Outstanding Accomplishment Awards

2002 Award winners and nominees

The 13 December all-staff party, sponsored by the Employee Activities Committee, continued the tradition of ringing in the holidays while recognizing the outstanding work of employees. A total of seven nominations, comprising 36 staffers, were received for this year’s Outstanding Accomplishment Awards (formerly the Outstanding Performance Awards). For photos and complete coverage of the ceremony, please see the Staff Notes article.

Nominations and winners:
1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007

All Award Winners, 1967–present

2002 Winners

Outstanding Publication
Rit Carbone, John Tuttle, David Ahijevych, and Stanley Trier (MMM), for “Inferences of predictability associated with warm season precipitation episodes.” The paper, published in 2002 in the Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences, (59, 2033–2056) reveals previously unnoticed, but very frequent, warm season precipitation episodes east of the Continental Divide. The research identifies a coherence in convective precipitation episodes and indicates that the predictability of warm season rainfall may be much greater than previously thought.

Education and Outreach
Cindy Schmidt, the director of Development and Government Affairs. Since becoming director in 1990, the former fifth grade teacher has worked on numerous initiatives to enhance the public’s understanding of scientific, technical, and societal issues in the atmospheric and related sciences.

Scientific and Technical Accomplishment
Bill Mahoney, Mike Dixon, Deirdre Garvey, Frank Hage, Celia Chen, David Johnson, Niles Oien, Susan Dettling, and Carol Park (RAP), Jordan Powers (MMM), Bill Kuo (COSMIC), and Jim Bresch, Dale Barker, and Al Bourgeois (MMM). The team designed, developed, and implemented the Advanced Operational Aviation Weather System, thereby providing a critical boost to Taiwan’s aviation weather capabilities.

Administration
Marla Meehl, Scot Colburn, and Pete Siemsen (SCD) for founding and operating the Front Range GigaPOP. The FRGP is a consortium of 12 Colorado and Wyoming universities, nonprofit corporations, and government agencies that cooperate in an effort to share wide area networking services that connect to the Commodity Internet, the Abilene/Internet2, and each other.

Other nominees

Outstanding publication

Given for published results of original research, review papers, pedagogically oriented books, or other contributions to atmospheric science, broadly defined; or works that connect atmospheric science with other disciplines or with matters of public policy.

Larry Cornman and Corinne Morse (RAP), Stephen Cohn (ATD), and Kent Goodrich (RAP) for three papers: “A fuzzy logic method for improved moment estimation from Doppler spectra” (J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 15, 1287-1305), “The NIMA method for improved moment estimation from Doppler spectra” (J. Atmos. Oceanic Technol., 19, 274-295), and “Radial velocity and wind measurement with NIMA-NWCA: Comparisons with human estimation and aircraft measurements” (J. Appl. Meteor., 40, 704-719). The papers describe new analysis techniques that represent a groundbreaking step in solving radar data quality problems.

Mausumi Dikpati and Peter A. Gilman (HAO), for “Flux-transport dynamos with an effect from global instability of tachocline differential rotation: A solution for magnetic parity selection in the Sun” (The Astrophysical Journal, 559, 428, 2001). This paper describes an innovative model that incorporates realistic representations of the Sun’s inferred internal rotational and circulatory flow fields. It has proven to be the most successful model to date in terms of accounting for the observed properties of the Sun’s global magnetic field and its evolution over the course of the solar cycle.

Education and Outreach

Given for efforts having a significant impact on, and leading to improvements in, scientific, mathematical, or technical education, or other efforts that significantly enhance the public's understanding of scientific or technical issues. These activities may involve postgraduate, graduate, undergraduate, K–12, or general-public education.

No other nominees

Scientific and Technical Accomplishment

Given for efforts leading to substantial improvements in scientific and/or technical capabilities, including advances in hardware or software engineering, computer science, and applied science. Accomplishments in this category might, but do not necessarily, result in a scientific or technical publication.

Mike Spowart, Eric Loew, Jack Fox, Jeff Keeler, Mark Lord, Tammy Weckwerth, Frank Pratte, and Grant Gray (ATD). The team outfitted the Naval Research Laboratory P3 aircraft with the ELDORA radar and other instrumentation for NSF-supported field projects.

Administration

Given for efforts that substantially improve UCAR's ability to manage its affairs. Activities in this category might include efficiencies in managing information, improved processes within or interactions among UCAR entities or with funding agencies, or enhanced services or support to UCAR employees.

No other nominees