Staff Notes Monthly

Thomas Karl (ACD) is one of the 11 new scientists to join NCAR.

For the second time in three years, NCAR is rejuvenating its scientific ranks with a large wave of scientist I hires. The 11 new staffers specialize in areas ranging from solar activity to lower atmospheric modeling to marine ecosystems. < more

Learning to lead

UCAR’s four-month Leadership Academy is meant to address an often-overlooked need in the organization: good managerial techniques. “Supervising is not intuitive,” explains HR’s Terry Woods. “It requires a specific set of skills.”< more

“I’m From the Government and I’m Here to Help You”

Katy Schmoll was just six years old when her mother took her to see Richard Nixon. That was the day she decided she wanted to work for the government instead of becoming a Broadway musical star. < more

Random Profile: Eric Gilleland

After getting a bachelor’s in math from CU, Eric thought he would pursue a career as an actuary. But then he became fascinated by statistics—and by an unusual European language.
< more

Spring Fling

Women with kaleidoscope eyes. Men with blonde wigs. Baroclinically Buoyant Amateurs kicking up their heels. It was all part of a great lip sync competition. < more

RAP wins NASA award

A team of Research Applications Program scientists is receiving a Turning Goals Into Reality award from NASA this month.
< more

See the photo: A new rapid-scan radar for fast-changing storms

Delphi Question: Stolen car

Delphi Question #501 (received 8 May): Recently a car parked behind FL 2 on a weekday was stolen during work hours. < more

Ground operations for the Bow Echo and MCV Experiment (BAMEX) were launched on 17 May with two balloon launches. The ground teams, along with three aircraft, are working through early July to probe mesoscale convective vortices and other aspects of thunderstorm clusters in the Midwest (see the May issue of Staff Notes Monthly). Conditions were tranquil on opening day, so the ground crews went to the parking lot of a bowling alley in Carlyle, Illinois. There, NCAR's Ned Chamberlain took a group of BAMEX assistants—university students and postdocs—through the paces of a typical launch with the mobile GPS Loran Atmospheric Sounding System. Shown here: Eric Debenham (University of Wyoming) sends a balloon and radiosonde package on its way. (Photo by Carlye Calvin.)