity had me on my way to an interview
with team members. However, there was one problem — I
was a freshman with extremely limited knowledge of weather
forecasting. I was baffled. How was I going to persuade the
team members that I had the determination to prepare
myself for the challenges ahead? Then it hit me, how was
I going to prepare myself ?
During my meeting with the
team we devised a plan to seek
help from AOSS. Knowing no
one in the department, or its
inner workings, I was directed
to meet with Professor Frank
Marsik, who went right to
work guiding me in the right
direction. With my new found
confidence and knowledge, the
support of Prof. Marsik, and
from the solar car team, I became involved in one of the most interesting projects of
my life — racing a solar car!
Clearly weather plays a significant role in a solar car race. My primary task was to
forecast solar radiation throughout the entire race. However, additional factors such as
wind, heavy precipitation, and surface pressure posed detrimental threats when trying
to determine the optimal speed of the solar car. My forecasts, together with detailed
route statistics, allowed for accurate models and optimization strategies for the team.
I had access to pyranometers, WeatherHawk weather stations, and weather model
outputs using Internet access provided by AT&T.
4
aoss.engin.umich.edu
The race, a seven-day trek from Tulsa,
OK to Naperville, IL, was 1,100 miles long
and consisted of multiple checkpoints and
stage stops. We raced against teams from
across the United States and elsewhere in
the world. The first few days were intense
and the race was close. However, our
team was able to pull ahead after the first
two days. By the end, the U-M Infinium
finished the race more than two hours
ahead of the second place team!
While I was the meteorologist, the
solar car team is exactly that, a team. It is
in fact a multi-faceted team and because
of that, I was able to dig deeper into
other divisions of the team. Team tasks
overlapped and were shared by members
of diverse backgrounds and majors.
The team always welcomed any race
strategy idea offered by a member. The
coolest thing about being on the team
was to watch it evolve. Business students
became mechanical engineers; industrial
operations majors learned the electrical
systems; and math majors broadened
their knowledge of weather. Being part of
the solar car team is not only a fantastic
opportunity for an AOSS student, but
it allowed me to expand my knowledge
across an enormous spectrum. I plan on
racing again with the team in the World
Solar Challenge 2011, which will once
again take place in Australia.
/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Supernovas Coming to the Nearest
Classroom — FREE
Thanks to NASA, supernovas will soon be going off
in classrooms around the country—no safety glasses
required. It's done via a DVD called Journey to the
Stars, which includes visual simulation of space weather
created by AOSS Research Scientist Darren deZeeuw.
The DVD, supporting lesson plans and activity sheets
are available FREE to any teacher requesting a copy. In
addition, AOSS space scientists will be available for presentations throughout
the school year to students in grades 3 through 12.
The teacher's guide offers tips for using the DVD as a classroom-teaching
tool and the suggested activities meet national science standards. Best of all,
the show is dead-on accurate. Visuals depict stars using real data from NASA
spacecraft and the finest theoretical models modern science has to offer.
“We hope teachers will request copies for each of their students, so they
can take them home and watch with their families,” says Lika Guhathakurta
of NASA's Heliophysics Division in Washington, DC. “Also, each disk
contains the show in multiple languages--English, Spanish, French, Japanese,
Hindi, Chinese and others. So they come in handy in language class, too!”
Journey to the Stars began as a planetarium show produced by the
American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) and supported by NASA's
Heliophysics Division. It surveys the mind-boggling variety of stars that dot
the cosmos—exploding stars, giant stars, dwarf stars, neutron
stars, even our own star! A New York Times reviewer called it
On the Web
"easily the most beautiful planetarium show I have ever seen."
To request a copy of Journey to the Stars, visit:
Journey has been playing to packed houses at the Hayden
http://tinyurl.com/32ao6bu
Planetarium in New York since the summer of 2009.
To request a visit by an AOSS space scientist,
send an email to:
aoss-news@umich.edu
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
5
AOSS Mourns Professor
Wiin-Nielsen
Aksel Wiin Nielsen, recruited to the
University of Michigan from the National
Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR)
in 1963 as the first chair of the Department
of Meteorology and Oceanography, died
April 26, 2010 in his native Denmark.
Under his chairmanship, the department
became very strong in atmospheric
dynamics.
In 1974, Prof. Wiin- Nielsen left
the University of Michigan, returning
to Europe as the first director of the
European Centre for Medium-Range
Weather Forecasts (ECMWF). In 1980,
he became the Secretary-General of the
UN World Meteorology Organization.
In 1988 he returned to U-M as a visiting
professor. That same year, he moved to Global Atmospheric Research Program;
the University of Copenhagen, where he chair of the European Space Agency
retired from in 1994.
Earth Sciences and Science Advisory
He was known widely for his global Committee; president of the ECMWF;
approach to studying the atmosphere and, chair of the NATO panel on the
and climate. Prof. Wiin-Nielsen was Science of Global Environmental
recognized world-wide for his exceptional Changes. In 1998 he was honored with the
contributions to geophysical research most prestigious award conferred by the
encompassing the entire field of dynamic European Geophysical Society, when they
meteorology with respect to observation, elected him as an Honorary Member. He
modeling and theory; his
notable contributions to
"Your message brought back a flood of memories. I was
meteorological education
an USN Officer in 1965 ... and journeyed to Ann Arbor to
see if I would fit in the dynamic meteorology program. Aksel
by his many books and
personally took care of me so that I was easily accepted. He
educational programs;
was most remarkable. My time at Michigan as his student
and his important
remains a particularly treasured time.”
contributions in making
George E. Lawniczak Jr.
the findings of scientific
research accessible and
in building bridges to the general culture. was also elected a Fellow of the American
Prof. Wiin-Nielsen was president Meteorological Society and was a member
of the International Commission for of the American Geophysical Union.
Dynamic Meteorology; a member of
the joint organizing committee of the
ALUMNI OBITUARIES
Ryan J. Breslin (BSMO ’72), May 23, 2010
E. Robert Britton (BSEAA ’40), February 4, 2009
Eugene K. Gray (BSEAA ’36), May 14, 2010
Robert E. Lee (BSMTL ’47), May 7, 2010
Marius Lodeesen-Grevinck (BSEAA ’30)
C. Robert Lomneth (BSMTL ‘40), May 19, 2010
Joseph John Matt, Jr. (BSMTL ‘42), April 15, 2010
Douglas O. ReVelle (BSMO ’68, MS ’70, PhD ‘74), May 2, 2010
Vincent C. Trimarchi (BSEAA ’37), June 6, 2010
William B. Weber (BSEAA ’56), January 7, 2010
6
aoss.engin.umich.edu
/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Faculty Promotions
Search
begins for
New AOSS
Chair
This academic year marks the end of
Tamas Gombosi’s appointment as AOSS
Chair. The search for the next Chair has
begun with the appointment of an AOSS
Chair Search Advisory Committee by CoE
Dean Dave Munson. Members of the
Search Advisory Committee are:
Kenneth (K.C.) Hansen has been promoted
to Research Associate Professor.
K.C. received his BS and MS degrees
from Brigham Young University, and
his PhD at U-M. He is a member of the
Magnetospheric and Plasma Science
(MAPS) interdisciplinary science team
of the Cassini- Huygens mission to
Saturn and is leading the development
of a database of key parameter data to be
collected at Saturn. He also continues to
study the dynamics of the Jovian system,
while working to understand the Earth's
paleomagnetosphere.
In 2006, K.C. was selected in the
first class of NASA Early Career Fellow
in Planetary Science, and was the first
recipient outside the U-M Dept. of
Astronomy to receive the Ralph Baldwin
Prize in Astrophysics and Space Sciences
for excellence in research activities, PhD
thesis and publications. In 2007-2008
Professor Hansen received the U-M
College of Engineering Outstanding
Research Scientist Award.
Ward (Chip) Manchester IV has been
promoted to Research Associate Professor.
Chip received his BS and PhD in
astronomy from the University of Illinois.
He was a Newkirk Fellow and then a
post-doc at the NCAR High Altitude
Observatory. He returned to HAO as a
visiting scientist in 2000 and 2005. In
2000, Chip joined AOSS as a Research
Fellow. He became an Assistant Research
Scientist in 2001 and an Associate Research
scientist in 2007.
Ch i p c o n s i d e r s m a g n e t i c f l u x
emergence, magnetohydrodynamic
instabilities, coronal mass ejection
initiation and propagation, and global
heliospheric structure fascinating topics
and applies both basic theory and
modeling efforts to trying to understand
them better. Currently he is working on
space weather modeling, to "predict when
the Sun will destroy the Earth," he says
with a smile.
He is a member of the American
Astronomical Society and the American
Geophysical Union.
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
John Barker
Mike Combi
Tony England (Chair)
Mike Liemohn
Mahta Moghaddam (EECS)
Allison Steiner
The Committee's goal is that the position
will be filled by September 2011.
Questions about the search, nominating
letters, letters of interest, and questions
about the search should be emailed or
mailed by November 1, 2010 to:
Tony England <england@umich.edu>,
Chair, AOSS Chair Search Advisory
Committee, 2527A Space Research
Building, University of Michigan, College
of Engineering, Ann Arbor, MI 481092143.
A detailed curriculum vitae and names
and addresses of three potential references
should be included with letters of interest.
The University of Michigan is supportive
of the needs of dual career couples.
7
A Fibonacci Sequence of Mentoring
“Good afternoon. We’re here
today to honor Professor
Stephen Bougher, who has
been named the Andrew F.
Nagy Collegiate Research
Professor.”
And, with those words, one
cycle of education, research
and mentoring came full circle,
as Dr. Bougher delivered
his Collegiate
Professorship
Lecture, “Solar Cycle and
Season Variations of the Mars
Thermosphere and Ionosphere:
Existing Measurements, Model
Predictions and Ongoing
Preparations for the NASA
MAVEN Mission.”
In 1980, Steve beg an
his graduate student career
under Andy Nagy, now an
AOSS emeritus professor,
which coincided with the
Pioneer Venus Orbiter Mission
operations and thermosphereionosphere research conducted
here at U-M. While Steve
is now recognized as a
worldwide leader in Venus
upper atmosphere modeling
and data analysis research, it
all began quite by
accident, as his dissertation
was the result of a presentation
numerical modeling mistake.
During one of their
regularly scheduled advising
meetings, Dr. Ray Roble of
NCAR (and an AOSS alum)
joined them to discuss his latest
Earth thermosphere modeling
activities; forgetting to turn
on the rotation of the planet
(thus becoming known as “the
day the Earth stood still”) the
output looked surprisingly
like the general features of the
Venus thermosphere. And a
doctoral dissertation was born.
Thirty years later, Steve is a
leader among his peers in the
planetary science community.
“A n d y h a s b e e n a
tremendous advisor and
mentor for me, not only
during my graduate student
years, but, also long
thereafter,” said Steve.
“Andy has an intriguing
way of ‘volunteering’
you for NASA panel and
committee assignments that
end up involving you in the
day-to-day politics of science”.
Steve will now be moving
on to the Mars thermosphere
and ionosphere as he is
participating in the modeling
activities needed to prepare for
the NASA MAVEN Mission
to Mars, which is scheduled
to launch in 2013. And, just
as Prof. Nagy mentored Prof.
Bougher at the beginning of
his research, there will be a
number of AOSS graduate
students involved in the
modeling studies.
Indeed, the circle of
education, research and
mentoring process is
continuing through the
next generation of planetary
scientists. Perhaps, an example
of the Fibonacci Sequence
that will continue for many
generations of Michig an
scientists.
der...
g to pon
ethin
And som
8
aoss. e n g i n . u m i c h . e d u
/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Another Mars Mission for Member of
AOSS Faculty
While it’s NASA’s first joint mission
datasets spanning nearly two decades
with the European Space Agency
of Mars observations.”
(ESA) to explore Mars, it’s not the
The ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter
first Mission to Mars that has AOSS
is the first of three joint robotic
faculty and students involved. Steve
missions to the Red Planet. It will
Bougher, Andrew F. Nagy Collegiate
study the chemical makeup of the
Research Professor, is the CoMartian atmosphere with a 1000Investigator of the ExoMars Climate
fold increase in sensitivity over
Sounder (EMCS) instrument, one of
previous Mars orbiters. The mission
five instruments on the Trace Gas
will focus on trace gases, including
Orbiter, scheduled to launch in 2016.
methane, which could be potentially
“We’re very excited,” said Steve.
geochemical or biological in origin
“The research by AOSS doctoral The Mars Climate Sounder instrument on NASA's MRO maps the and be indicators for the existence
vertical distribution of temperatures, dust, water vapor and ice clouds
student Tami McDunn using the
of life on Mars. The mission
in the Martian atmosphere as it flies a near-polar orbit. This example
temperatures of the Mars middle of data from the instrument shows 13 orbits of nighttime temperatures also will serve as an additional
atmosphere (~50-90 km) retrieved at altitudes of 0 to 80 kilometers (50 miles) above the surface. The communications relay for Mars
by the Mars Climate Sounder EMCS will resemble the Mars Climate Sounder and provide similar surface missions beginning in 2018.
types of data sets.
(MCS) instrument onboard the
The ExoMars Climate Sounder
Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is a wonderful precursor to new instrument is an infrared radiometer that will provide daily
studies planned using EMCS-retrieved temperatures later in global data on dust, water vapor and other materials to provide
this decade. With the addition of the EMCS data, there will be the context for data analysis from the spectrometers.
An AOSS Road Scholar
Prof. Mark Moldwin
became a "2010 Michigan
Road Scholar" this summer,
touring the State of Michigan
with other members of
the U-M faculty to learn
about the state’s distinctive
geography, economy, culture,
government and politics,
history, educational systems, health and social issues. The
program is in its 10th year and is funded by the Office of the
Vice President for Government Relations (through sales of U-M
Alumni License Plates). Prof. Moldwin, who was born and raised
in Detroit but moved out of state in 1983, felt that the program
was a great opportunity to reconnect to the State, to learn
about the educational and
community challenges facing
U-M students’ families, and
to meet faculty from all three
U-M campuses.
“For me, highlights of the
tour included a welcoming
drum song from one of the
tribal elders of the Grand
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and touring
the urban farm of the Catherine Ferguson Academy – a Detroit
Public School for pregnant and teen mothers. The success of the
program in promoting healthy families and educational success
for both mother and child was inspiring.”
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
9
What’s the Worst
That can Happen?
Space Weather Impacts in 2012
In an essay published in the May issue of The Coronal Courant,
the newsletter of the Solar Physics Division of the American
Astronomical Society, AOSS Professor Mark Moldwin discussed
what could happen should a solar storm the magnitude of the 1859 "Carrington Event" (the
most intense storm to be measured) were to occur today. The study of solar storms is becoming
increasingly important because we have large, electrical distribution grids, global communications
systems with satellites, and humans in space. This is the essay introduction, all of which is available
online at: http://aoss.engin.umich.edu/files/articles/mmoldwin_solar_essay.pdf
The field of space weather studies
the technological and societal impacts
of the solar terrestrial relationship. This
emerging field of space science has
become increasingly important due to
modern society’s dependence on global
communication systems and continentalscale power distribution systems. Solar
storms (such as coronal mass ejections
and solar flares) can cause geomagnetic
impacts that can damage or destroy
satellites, perturb satellite communication
and navigation systems, sicken or kill
astronauts and cause power blackouts.
Though the current solar minimum is
unprecedented in the space age in terms
of its low solar activity and subsequent
low geomagnetic activity, the forecast
is for solar maximum to arrive in a few
years. As part of a National Research
Council’s (NRC) Space Studies Board
workshop on the economic impact of
space weather, the worst-case scenarios
on different technological systems were
investigated [NRC, 2008]. The most
intense geomagnetic storm ever measured
occurred in 1859 and is often called the
Carrington Event after British astronomer
10
Richard Carrington’s observation of a
white light flare and suggestion that it and
the subsequent geomagnetic storm were
connected. This observation ushered in the
field of space physics (see http://measure.
igpp.ucla.edu/solar-terrestrial-luminaries/
timeline.html for an online history of the
scientists and discoveries of space physics
as well as links to seminal papers including
the original Carrington paper). The space
weather effects of the 1859 Carrington
storm included disruption of telegraph
signals, observation of aurora at mid and
even tropical latitudes [Green et al., 2006]
and geomagnetic deflections of over 2000
nT [Tsurutani et al., 2003].
What would happen if a solar storm
of this magnitude (or other large storms
observed in the pre-space age era) hit
Earth today? This essay concentrates
on the possible impact on the electric
distribution system since this effect
could be the worst natural disaster in
modern history with costs estimated over
a trillion US dollars and impacts reaching
across every industry and every segment
of society.
aoss.engin.umich.edu
AOSS
Student
Fellowships
2010-11
NSF Space Weather Award
Fang Fang
DOE Graduate Research
Environmental Fellowships
Kevin Reed
Erika Roesler
NASA Earth and Space Science
Fellowships
Sidharth Misra
Dalal Najib
Tami McDunn
Liang Zhao
NASA Graduate Student
Research Program
Shannon Curry
Julie Feldt
Dan Gershman
Jacob Gruesbeck
Roxanne Katus
Rachel Kroodsma
Jim Raines
U-M Regents' Fellowship
Wesly Wan
CoE Dean's Fellowships
Yinsi Shou
Colin Zarzycki
Rackham Fellowships
Amanda Brecht
Julie Feldt
David Fenigstein
Rachel Kroodsma
Ahmed Tawik
Catherine Walker
/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
High-energy-density physics
The novel, mysterious, and controversial behavior of matter at high pressure involves
the interplay of electromagnetic, statistical, quantum, and relativistic physics
The cover story of the June 2010 issue of Physics Today was a “mini-primer” by Paul Drake, Henry S. Carhart
Collegiate Professor of Space Sciences and Director of the Center for Radiative Shock Hydrodynamics (CRASH).
In it, Drake presents a description of high-energy-density physics in terms that many non-scientists can understand.
This is a brief summary.
Matter whose energy density
corresponds to pressures above
about 1 million atmospheres behaves
differently from the more familiar
solid, liquid, gaseous, and plasma
states. Instead, its properties and
behavior overlap with systems known
from astronomy and astrophysics—
planetary interiors, stars, and the
early universe.
To understand the interiors of planets, one must create
and measure the behavior of matter at planetary pressures. To
understand the structure of stars, one must create and measure
the interactions between stellar matter and x-ray photons. To
understand astrophysical explosions such as supernovae, one
must create and measure the relevant dynamical processes. To
understand strongly relativistic systems such as existed in the
early universe, one must create and measure strongly relativistic
interactions of matter and photons. In none of those areas is
theory or simulation straightforward; validation of theoretical
and numerical results requires benchmark measurements
that offer the potential for novel discoveries. All the systems
mentioned above are accessible, at least in some ways, to
investigations in high-energy-density (HED) physics laboratories,
whose studies promise to yield a host of practical applications
in addition to fundamental science.
On the Web
For full article on HED Physics, go to:
http://tinyurl.com/2uzynlf
More Entrepreneurial Spirit Needed
In spite of the shrinking economy, demand for aerospace
engineers is growing, according to an Aviation Week workforce
study involving the University of Michigan. Aviation Week is a
leading aerospace industry publication.
In an editorial that accompanies Aviation Week’s study,
Associate Dean Thomas Zurbuchen discusses the role that
entrepreneurship plays in this industry. He credits the spirit of
innovation for enabling the private firm SpaceX
to successfully send its Falcon 9 into orbit this
summer.
"SpaceX has a work environment that is very different from
most aerospace companies," says Prof. Zurbuchen, "one that
values people with an entrepreneurial mind-set."
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
On the Web
The complete Viewpoint is online at:
http://tinyurl.com/389rzgl
11
Footloose Glaciers Act Up
Glaciers that lose their footing on the
seafloor and begin floating behave very
erratically, according to a new study
published in the August 7, 2010 issue
of Geophysical Research Letters. Floating
glaciers produce larger icebergs than
their grounded cousins and do so at
unpredictable intervals. AOSS Assistant
Professor Jeremy Bassis was a researcher
on the study and co-author of the paper.
glacier to form an iceberg. Unlike the glacier’s activity
floating glaciers, grounded glaciers calve b e f o r e a n d
icebergs nearly continuously, but they are after it became
generally quite small.
floating.
This study presents the first detailed
Iceberg
observation of the transition from c a l v i n g i s a
grounded to floating ice, which is leading source
currently ongoing at Columbia Glacier. of new water
The Columbia Glacier research team for the global
was surprised by the development of ocean basin. However, it is also one of
the floating section. They the least understood processes involved
had originally been studying in ice mass loss and consequential sea
Columbia because it is one of level rise. This new National Science
the fastest changing glaciers Foundation-funded study, though, sheds
on Earth; it has retreated 4 light on the process by comparing the
km (2.49 mi) since 2004, and size and frequency of icebergs calved by a
nearly 20 km since 1980.
glacier during both floating and grounded
The study is part of a conditions. As this study confirms,
larger effort to understand grounded glacier tongues and floating
and include calving in large- glacier termini, such as the Antarctic
scale glacier models, which are ice shelves, often show fundamentally
essential in producing accurate different calving mechanics.
A dramatic iceberg calving from Columbia Glacier in Prince William
forecasts of sea-level rise. The
Through this study, scientists can
Sound, Alaska. The iceberg has just broken free from under the
research
team
conducted
their
begin
to analyze the mechanics of the
water and shot to the surface, spinning towards the ice face. The
ice cliff here is about 70 m (229.7 ft) tall. Icebergs are calved as
study on Columbia Glacier calving process in glaciers (both floating
stress fractures in the glacier merge, eventually resulting in a piece
by installing a seismometer, a and grounded) and ice shelves, which
of ice cracking off and falling into the water. The stress fractures
sensor that measures seismic will allow them to better understand and
are caused by the glacier flowing over uneven stretches of ground
waves that are produced by predict iceberg production from glaciers
on its way to the water.
shifts in geologic formations, and ice sheets. These predictions, in turn,
The study focused on Columbia
Glacier, one of Alaska’s many tidewater
“We are starting to learn how much we don't know about iceberg
glaciers. Tidewater glaciers flow directly
calving. We used to think that tidewater glaciers like the Columbia glacier
into the ocean, terminating at a cliff in
always remained grounded and broke into pieces when they got too thin.
the sea, where, through a process known
In this study we see that this isn't necessarily true. The Columbia glacier
as “calving,” icebergs are formed. Prior to
seems to be thinning faster than it can break up.”
this study, Alaskan tidewater glaciers were
believed to be exclusively “grounded”
(resting on the ocean floor), and to be
including earthquakes, landslides, and will provide a more accurate estimate of
unable to float without disintegrating.
Calving occurs when fractures in glacier calving. They studied the results sea-level rise in the coming years.
the ice join and result in a piece of ice from 2004 to 2005 and 2008 to 2009,
completely separating from the main which allowed them to compare the
12
aoss.engin.umich.edu
/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
AOSS COMMUTER TEAM
CHAMPIONS AGAIN
In true champion form, the AOSS
Commuter Team came in #1 in the annual
“getdowntown” commuter challenge. The
AGU 2010 Fall Meeting
Reception is moving...
Across Union Square and around
the corner to the Grand Hyatt San
Francisco, at the corner of Stockton
and Sutter Streets. Mark your
calendars for Wednesday, December
15, 6:00 — 8:00 PM in the Bayview/
Union Square Rooms of the Grand
Hyatt San Francisco. The Bayview/
Union Square is on the 36th floor.
Please forward the invitation to
AOSS alumni and friends. Stop
and visit the AOSS booth, in the
Academic Showcase — in Moscone
Center South in the center near the
posters and the registration area — look for the Michigan flag.
New Grants
March - May 2010
Darren McKague, James Cutler, Hands-on Learning for Future Space Mission Architects, $19,545,
JPL-NASA
Charles Edmonson Jr., Phase B Support of the MAVEN-NGIMS Instrument Development, $98,500,
NASA
Mark Flanner, A Chemical History of Anthropogenic Input to the Atmosphere Throughout the Industrial
Era, $247,800, U of Ill-NSF
Xianglei Huang, Radiative Impact of Cirrus Clouds on Tropical Troposphere to Stratosphere Transport,
$20,494, JPL-NASA
Christiane Jablonowski, Introducing Enabling Computational Tools to the Climate Sciences: Multi-Resolution
Climate Modeling with Adaptive Cubed-Sphere Grids, $777,402, Department of Energy
Darren McKague, Christopher Ruf, Intercalibration of GPM Constellation Radiometers: Characterization
of Relative Biases, Scale Errors and Scan Dependencies, $413,000, NASA
Joyce Penner, A Study of Aerosol Effects on Warm Ice Clouds- Supplement, $75,820, NSF
Aaron Ridley, High Altitude Balloon Platform for Education of Next Generation Engineers, $21,588,
JPL-NASA
Christopher Ruf, Wideband Agile Digital Detector for Microwave Radiometers, $80,357, JPL-NASA
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
team has participated in the “Organization
Size: 51 – 100” category for the past three
years. This year’s championship team:
•
Logged 8,395 miles
•
Avoided 7185.24 pounds of CO2
•
Garnered 610 total points
From the Team Captain, IT Manager
Faye Ogasawara, “Congratulations to
all and thank you for reducing your CO2
footprint in May!”
AOSS CHAMPIONSHIP
COMMUTER TEAM
John Barker
Jeremy Bassis
Marti Moon
Chuck Navarre
Matt Bennett
Faye Ogasawara
David Boprie
Chris Owen
Darla Briggs
Sandra Pytlinski
Huiwen Chuang
Jim Raines
Roger DeRoo
Kevin Reed
Aaron Dodger
Aimee Reische
Harvey Elliott
Aaron Ridley
Mark Flanner
Ronald Rizor
Steve Gross
Erika Roesler
Eric Harding
Steven Rogacki
Jeff Hicks
Sandee Hicks
Catherine Keys
Bob Lundgren
David Maiden Mueller
Chip Manchester
Tami McDunn
Kristen Mihalka
Mark Moldwin
Martin Rubin
Perry Samson
Bret Squire
Ahmed Tawfik
Philip Thogluva
Gabor Toth
Bart Van der Holst
Catherine Walker
Judy Yu
13
How laptops can enhance learning in
college classrooms
by Nicole Casal Moore, U-M News Services
Despite the distraction potential of
laptops in college classrooms, new
research shows that they can actually
increase students’ engagement,
attentiveness, participation and
learning. To achieve this, however,
the instructor must set the right
stage, says AOSS Professor Perry
Samson.
A paper about Prof. Samson's
interactive student response system
LectureTools and how students
report that it affected their learning
was published in the May edition
of the journal Computers & Education. To
date, instructors at more than 400 colleges
and universities have set up accounts to
use it.
“If you allow laptops in the classroom
without a plan for how you’ll use them,
you can potentially invite disaster. It’s
unlikely that students will be so entranced
by class material that they won’t wander
off to their favorite social networking
sites,” Prof. Samson said. “The key is to
deliberately engage students through their
computers. LectureTools does just that.”
Prof. Samson surveyed close to 200
students who, during 2009-10, took his
Extreme Weather large lecture course that
utilized LectureTools. Students reported
that while they did sometimes stray from
in-class tasks, laptops with LectureTools
made them feel more attentive, engaged
and able to learn, compared with classes
that didn't use the system.
“Our surveys showed that while laptop
computers can be a distraction, students of
14
this generation feel that they are capable
of productive multitasking,” Samson said.
Through LectureTools, laptops serve
as robust “clickers,” providing drastically
more interaction than the class polling
that clicker-based student response
systems offer.
LectureTools also allows students
to take notes directly on lecture slides.
Students can anonymously ask the
instructor's aide a question through a
chat window during class, and others can
see these questions and answers. Students
can also rate their own understanding of
each slide, giving the professor valuable
feedback.
“It is the first successful instance I’ve
seen of dramatic use of information
technology to augment the real-time
classroom experience,” said John King,
U-M vice provost for strategy and the
William Warner Bishop Collegiate
Professor of Information. “LectureTools
significantly increases the interactivity
between the student and the instructor
aoss.engin.umich.edu
without disrupting the flow of the
class. The instructor gets a lot more
detailed information about where
the students are while maintaining
normal operation in the class.”
Close to half of students
surveyed said that having a laptop
in class increased the amount of
time they spent on tasks unrelated
to the lecture. But a full 78 percent
agreed that laptops in class made
them more engaged. Approximately
half said that having their laptops
made them more attentive. Seventy
percent said laptops had a positive effect
on their learning.
LectureTools significantly increased
class participation as well. The system
allows students to chat with an instructor’s
aide, posing questions without raising a
hand and having to speak up in front of
their peers.
“You can ask the dumb question
without fear,” Prof. Samson said.
More than half of the students asked
at least one question during the semester,
which is a much higher percentage than
he saw in classes without LectureTools,
he said.
The paper, “Deliberate Engagement
of Laptops in Large Lecture Classes to
Improve Attentiveness and Engagement,”
was funded by the National Science
Foundation, the University of Michigan’s
Office of the Vice Provost for Academic
Information and the Center for Research,
Learning and Teaching.
/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
SPRL Asst. Director
Wins CoE Staff
Service Award
Charles Edmonson, assistant director of the Space Physics
Research Laboratory, was acknowledged for his stellar demeanor
and the quality of his work as a recipient of a 2010 Excellence
in Staff Service Award.
Since December of 1991, Charles Edmonson has most ably
helped guide the Space Physics Research Laboratory from
times of big budget missions such as the office-desk-size TIDI
[TIMED Doppler Interferometer], for which Charles was the
project manager, into the era of "faster, better, cheaper" small
missions with such instruments as the Coke-can-size FIPS on
the MESSENGER mission to Mars.
In all that time, during all those changes, "Charles has
steadfastly maintained the highest level of expectations for
himself and SPRL," says AOSS Chair Tamas Gombosi. "He
leaves nothing to chance, which is one of the reasons SPRL
continues to excel today."
SPRL Director, Chris Ruf, heartily agrees. "Charles does
many things very well for SPRL and AOSS. He supervises the
delivery of world-class spaceflight hardware to our collaborators
and sponsors, he negotiates and coordinates the details of our
contracts with them, and he manages the day-to-day operations
of SPRL engineering. This requires a combination of technical,
business and management expertise that very few individuals
have."
But Charles is not just an incredibly gifted administrator.
As mentioned in the award program, he also "proposes key
development projects and garners funding to make them
reality." As an engineer himself, Charles "has served as principal
investigator on projects totaling more than $6 million."
2010 Outstanding AOSS Staff Award
It is with great pleasure that AOSS Chair Tamas Gombosi announced the TGMR Proposal Team as the recipients of the 2010
Outstanding AOSS Staff Award. Staff members who were part of the TGMR (Trace Gas Microwave Radiometer) Team were Bruce
Block, Debbie Eddy, John Eder and Steve Gross. Linda Chadwick was also a member of the team but due to her award win last
year was ineligible this year.
The TGMR Team was a unanimous selection because, both individually and as a team, they represented the effort and mind
set for which this award was established, as evidenced by comments from Nilton Renno’s nomination letter.
“This team met the challenge of writing a complex instrument proposal in three months in an exemplary way, as indicated by
the extremely positive feedback received by reviews by JPL, and the College of Engineering Red Team.”
“The TGMR team demonstrated the willingness to take additional tasks and responsibilities and the ability to work under
tremendous pressure.”
The TGMR Team received their award at the annual AOSS staff awards luncheon in June.
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
15
Upcoming Events
Surprise!
Long-time Space Physics Research Laboratory engineer John Mauer was honored for
his 52 years of dedicated service on April 9 at a surprise reception attended by many
current and past members of SPRL and AOSS. The reception, held in the Lurie
Engineering Center, was quietly and expertly orchestrated by Steve Battel of Battel
Engineering. Steve was ably assisted by Sandee Hicks and Marti Moon who created a
memory book for John. Enjoy some looks at John from 1965 through today.
Congratulations and thanks for your hard work, John!
16
aoss.engin.umich.edu
Sept. 23, 3:30 PM, SRB Auditorium
Dr. Yi Ming, Research Scientist,
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory,
NOAA, Princeton University
Sept. 30, 3:30 PM, SRB Auditorium
Prof. Amala Mahadevan, Department of
Earth Sciences, Boston University
Oct. 7, 3:30 PM, SRB Auditorium
Dr. Thomas R. Knutson, Research
Meteorologist, Geophysical Fluid
Dynamics Laboratory, NOAA
Oct. 15, 12:30 PM, SRB Auditorium,
AOSS Alumni of the Year
Nathan Schwadron, Research Associate
Professor, Dept. of Physics, University of
New Hampshire
Oct. 18, Time TBD, SRB Auditorium
Dr. Diedrich Mohlmann, German
Aerospace Center, Germany
Oct. 21, 4:00 PM, SRB Auditorium
Dr. Robert Braun, Chief Technologist,
NASA Headquarters
Oct. 27, 4:00 PM, SRB Auditorium
Prof. Earl Scime, Eberly Distinguished
Professor & Chair of Physics, West
Virginia University
Nov. 4, 3:30 PM, SRB Auditorium
Prof. Ray Pierrehumbert, Louis Block
Professor, Geophysical Sciences,
University of Chicago
Nov. 11, 3:30 PM, SRB Auditorium
Dr. James Slavin, Chief, Laboratory
for Solar and Space Physics, NASA/
Goddard Space Flight Center
Nov. 12
5th Annual Engineering Graduate
Symposium
Nov. 18, 3:30 PM, SRB Auditorium
Prof. Brian Arbic, Geological Sciences,
University of Michigan
Dec. 1
Winter 2011 MEng Application Deadline
Winter 2011 PhD Application Deadline
Dec. 2, 3:30 PM, SRB Auditorium
Nicholas Pedatella, Aerospace
Engineering, University of Colorado
Dec. 9, 3:30 PM, SRB Auditorium
Prof. Ping Yang, Professor & holder
of the David Bullock Harris Chair in
Geosciences, Texas A & M
Dec. 15, 6:00 PM, Grand Hyatt San
Francisco
Annual AGU Reception
/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
Penner continued from page 1
less than two months (though methane has a lifetime of about a
decade). Carbon dioxide, by contrast, can stay in the atmosphere
for more than a century.
Some short-lived pollutants are known to contribute to global
warming. These include methane, low-atmosphere ozone, and
black carbon, also known as soot. Prof. Penner and her colleagues argue that these should be actively curbed, both
to reduce warming and to provide insights and the time to understand how the remaining pollutants are impacting
the climate. Most climate policy proposals have focused on reducing carbon dioxide.
The climate effects of other short-term pollutants, including nitrogen oxides, carbon monoxide and volatile
organic compounds, are still uncertain. And an important class of short-lived gases actually decreases the warming
effect of carbon dioxide. These include sulphate, nitrate and organic aerosols.
But scientists don't fully understand the extent of their cooling effects.
On the
If researchers can determine the roles of all of these transient gases, Penner
Read the complete commentary at:
says, that will help determine just how sensitive the planet's climate is. During
the past 100 years, has the climate been highly sensitive to CO2 build-up, in
http://tinyurl.com/2voyxp3
which case the cooling pollutants would have acted like air conditioning on
full blast? Or, is the climate minimally sensitive and the veritable a/c on low?
"These two possibilities lead to very different projections for future climate change," the commentary states. "We
argue that to distinguish between these possibilities, and to provide short-term relief from climate warming, the
short-lived compounds that induce warming need to be brought under control within a timescale of a few decades."
Web
Rood continued from page 1
“I do not have any special insight, but I do have a special interest. My youngest sister
Elizabeth is in Peshawar on the front line of the flood, and with this personal interest,
I find myself digging around sources of local Pakistani news. What we are watching has
all of the elements of climate disaster of the type that is predicted to be more common
in the future."
The weather that has brought all of the rain to Pakistan (and India and China) is
associated with the South Asian Monsoon. In Pakistan it is often what is called the
northwest extension of the monsoon, which happens later in the season than the
monsoonal flow that brings rain to South India. What is happening, and it is still going on, is an extreme event
of an important and well-described element of the Earth’s climate.
The prediction of “more extreme weather” is part of the portfolio of events
On the
associated with the predictions of global warming. Warmer ocean, warmer air,
more water in the air – it still gets cold as it flows up the mountain and it rains.
Read the complete commentary at:
So the getting-to-be-old scientific hedge of “this is consistent with the predictions
http://tinyurl.com/38p7wfs
of global warming” is true.
This type of event will occur again, whether or not this particular event is
attributed to global warming. With global warming, they will occur more frequently, perhaps be more extreme.
Pakistan will need to rebuild, to redevelop, to develop, and the smart redevelopment will realize that these events
will happen again, and build in extra because it will happen more often.
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
Web
17
AOSS Happenings
On Saturday, August 14, 2010, at LafayetteOrinda Presbyterian Church in Lafayette,
California, AOSS GSRA Amanda Brecht married
James Weber. "Our home towns are in
California," Amanda tells us, "and we met
out there when he was working and I was in
college six years ago. He now is a CPA and
works for the accounting firm Plante & Moran
in Ann Arbor."
A little bird tells us AOSS SPC Cheri Champoux is engaged!
She and Bob Johnson are looking forward to a December
outdoor wedding. "Hoping for lots of snow," Cheri tells us.
P r o f e s s o r Pe r r y S a m s o n
shared the happy news that
he and Deborah became
grandparents on May 9 with
the arrival of bright-eyed Theo
Connolly, born to Deborah's
daughter Clara Gibson and
Michael Connolly at 1:04 in
the afternoon. Theo looks like
he's already pondering all the
storms waiting' for him to
chase with his grandpa and all
the exciting new discoveries
hiding out there just waiting for
him to grab ahold of and bring
to the classroom.
18
Cheri also shared her glad tidings of the
arrival of her granddaughter Maebelle Feeman.
Maebelle was born on June 3, at 8 pounds 6
ounces and 21 inches. As you can see, Mom
Jessica and Papa Brent are almost as ecstatic
as Grandma Cheri, probably more so once they
got a chance to sleep.
Please welcome Samuel Ron Raven, some of Daryl & Laurie Raven,
AOSS Grants/Contracts Accountant. Sam was born June 10 at a very
respectable 11:57 am (none of this 3 am stuff for him). He was 3
pounds and 5 ozs, and 16.5 inches long.
aoss. e n g i n . u m i c h . e d u
/ ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING
"We are happy to announce the birth
of Alma Miri Cohen. Alma was born
on August 12 at 11:33 am, and her
birth weight was 3.25 Kg. Both mother
[Dganit] and baby are doing well," said
dad, Ofer, who is doing even better. Ofer
is a former Gombosi GSRA, who is now
at the Harvard Smithsonian Center for
Astrophysics in Cambridge.
Say HI to Garron Christopher Bell, son of AOSS alums Anna
Dejong and Jared Bell, who is also a former research fellow
working with Prof. Steve Bougher. Both Anna and Jared are
now at SwRI in San Antonio, TX. Garren was born on April
12 weighing 8 pounds and 8 ounces, and was 20.5 inches.
"The meaning of Alma is soul, nourishing,
kind, and learned."
This lovely lady is Dora (the explorer).
AOSS SPC Linda Chadwick tells us,
"I adopted Dora from the Livingston
County Animal Control, which is a
high-kill shelter for abandoned and
stray animals. It is not a place to go
alone, as it is very depressing! When
you enter the room that houses the
cats, the noise when you enter is
almost deafening — lots of meowing
and purring. It seems as if the cats
know this is their one chance to be
adopted and so they want to make
the most of it by looking as cute as
they can. Each cage has a 'last adoptable day' date on it so that you know when the animal will
be euthanized."
"Dora is everything a kitten should be: inquisitive, funny, intelligent, and goofy. She really is a
great little kitty!"
"Jessica and I [Alex Glocer, former Gombosi
GSRA, now at the NASA Goddard Space Flight
Center] are pleased to announce the birth of
our baby girl Penelope Lamb Glocer (Penny for
short). She was born at 6:48 pm on July 8th.
Her birth weight was 7 pounds 3 ounces, and
her birth height was 19 inches. Mother and
baby are doing great!"
C O L L E G E O F E N G I N E E R I N G / ATMOSPHERIC, OCEANIC & SPACE SCIENCES / aoss.engin.umich.edu
Sandee Hicks, AOSS Undergraduate Student
Services, added this adorable Goldendoodle
named Abbe to her family. Abbe comes from Ohio,
and Sandee says she "is absolutely the sweetest
thing. Bill [Sandee's husband] will hardly let
anyone hold her but him." Understandable, she
is a cutie.
19
AOSS 2009-10 Graduates
Successful Dissertation Defenses
Lynne Gratz, PhD, Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Identification of Atmospheric Mercury Sources and Transport Pathways on Local and
Regional Scales, Gerald Keeler, Chair
Raluca Ilie, PhD, Space and Planetary Sciences, Exploring Storm Time Ring Current Formation and Response on the Energy Input, Michael
Liemohn, Chair
Manish Mehta, PhD, Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Plume-surface interactions due to spacecraft landings and the discovery of water on Mars,
Nilton Renno, Chair
David Pawlowski, PhD, Space and Planetary Sciences, On the Response of the Upper Atmosphere to Solar Flares, Aaron Ridley, Chair
Arnaud Valeille, PhD, Atmospheric and Space Sciences, On Mars Thermosphere, Ionosphere and Exosphere: 3D Computational Study of
Suprathermal Particles, Michael Combi, Chair
Minghuai Wang, PhD, Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Aerosol Indirect Effects in a Coupled Global Aerosol and Atmospheric Circulation
Model, Joyce Penner, Chair
Emily White, PhD, Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Physicochemical Properties and Spatial Distribution of Wet Deposited Mercury to the Ohio
River Valley, Gerald Keeler, Chair
Shauyuh (Judy) Yu, PhD, Space and Planetary Sciences, α-Pinene Organic Nitrate Synthesis Formation and Simulation, Mary Anne Carroll
and Edward Zellers, Co-Chairs
Cheng Zhou, PhD, Atmospheric and Space Sciences, Linear and Nonlinear Kelvin Waves/Tropical Instability Waves in the Shallow-Water
System, John Boyd, Chair
Master of Engineering
Master of Science
Jacob William Beningo
Matthew Wayne Bennett
Theresa Elizabeth Biehle
Kiril Assenov Dontchev
Harvey Michael Elliott
Jacqueline Lee Hibbard
Jeffrey Michael Hoch
Brittney Noelle Johnson
Andrew Winston Lyjak
Shane Patrick Moore
Jose Eduardo Mucino
Brandon Vaughn Myers
Anton Bernhard Friedrich Nippe
Evan James Smith
Mark Oleh Stakhiv
Rebecca Jean Wind
Shannon Curry
Fang Fang
David Ian Fenigstein
Nicolas Fougere
Zhenguang Huang
Xing Meng
Sidharth Misra
Rona Oran
John Jeffrey Puckett
Erika Louise Roesler
Paul Aaron Ullrich
Catherine Colello Walker
David Morris Wright
Bachelor of Science in
Engineering
Christina Baker
So-Yee Chiu
Adam Davis
Jennifer Dehart
Colin Eaton
Michael Glotter
Kathryn Godlewski
Jessica Grosso
Erin Kashawlic
Catherine Keys
Aaron Preston
Qianwen Qiu
Michael Texter
Michelle Udeli
Devon Vaughn
The University of Michigan, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer, complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University of Michigan
is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression,
disability, religion, height, weight, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions. Inquiries or complaints may be addressed to the Senior Director for Institutional Equity,
and Title IX/Section 504/ADA Coordinator, Office of Institutional Equity, 2072 Administrative Services Building, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-1432, 734-763-0235, TTY 734-647-1388. For other University of
Michigan information call 734-764-1817.