Educational Activities

Seminar Series

The ASP continued its series of seminar presentations. They are intended to promote greater understanding of the range of scientific activities underway at NCAR and the scientific community and to provide postdocs with an opportunity to schedule and arrange logistics for visiting scientists. During FY-02 ASP hosted eight seminars from NCAR scientists and two outside institutions.

Thompson Lectures

In 1998 ASP established the "Thompson Lecture Series," named in honor of Phil Thompson who founded the Advanced Study Program and was NCAR's first associate director. Under this program, prominent scientists are brought to NCAR for short visits that promote interaction between them and the postdoctoral fellows and other junior scientists at NCAR. In addition to presenting formal lectures, the Thompson Lecturers listen to briefings on the research being conducted by ASP Fellows and comment and provide advice on those research projects. They also meet with groups of scientists to discuss some more general topics, provide career advice, and offer their perspectives on scientific trends and priorities.In FY-02, two Thompson Lecturers were brought to NCAR: Edward Lorenz (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and Michael McIntyre (Cambridge University).

Other Educational Activities

Several ASP Postdoctoral Fellows served as SOARS mentors during the summer months. SOARS is hosted through the Human Resources department of UCAR.

Some of the ASP postdoctoral fellows collaborated in teaching a graduate-level course at the University of Colorado on global climate change.

The Early Career Scientists Assembly (ECSA), through support of ASP, sponsored scientific travel for several NCAR early career scientists and hosted two poster sessions to meet and discuss topics with peers and other scientists at NCAR. During FY-02 the ECSA kicked-off its Scientific Leaders Forum with a visit and seminar presentations from Roger Wakimoto (UCLA).