University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research Overview
Michigan State University Membership Visit
Dr. Jack Fellows
UCAR
Dr. William Beasley
University of Oklahoma
Dr. Jonathan Overpeck
University of Arizona
5 April 2010
Purpose of the Visit and Agenda
• Purpose of Visit: On behalf of the UCAR members, help
characterize how a university meets the membership criteria by
describing:
– Who we met
– Collaboration with UCAR and NCAR
– Faculty research areas
– Numbers of grad students over the last five years.
– Relevant facilities
• Agenda:
– What is UCAR?
– What does membership in UCAR mean?
– What are the collaboration opportunities?
UCAR at a Glance
• History and Organization. Created in 1960, UCAR is a consortium
of 75 North American universities partnered with NSF to oversee
a national center (National Center for Atmospheric Research).
• Mission. “To serve and provide leadership to the atmospheric
science and related communities through research, computing and
observational facilities, and education programs that contribute to
the betterment of life on earth.”
• Community. Created and led by the community and represents
one of the most active and broad community partnerships
anywhere in science.
• Focus. Interdisciplinary science, large computational and
observational facilities, huge data sets, high-end numerical models
of the sun, atmosphere, oceans, and coupled climate system.
Original “Blue Book” reasons for the
atmospheric sciences national
center:
1.
Mount an attack on the
atmospheric problems on a scale
commensurate with their global
nature and importance.
2.
That attack requires facilities and
technological assistance beyond
those available at individual
universities.
3.
The attack requires talents from
various disciplines on a scale not
feasible in a university
department.
4.
The center preserves the natural
alliance of research and
education without unbalancing
the university programs.
2007 Strategic Guidance for the NSF’s
Support of the Atmospheric Sciences
NRC Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate
“NCAR/UCAR has been a highly successful center in terms of
advancing knowledge of atmospheric science and providing
community-based resources. NCAR/UCAR has met many of
the objectives laid out in the Blue Book. Since the late
1950s, the atmospheric research enterprise has greatly
expanded to its present state where impressive research
capabilities exist in the universities, the private sector, and in
federal laboratories. Even so, the fundamental rationale for
a large national atmospheric sciences center outlined in the
Blue Book still remains valid”
Support and advance our
university consortium
Conduct and enable a broad
research program in the
atmospheric and related sciences
Develop and employ increasingly
capable observing systems
Provide innovative and powerful
information technologies,
services, and tools
Transfer scientific knowledge
and new technologies into
societal benefits
Create, catalyze and support
world-class science education
programs, resources and
communities
Develop and engage a diverse
workforce
Cultivate an environment of
organizational excellence where
science and education programs
thrive
Community Developed Strategic Plan:
www.ucar.edu/strat_plan
75 UCAR Member Universities
(2 representatives each, meet annually)
.
UCP
UCAR
Community Programs
UCAR’s 73 Member Institutions (1960)
University of Alabama in Huntsville
University of Houston
Pennsylvania State University
University of Alaska
Howard University
Princeton University
University at Albany, State
University
of NY
University of Illinois at
Urbana-Champaign
Purdue University
University of Arizona
Arizona State University
Brown University
California Institute of Technology
University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Davis
Iowa State University
University of Iowa
The Johns Hopkins University
University of Maine (2009)
University of Maryland
University of Rhode Island
Rice University
Rutgers University
Saint Louis University
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
at UCSD
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Stanford University
McGill University
Texas A & M University
University of Miami
University of Texas at Austin
University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Texas Tech University
University of Minnesota
University of Toronto
University of Missouri
Utah State University
Naval Postgraduate School
University of Utah
University of Nebraska Lincoln
University of Virginia
Nevada System of Higher Education
University of Washington
University of New Hampshire
Washington State University
University of Denver
New Mexico Institute of Mining
and Technology
University of Wisconsin- Madison
Drexel University
New York University
Florida State University
North Carolina State University
Woods Hole Oceanographic
Institution
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Ohio State University
University of Wyoming
George Mason University (2009)
University of Oklahoma
Yale University
Harvard University
Old Dominion University
York University
University of Hawaii
Oregon State University
University of California, Irvine
University of California, Los Angeles
University of Chicago
Colorado State University
University of Colorado at Boulder
Columbia University
University of Connecticut
Cornell University
University of Delaware
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
UCAR Board of Trustees
Rana Fine, U Miami, Chairman
Richard Anthes, UCAR President
Mark Abbott, Oregon State University
Steve Ackerman, U Wisconsin Madison
Roberta Balstad, Columbia
Rosina Bierbaum, U Michigan
Fred Carr, Univ of Oklahoma
Richard Clark, Millersville University
Kerry Cook, U Texas Austin
Barbara Feiner, Washington University in St. Louis
Efi Foufoula-Georgiou, U Minnesota
Dennis Hartman, U Washington
Shirley Malcom, AAAS Education and Human Resources
Frank Nutter, President, Reinsurance Association of America
Robert Palmer (former Chief of Staff, House Science Com)
Len Pietrefesa, North Carolina State University
Steve Rutledge, Colorado State University
Anne Thompson, Penn State
Richard Truly (former NASA Administrator, NREL Director)
Don Wuebbles, U Illinois
UCAR Membership
• Community Building and Networking. Work with other Members to
shape the course of research and education in the atmospheric and
related sciences. Strengthen the field through participation in one of
the world’s premier partnerships—the universities, a national
laboratory, NSF, and other agencies. Communicate and collaborate
with colleagues from around the country and the world.
• Governance. Guide UCAR and NCAR programs through governance,
planning, and provision of advice
– Electing and serving on the Board of Trustees and related committees
that provide input on UCAR and NCAR direction and programs.
– Participating in the annual meeting and helping to focus that meeting on
critical community issues and opportunities – travel paid for two member
reps and an Early Career Faculty member
– Participate in periodic evaluative community surveys on UCAR and NCAR
programs.
• Opportunities. Receive regular information on research and
education opportunities at UCAR and within the community
(community meetings, field campaigns, community initiatives, access
to advanced facilities, students’ research, bilateral visits, faculty
fellowships, webcasts, etc).
UCAR Membership
• Advocacy. Receive timely legislative and budget action alerts and
support from UCAR that fosters effective interactions with policy
makers to strengthen the atmospheric and related sciences.
• Human Resources. Be provided with resources to help communitywide recruiting and human resource development (e.g., SOARS,
recruiting website and events, salary surveys, diversity building).
• Best Practices. Access to innovative financial and management tools
and services for the community recognized as best practices by NSF
& DOE (e.g., including Measure-up Conferences, HIAPER oversight,
program support, etc.)
• Membership Responsibilities (via the Member’s Representatives)
– Participate in governance activities.
– Keep university colleagues informed about UCAR activities.
– Bring university perspectives and needs to UCAR’s attention.
Collaborations (just a few)
Estimated Sustained TFLOPs at NCAR
6
ICESS (IBM P5+/P6)
IBM p5-575/HPS
(bluevista)
5
IBM Opteron/Linux
(pegasus)
Sustained TeraFLOPs
4
IBM Opteron/Linux
(lightning)
ARCS Phase 4
POWER6
IBM POWER4
Federation (thunder)
ARCS Phase 3
3
IBM POWER4 Colony
(bluesky)
ARCS Phase 2
ARCS Phase 1
IBM POWER4
(bluedawn)
2
ICESS
blackforest
(WH-1)
Linux
SGI Origin3800/128
POWER5+
IBM POWER3
(blackforest)
1
blackforest
(WH-2/NH-2)
IBM POWER3
(babyblue)
bluevista
Jan-99
bluesky
blackforest
0
Jan-00
Jan-01
Jan-02
Jan-03
Jan-04
Jan-05
Jan-06
Jan-07
Jan-08
Jan-09
Jan-10
Jan-11
SOARS
protégés at
work
Cascading Scales of Simulation/Prediction
Capacity at NCAR
Boundary Layer:
10-100 m, Minutes to
Hours; The Large Eddy
Simulation (LES) Model
Regional Climate and Weather:
4-20 km, Hours to Decades; The
Nested Regional Climate Model
(NRCM)
High Impact Weather:
100-1000m, Hours to
Days; The Advanced
Weather Research and
Forecasting Model (WRF)
Global Climate and Weather:
50-100 km, Days to Centuries;
The Community Climate System Model (CCSM)
Holland MMM 1207…Slide 13
ESSL
WRF Users Around the Globe
6,050
• Data assimilation options: 3DVar, 4DVar, EnKF,
Nudging;
• A wide range of physics and chemistry options;
• Coupling to land surface and ocean models.
• WRF Variants: WRF Chem, NRCM, AHW, WRFVar
Operational System at this location
At least one Research or Commercial User in this Country
Campuses that allow growth, flexibility
New chemistry building
Research Aviation Facility
Mesa Lab
~80,000 visitors annually
Center Green
Foot Hills
Tough Times Ahead?
Dollars in Millions
www.ucar.edu/td
Office of Government Affairs (OGA)
Website
Visitors
NCAR-wide Visitors Program
NCAR Hosted 865 Visitors
during FY 2006
•
•
•
•
•
1-7 days = 507 visitors
8 - 30 days = 164 visitors
31 - 90 days = 98 visitors
91 - 180 days = 37 visitors
180+ days = 59 visitors
Sample Visitors Opportunities
Undergraduate Leadership Workshop:
– College juniors nominated by faculty - convene
in Boulder for 5 days
– co-sponsored by universities and NCAR
– Goals: gain knowledge of multi-disciplinary
research, facilities, models, & technology
developed and utilized at NCAR
Graduate Visitor Program:
– Funds graduate student visits to NCAR for 3-12
months to conduct thesis research
– NCAR scientist applies on behalf of student and
thesis advisor. Funding also available for
advisor visit
Faculty Fellowship Program:
– provides for bilateral visits between NCAR and
US universities.
Advanced Studies Program
Postdoc
• The postdoctoral program provides an opportunity for recent
Ph.D. scientists to continue to pursue their research interests in
atmospheric and related science.
• Most fellows develop research projects in collaboration with
NCAR scientists, but all are expected to choose their own
research directions and are responsible for the design and
conduct of their own projects.
• ~ seven per year and an appointments for a maximum of two
years.
• http://www.asp.ucar.edu/pdfp/pd_announcement.php
U.S. Atmospheric Science PhDs
(1973 to 2002)
• 1,991 Total PhDs
• 30 Hispanic American PhDs (1.5%)
• 17 African American PhDs (.85%)
Data from Roman Czujko, AIP Statistical Research
Center, with support from the Packard Foundation
Significant Opportunities in Atmospheric
Research and Science
• Four-year, paid summer research internship for
undergraduate science, math, engineering, and
social science students interested in
understanding the atmosphere and using that
understanding to improve life on Earth.
• The SOARS mission is to broaden participation
in the atmospheric and related sciences by
engaging students from groups historically
underrepresented.
• Work with a team of scientists and four mentors
on a project matched to your interests and
skills. You will perform original research,
prepare a scientific paper, and present your
research at a colloquium.
• http://www.soars.ucar.edu/
SOARS (Significant Opportunities in
Atmospheric Research and Science)
•
98 protégés have participated in the
program since 1996:
–
23 are in the STEM workforce, including
NOAA and NCAR
–
3 have completed their PhDs, 15 are PhD
candidates
–
32 have earned STEM Masters, 21
currently enrolled
–
3 NSF and 3 AMS graduate fellows
•
65 conference oral presentations
•
113 conference posters
•
12 refereed, protégé co-authored
papers
•
2001 Presidential Award for Excellence
in Science, Mathematics, and
Engineering Mentoring
SOARS Protégés Summer 2005
Questions