[Nsa] Qualifications for the NCAR Director and draft set of questions for candidates
Rick Anthes
anthes at ucar.edu
Sat Apr 5 04:25:17 MDT 2008
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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