NEW NSF DIRECTOR VISITS NCAR, UCAR PROGRAMS

Neal Lane, who became the National Science Foundation's director last 
year, paid his first official visit to UCAR on Wednesday, 
3 August, in a tour that stopped at nearly every Boulder site.

Lane began his day at the Fleischmann Building, accompanied by Richard 
Greenfield, director of NSF's Atmospheric Sciences Division.  The group, 
joined by NSF assistant director for geosciences Robert Corell and acting 
NSF program official Cliff Jacobs, then met with NCAR division directors 
in the Mesa Lab to discuss the climate, atmospheric chemistry, and solar 
physics programs at NCAR.  Also at ML was a brief stop in the Scientific 
Computing Division to view SCD's latest systems.  After lunch, the group 
crossed town to visit UNAVCO and Unidata at their respective locations 
near the Foothills Lab.

Students in the Summer Employment Program got a chance to meet and 
talk with Lane later in the afternoon.  He engaged the students in a 
dialogue about their experiences during the summer at UCAR and the 
importance of better integrating U.S. scientific research and education.  
Lane indicated he was particularly impressed by Project LEARN 
(Laboratory Experience in Atmospheric Research at NCAR) and by the 
enthusiastic and supportive remarks made by the LEARN teachers who 
met with Lane (Linda Garcia and Ben Boyer, both from Boulder's Southern 
Hills Middle School).

In commenting about how important students' contact with "real" 
scientists is, Lane reflected on a personal experience.  When his son was a 
sixth grader at Boulder's University Hill Elementary School in the mid-
1970s, an NCAR scientist visited the class and conducted hands-on science 
lessons once each week.   Lane said his son recalls these visits to this day.  
The NCAR scientist was Pat Kennedy, a principal organizer of Project 
LEARN who now regularly visits schools in Mexico and eastern Kentucky 
as well as the Boulder area.

Following the discussions on education, Lane was briefed on the U.S. 
Weather Research Program by senior scientist Rit Carbone and on 
activities in the Research Applications Program by its new director, Brant 
Foote (see page 4).  The last event of the long day was a visit to Jeffco for a 
tour of the new 
C-130 aircraft.

Those who participated in the briefings and discussions were impressed 
by Lane's interest and perceptive comments and questions, says UCAR 
president Rick Anthes.  "Neal expressed his enthusiasm and support for 
the breadth and quality of NCAR and UCAR programs many times 
during his visit.  We hope he returns soon."  --BH