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1997-24
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 13, 1997
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Students Bring Rich Cultural Heritage, Varied Backgrounds to Boulder as They Nurture Budding Careers in Science
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Contact:
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David Hosansky
UCAR Communications
P.O. Box 3000
Boulder, CO 80307-3000
Telephone: (303) 497-8611
Fax: (303) 497-8610
E-mail:
hosansky@ucar.edu
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June 13, 1997
BOULDER--How can your own culture's world-view contribute to the
advancement of science? How can science help preserve the earth while
solving the problems of your own community? Does working for a large
organization throw more obstacles or more opportunities your way as you
attempt to forge a career in scientific research? A scientist training
program is raising these and other issues while providing intensive
research experience and writing instruction for 14 ethnically diverse
students. They are in Boulder this summer for the SOARS (Significant
Opportunities in Atmospheric Research and Science) undergraduate and
graduate training program. Offered by the University Corporation for
Atmospheric Research (UCAR) and the National Science Foundation (NSF)
with additional support from the National Aeronautics and Space
Administration, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration,
and participating universities, SOARS is a five-year scholarship and
mentoring program based in Boulder and conducted at the Nat
UCAR developed the program to increase the number of African-American,
American Indian, Hispanic/Latino, Native Alaskan, and other
underrepresented students enrolled in master's and Ph.D. programs in
the atmospheric and related sciences, such as meteorology,
oceanography, mathematics, computer science, environmental science, and
relevant areas of the social sciences. If the number of returning
students is a measure of success, SOARS gets an A+. All 13 of last
year's students reapplied for this summer and were accepted, along with
four new students, after careful review.
Most SOARS students spend ten weeks each summer at UCAR and NCAR,
working under the guidance of a scientific or technical mentor on a
selected research project in the student's
area of interest. Each has three other mentors to help develop writing
and communication skills, involve the student in the community, and
provide peer support.
Students receive a competitive salary, housing, and roundtrip airfare
between Boulder and anywhere within the United States and Puerto Rico.
During the school year they continue their research at their home
campuses. Three of last year's group are choosing to remain at their
home institution this summer to continue their graduate research. Each
will visit Boulder to meet with mentors and program staff and present a
report of their works in progress.
For those returning to Boulder, this summer's activities include a
visit to NCAR's Research Aviation Facility at Jefferson County Airport
on June 16, weekly science instruction and mentoring, and weekly
workshops to discuss questions of community and career. One student,
Preston Heard, has organized a panel for June 19 on lightning and
tropospheric chemistry, in which scientists from varying disciplines
will tackle a scientific problem on the spot. In July another
student-organized panel will address issues around women and science.
The students will present their research results to the staff and
public August 5-7 at NCAR's Mesa and Foothills Labs.
A number of the SOARS students hope to combine the scientific knowledge
gleaned at UCAR with the traditional wisdom of their native cultures.
"In SOARS, I have been able to study science with my heart and with my
mind. I can travel within the wheel as a scientist while continuing to
learn and practice traditional Indian knowledge," says Carl Etstitty, a
SOARS student now pursuing a graduate degree at the University of
Arizona after having lost interest in science earlier in life. "It is
still my wish to live and work with my relatives on Indian lands and
with the traditional scientific community to bring all people close to
the vision of a good tomorrow." UCAR is a consortium of 62 universities
offering the Ph.D. in the atmospheric or related sciences.
Editors: SOARS students and mentors are available for
interviews and may be filmed participating in the workshops and
panels mentioned above.
SOARS protégés, their home institutions, and their
projects for 1997
Christopher Castro, Pennsylvania State University
Statistical downscaling of a general circulation model and the
effect of climate change on crop yields: application to the region of
Pennsylvania
Janel Cobb (at home campus), Colorado State University
Data analysis from the Aerosol Characterization Experiment (ACE-1)
ferry flight and 1997 Arctic expedition to study the effects of ice
nuclei, cloud condensation nuclei, and aerosol concentrations on cloud
formation and cloud radiative properties
Jasmin Diaz-Lopez, Universidad Metropolitana, San Juan, Puerto Rico
Examining global ecological change and human health; monitoring
effects of global climate change on biodiversity, measuring plant
species richness and various climate parameters in Rocky Mountain
National Park
Carl Etsitty, University of Arizona
Detecting pathogenic viruses in sludge and studying their effects
on human health
Quindi Franco (at home campus), Harvard University
Mapping U.S. climate and climate research policy
Preston Heard (at home campus), Howard University
Working with measurements from the Stratosphere-Troposphere
Experiment: Radiation, Aerosols, and Ozone (STERAO)/Deep Convection
study of last summer to investigate oxides of nitrogen (NOx) production
by lightning
Lacey Holland, University of Oklahoma
Evaluating aircraft icing forecasts using observations from a
research aircraft
Karen Mozealous, University of Virginia
Investigating the consequences of large-scale ozone density
depletion on atmospheric tidal signatures
Shirley Murillo, Florida State University
Investigating the linkages between land-surface and mesoscale
models, with emphasis on the role of land-surface processes and
modeling methods
Sharon Perez-Suarez, University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez
Analysis of an Ocean General Circulation Model simulation (80
million years ago) and comparison to proxies for ocean temperature and
circulation from the geologic record
Paneen Petersen, University of Alaska, Anchorage
Reconstructing vegetation for model comparisons using
paleoclimates from Arctic Lakes and Estuaries (PALE) data
Darnell Powers, Truman State University
Examining processes that influence chemistry in stratocumulus
clouds
Jennifer Price, Florida A&M University
Investigating ozone deposition through on-site work and analysis
of data from the Cooperative Atmosphere-Surface Exchange Study
(CASES)
Stephanie Rivale, University of Rochester
Analyzing the role of ultraviolet light in photochemical smog
formation
Kiesha Stevens, Clark Atlanta University
Developing a daily temperature and precipitation time series for
the continental United States
Rachel Vincent, Bryn Mawr College
Analyzing chemical interactions using a component of an
atmospheric chemistry model, and relating the sensitivity of the model
solution to the physical parameters used in the model
Jennifer Zabel, Weber State University
Assisting in development of a trace gas analysis instrument;
developing a trace gas emission model, including natural and
anthropogenic emissions, for a field site in California
-The End-
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telephone 303-497-8601 or by email
butterwo@ucar.edu
The University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) is a not-for-profit university membership consortium which carries out programs to benefit the atmospheric, oceanic, and related sciences. Among other activites, UCAR operates the National Center for Atmospheric Research with National Science Foundation sponsorship.