May 2007

Breaking News

Top Atmospheric Scientist To Address Effects of Climate Change

A leading atmospheric scientist will present “The Future of Planet Earth and Its Inhabitants: Our Imperfect Crystal Ball,” at 3 p.m. May 3, 2007 in the Hardin Hall Auditorium.

The talk by Dr. Timothy L. Killeen, Director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., will be free and open to the public. Hardin Hall is on the northeast corner of 33rd and Holdrege.

Killeen’s topic is particularly timely given the recently released conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which predict that drought and other climatic extremes will become more common as the earth warms, said Dr. Donald A. Wilhite, Director of the National Drought Mitigation Center and Professor of Applied Climate Sciences in the School of Natural Resources of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Killeen’s visit will be jointly hosted by UNL’s Office of Research, the Drought Center, and the School of Natural Resources.

Born in Cardiff, Wales, Killeen received a BSc in Physics and a Ph.D. in Atomic and Molecular Physics from the University College, London. Prior to joining NCAR, Killeen was Professor of Atmospheric and Space Sciences at the University of Michigan. During his tenure at Michigan, he also held positions as Director of the University of Michigan’s Space Physics Research Laboratory and Associate Vice President for Research.   

Concurrent with his role as Director of NCAR, Killeen continues his research as a Senior Scientist at NCAR’s High Altitude Observatory, where his research interests include the experimental and theoretical study of the Earth’s upper atmosphere.  He is a principal investigator and instrument developer for a space-borne Doppler interferometer on the NASA TIMED spacecraft, and Co-Principal Investigator for a new NSF Science and Technology Center devoted to numerical modeling of Space Weather. 

He is President of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society (AMS), a former AMS Councilor, and a member of the National Academy of Engineering.  Killeen has served as President of the Space Physics Section of the American Geophysical Union, and on numerous NASA, NSF, AGU and university committees.  He served as co-chair of the NASA Sun-Solar System Connection Strategic Roadmap Committee, and is a past Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Atmospheric and Solar-Terrestrial Physics.

NDMC, NASA Partner to Benefit Drought Monitor

The National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) hosted an April 24 kick-off meeting for a collaborative effort aimed at incorporating remote sensing data from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) into the Drought Monitor. Other organizations and efforts represented were the Earth Resources Observation System of the U.S. Geological Survey and the Climate Prediction Center and the Physical Sciences Division of the Earth System Research Laboratory of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. NASA representation included researchers from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Goddard Spaceflight Center. The 3-year project is scheduled to last into 2010. Progress of the project will be noted on our website.

NDMC Researcher Develops New Course

Dr. Donna Woudenberg, NDMC Drought Management Specialist, and Dr. Patricia Boehner, have developed and will be offering a new course in the fall, “Gender and Cultural Perspectives on the Environment.” Boehner is a wildlife biologist in the School of Natural Resources. Click here for a copy of the course announcement.

On-Line Registration Available for US Drought Monitor Conference, Portland, October 10-11

Authors and users of the U.S. Drought Monitor -- http://drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html -- will convene in Portland, Oregon, October 10-11, to discuss user needs and modifications to the tool. The U.S. Drought Monitor Forum is held every other year. This year’s DM Forum is being sponsored by the NDMC, but is being hosted by the USDA-NRCS Water and Climate Center. Although the scope of the tool is national, the venue will provide an opportunity to focus on the drought-monitoring needs of the West. Details on the draft agenda and format will be made available soon.

Registration is free, but rooms and meeting rooms are limited, so please sign up early to ensure that there will be room. Please use our on-line registration form to reserve your spot. Please register even if you are not staying at the conference hotel. As a backup, you may e-mail Ann Fiedler, afiedler2@unl.edu, with “US Drought Forum” in the subject line, expressing your intent to attend, and including your name and full contact information. Those without fully functioning web access may contact Ann by telephone, 402-472-6707.

The conference will be held at the Portland DoubleTree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center. A special conference and government rate of $98 per night plus applicable tax and fees is available for attendees making reservations by September 9. There are two ways to register:

• On-line at www.portlandlloydcenter.doubletree.com. Select dates under “check availability,” click “go,” and enter the group code, which is “NDM.”
• On the phone, by calling 1-800-966-0510, or 503-281-6111, and providing the NDM (Drought Monitor Forum) group code as you request the special rate. 

Wilhite Provides Expertise to Iran

Don Wilhite has completed a review of the national drought strategy documents developed for Iran by a consultant with support from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. These documents will be translated and published by the Iranian government and, hopefully, a national drought strategy for the country will be implemented.