[Nsa] Qualifications for the NCAR Director and draft set of questions for candidates

[Rick Anthes]

Thanks B.C., for your thoughtful remarks.  I am sharing them with the 
full search committee.

I agree strongly that we need science more than ever now to understand 
Earth and apply this understanding for the benefit of society.  There is 
a view out there that the science of climate change is done, the verdict 
is in, and we just need to get on with "fixing it."  I think this is 
very dangerous, and there is so much we don't know.  I have tried to 
make this point in various forums lately, including testimony this week 
at the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and 
Science, where NSF, NASA and NOAA reside.  I thought I'd share my oral 
testimony with you.  Apparently it went over pretty well.

Best wishes,
Rick

B.C. Low wrote:
>
> Dear Rick,
>
> I do resonate with the inputs from Beth Holland.  There are two 
> aspects that seem very important to me.  What we lay down as criteria 
> and who happen to have applied for the position can be quite 
> separate.  A search process can be very successful if the applicant 
> pool is sufficiently rich for us to see the actual dimensions of these 
> criteria through the real people who have applied.  From that 
> perspective, I feel the following considerations are essential.
>
> I would like to see an NCAR Director who is foremost an accomplished 
> scientist, having done first class scientific work and being 
> recognized for it.  The single central criterion for being a Senior 
> Scientist at NCAR is scientific excellence, and the NCAR Director 
> should meet that criterion at the highest level among us.  Such a 
> Director will bring the scientific best out of us.
>
> Beth's concern about scientific integrity is worth watching out for. 
> Integrity is harder to practice than people are willing to admit and 
> in the complexity of our evolved scientific community, we are actually 
> easily challenged on it by the things we run into each day.  Having 
> the talents and opportunity to have done first class scientific work 
> is the base upon which an individual sees directly the value and 
> motivation to practice integrity.  An NCAR Director of well known 
> integrity can bring the best out of us on this count.
>
> We of course want more than an excellent scientist for a Director.  He 
> or she must have a broad vision of what our scientific institute is 
> about; an understanding of how that vision might be realistic in the 
> way things are; and, an outstanding set of demonstrable leadership and 
> administrative abilities the job demands.  We cannot compromise on 
> either counts, (a) scientific accomplishment and (b) community and 
> administrative leadership.
>
> Global Change is now accepted to be real by the world community.  
> There is a lot of hard core science to do and a lot of interaction 
> with policy bodies and the public to conduct.  If we think all that is 
> important, neither of the two counts can be compromised.  We also want 
> someone young, in my opinion, so that our future is all wrapped up 
> with the Director who too has a future to think about.  I would rather 
> count on a demonstrable promise of a great leader.  I hope the Search 
> Committee will have the good fortune of making a careful but bold 
> recommendation, and you as UCAR President will have the privilege of 
> making a bold but well calculated decision.
>
> I recently sat down with a Director of an NCAR sized Institute and he 
> happily spent 45 minutes talking about an MHD problem, coming into it 
> cold but nevertheless giving it undivided attention.  That day, he was 
> going to deal with a theoretical exercise about what he would do if 
> his budget was to be cut by a sizable proportion.  Maybe he was 
> dreading the rest of that day!  We want a Director who has not lost 
> the scientific passion that brought most of us into this profession?
>
> Regards and good luck to our search,
> BC
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> Rick Anthes wrote:
>> Thanks Beth,
>> We will be sure to include the questions you ask, though they are 
>> certainly part of Q3 which I sent around:
>>
>> 3. The NCAR program comprises a broad range of research areas and a 
>> number of different community facilities. The research areas include 
>> atmospheric sciences broadly defined, weather prediction, climate, 
>> atmospheric chemistry, oceanography, solar physics and others, and 
>> the facilities range from the development, provision, and maintenance 
>> of observing and computing facilities, to developing community 
>> models.  What do you think are the appropriate balances among the 
>> various research areas and among the community facilities? As NCAR 
>> Director, how would you go about evaluating the appropriate balances, 
>> and how would you go about achieving them?
>>
>> Regarding scientific integrity, I think that goes without saying as 
>> an essential criterion--and someone at the NSA meeting mentioned 
>> this.   Like honesty.  If the search committee or I find out that 
>> this is lacking in a candidate you can be sure we will disqualify the 
>> candidate from further consideration.
>>
>> Finally, regarding the criteria, I mentioned that they are very 
>> easily derived from the duties and requirements.  For example, the 
>> first requirement "demonstrated ability to lead on a broad 
>> intellectual front" is a criterion--the search committee will be 
>> using this and the other requirements as their criteria.
>>
>> You can be sure we take your last point very seriously.
>>
>> We have not had much input from the NSA about suggested names--there 
>> is still time!
>> Thanks again.
>> Rick
>>
>> Dr. Elisabeth(Beth) A. Holland wrote:
>>
>>> Dear Rick,
>>>
>>> Thank you for the opportunity to provide input to the director 
>>> search process.  I think it is important to provide a voice for the 
>>> scientific leadership of NCAR.
>>>
>>> I have a few concerns based on your recent e-mail.
>>>
>>> First, during your meeting with the NSA, I thought we had come to an 
>>> understanding that we, the NSA, would have the opportunity to review 
>>> the criteria that would be used to evaluate the director 
>>> candidates.  I found the discussion concerning the need for an 
>>> emphasis on scientific integrity particularly compelling.  Referring 
>>> us to the web site, the description, duties and requirements does 
>>> not address the values and criteria that will be used for selection, 
>>> nor does it address the issue of scientific integrity.
>>>
>>> Second, I would like to see more focus on the candidate's view on 
>>> the balance between conducting science and providing facilities. It 
>>> is really important for the committee to get a sense of the 
>>> candidate's vision for NCAR. I suggest:
>>> 1) What is your vision for NCAR's evolving role in atmospheric 
>>> SCIENCES in the US and internationally?
>>>
>>> Among the particular questions I would include:
>>> In your view, how should NCAR balance using external and core funds 
>>> to pursue its mission?
>>> What is NCAR's mission?
>>>
>>> I am ccing the NSA on this to invite their input and discussion.  
>>> The decision itself of who will be the next NCAR rests with you and 
>>> the search committee.  I trust that you will choose a person who 
>>> will lead NCAR to continue to  realize its tremendous scientific 
>>> potential.
>>>
>>> Beth Holland
>>>
>>>
>>> On Mar 16, 2008, at 9:59 AM, Rick Anthes wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>> <Possible Questions2008.doc>
>>>
>>
>
>

-- 
******************************************************************

Dr.Richard A. Anthes 
Phone:  303-497-1652

President
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO  80307-3000

For delivery via express mail, please use:
 
1850 Table Mesa Drive
Boulder, CO  80305

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