Tuesday, January 10, 2012 University at Albany Atmospheric Science PhD student, Matthew Janiga will be at NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research) in Boulder, CO this winter and spring as part of their graduate student visitor program. He will be working with NCAR staff analyzing radar data from West Africa. The goal of this work is to better understand the atmospheric conditions that give rise to intense thunderstorms during the monsoon and the feedback of these thunderstorms back onto the atmosphere. Monday, November 14, 2011 Climate Change Expert Mathias Vuille to Visit Colombia on Behalf of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas Washington, D.C., November 14, 2011 ? Mathias Vuille, a Senior Fellow in the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA), will be traveling to Colombia November 15, 2011 through November 18, 2011 to participate in meetings and events regarding how climate change will affect glacier conditions and water availability in the high Andes. Vuille is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY) who specializes in climate change and glacier mass and energy balance. The Senior ECPA Fellows program is a network of high-level technical experts in the fields of climate change and energy who travel to countries in the Western Hemisphere to consult with governments and share best practices and is administered by Partners of the Americas. Dr. Vuille has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles on topics of climate change and glacier mass and energy balance and serves as a contributing author to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). During his stay in Colombia, Vuille will be participating in discussions with the Institute of Hydrology, Meteorology, and Environmental Studies, the Ministry of the Environment, and the National University. Vuille will also be a keynote speaker at the 7th Inter-American Dialogue on Water Management. Partners of the Americas is an international network that promotes social and economic development in the Americas through leadership, voluntary service, and development programs. Its mission is to connect individuals, volunteers, institutions, businesses, and communities to serve and to change lives through lasting partnerships. Partners envisions an interconnected hemisphere that maximizes the social and economic potential, and leverages the full diversity, of the Americas. For more information, visit www.partners.net. Thursday, November 10, 2011 The Narayan R. Gokhale Distinguished Research Scholarship Award Established in 1980 by the family of Narayan R. Gokhale to recognize and to reward promising students pursuing a graduate education in Atmospheric Science. Students who receive this Award have been recommended by a faculty committee in the department for their demonstrated excellence, achievement, and originality in research. Join us Monday, November 14th 3:00pm in Earth Science 328 As we honor THOMAS GALARNEAU 2011 Recipient of the Narayan R. Gokhale Award L-R: Chris Thorncroft (Professor and Chair), Thomas Galarneau Jr., Mrs. Sunanda N. Gokhale and Lance Bosart (Distinguished Professor). Recipients of the Narayan R. Gokhale Distinguished Research Scholarship Award ?? ?? ?? ???? ??Gareth Berry (2009), Kristen Corbosiero (2005), Anantha Aiyyer (2004), Rolf Staebler (2003), Gary Wojcik (2002), Christian Hofgrefe (2001), Jeffrey M. Freedman (2000), Philip Cunningham (1999), Matthew E. Pyle (1998), Richard K. Sakai and Stephen J. Cox (1997) JOINT COLLOQUIUM SERIES DEPARTMENT OF ATMOSPHERIC & ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES & ATMOSPHERIC SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTER Monday, Nov. 7, 2011, 4:15 pm Earth Science Room 232 Kerry Emanuel Massachusetts Institute of Technology "Self-Aggregation, Tropical Cyclones, and Climate" Why are there roughly 90 tropical cyclones on our planet each year, and why is this number relatively constant? Currently, there is no basic scaling theory that tells us the answer to this question, and the lack of such a theory is related to our poor understanding of tropical cyclogenesis and its relationship to climate. Here we propose that tropical cyclones are part of a broader class of aggregated convective systems that include large cloud clusters, mesoscale convective systems, tropical cyclones, and, possibly, the Madden-Julian Oscillation. Using a cloud system resolving model, we confirm earlier findings that spontaneous self-aggregation of convection occurs under certain circumstances and that one result of such aggregation is a dramatic drying of the spatial- and time-mean atmosphere and an associated increase in precipitation efficiency. We further show that self-aggregation in our model only occurs for sea surface temperatures that exceed a definite threshold value, and for relatively small large-scale wind shear. Since self-aggregation results in a dramatic drying of the atmosphere, we expect that sea surface temperatures would fall in response to aggregation, owing to the loss of water vapor and associated cloudiness. This suggest that the coupled air-sea system would tend toward a state that is right on the verge of self-aggregation; in other words, a self-organized critical state. We test this hypothesis with a version of the model that allows the sea surface temperature to adjust to the surface energy imbalance, and discuss the implication of our findings for climate and tropical cyclones. All are welcome Monday, October 3, 2011 Andean Climate Change Interamerican Observatory Network (ACCI?N) The retreat of glaciers and decreased water availability coupled with warmer temperatures and enhanced probabilities of drought occurrence, suggests the potential for a severe future water crisis in the Andes. To increase the capacity of Andean nations to deal with this crisis in an anticipatory manner, the project led by Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Science (DAES) Assistant Professor Vuille will create an Andean Climate Change Interamerican Observatory Network (ACCI?N). The goal of the ACCI?N program is to increase awareness about the potential negative impacts of glacier retreat on water resources, enhance capacity building in the mentioned countries by educating students, teachers, water managers and politicians and help increase the resilience of affected segments of the local Andean populations. One key aspect of the project is to bring several students from South American countries to UAlbany, where they can work toward their PhD degrees on aspects related to climate change, glaciers and water resources that pertain directly to their home countries. The students will also spend time at leading research institutions in Switzerland, Austria and the UK, where experts on Andean climate change will serve as their hosts for a period of time. Hence the project is a perfect example of UAlbany?s slogan ?The world within reach?. The international project team lead by Vuille includes scientists from several European institutions and universities, research centers and NGO?s in South America. International organizations working on similar aspects in the Andes, such as UNESCO, The Interamerican Development Bank and the Swiss Development Cooperation will also coordinate their activities with the new project. Wednesday, September 7, 2011 University at Albany, Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, Research Professor John Molinari, has been granted a $443,956 award from the National Science Foundation (NSF), for Collaborative Research:? Understanding Tropical Cyclone Evolution in Wind Shear through a Synthesis of Observational Data Sets & Idealized Simulations. Thursday, July 21, 2011 Excellence Awards The University at Albany Alumni Association traditionally?recognizes alumni and friends of the University for their outstanding achievements and service to the University and community. These individuals personify the University's commitment to excellence and service and bring distinction to themselves and to our alma mater. The 2011 award recipients were honored at the Excellence Awards Gala in Albany?on?April 30, 2011. ?Citizen of the University? John W. Delano, Ph.D. University at Albany Distinguished Teaching Professor John Delano has been honored with numerous awards, including the State University of New York Chancellor?s Award for Excellence in Teaching and the UAlbany President?s Award for Excellence in Teaching. But it?s a measure of the man that he measures his success in a very different way. Delano keeps a folder of what he calls ?unsolicited compliments? from students, a folder that has grown gratifyingly thick over the years. Delano?s passion for teaching is sparked by an innate curiosity about how things work and a desire to nurture and inspire the next generation. His fascination with the universe was triggered in 1957 when he caught a glimpse of Sputnik, the first artificial satellite launched into outer space. A few years later, he heard Americans would be traveling to the moon, and the idea of studying samples from the moon had him hooked. His early fascination with understanding the basic questions of the universe translated into his decision to study geochemistry. After receiving his Ph.D. in geochemistry, he began research in astrobiology with NASA, which he continues today with colleagues from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). ?I think it is fair to say that John epitomizes the ideal of a professor,? said Bruce Watson, professor of Earth and Environmental Sciences at RPI and a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences. ?He has remained at the leading edge of his scientific field for decades. Equally importantly, he has grown into a creative and gifted educator and an effective leader. John is passionate about science and starts every day on a mission to learn something new. He is equally passionate about education, and devotes a major portion of his time not only to innovation in the classroom at UAlbany, but also to outreach activities and public lectures on astronomy and planetary science.? A former chair of the University Senate, Delano has served on numerous committees, task forces, and councils during his almost three decades at UAlbany. He?s also participated as a speaker at hundreds of events for prospective and current students, alumni, faculty and community members and is constantly on the lookout for new and innovative ways to teach students. ?John always engages and delights his audiences,? said Edelgard Wulfert, Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. ?His enthusiasm, along with his indefatigable energy and sincere desire to help others understand the world of science, make him one of the most popular and inspiring professors on campus.? On a national level, Delano has given invited testimony to a presidential commission convened by President George Bush dealing with NASA's strategic goals for human spaceflight and has served on and chaired numerous NASA advisory committees. He is currently associate director of the NASA-funded New York Center for Astrobiology, and principal investigator in the NASA Astrobiology Program. ?He leads our outreach efforts with exceptional vision and energy,? Watson said. ?He remains a fundamentally humble man who is committed to leaving as small a footprint as possible on our planet. He has already left some big footprints in his scientific field and at UAlbany.? Class of 2011 Bachelor of Science in Atmospheric Science Steven H. Andrew Alicia M. Bentley (Summa Cum Laude & Honors Degree) Joshua P. Burdick (Magna Cum Laude) Brian J. Castellano Susannah L. Coon Matthew J. Corbi Jenifer E. Diana Ryan C. Fucheck Sara A. Ganetis (Summa Cum Laude & Honors Degree) Rihaan Gangat Lawrence C. Gloeckler (Summa Cum Laude) Nicholas Lacativa Deborah Lucia Patrick J. McNamara Christopher Selca Patricia Sullivan Gabriel A. Susca-Lopata (Summa Cum Laude & Honors Degree) Bachelor of Science in Earth Science Joseph Gentile (Summa Cum Laude) Bachelor of Arts in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences Shane B. Gimbut Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science Elizabeth R. Bilek (Cum Laude) Michael T. Bortel Nadine A. Calma Amanda C. Carpenter Christopher P. Ferraro (Summa Cum Laude) Kelly A. Fitzgibbon Jonathan J. Friedland Tina L. Ganter Renee T. Gross (Magna Cum Laude) Andrew Havassy (Magna Cum Laude) Kimberly A. Jean (Cum Laude) Gregory D. Johnson Corrinne C. Kanser (Magna Cum Laude) David B. Klein Ryan M. Lennon Peter K. Minotti Christopher Motti (Summa Cum Laude) David J. Oropallo (Summa Cum Laude) Christopher S. Sager Fumi Wada Jacob Widmann