 |
||
Letter from the Division Director
Au Revoir - and Thank You ......... This will be the last OCE Newsletter to which I will contribute. On December 1st I begin a new job as Director, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. As I write this it is almost precisely five years since I joined NSF as the Division Director for Ocean Sciences. I shall not attempt a grand retrospective of this interesting half-decade, not only because it would not be possible to provide a balanced and representative view in this small space, but also because the two year lag between budget preparation and implementation means that the most exciting stuff is yet to come! The most important message I wish to convey is one of sincere thanks to the community for support and help over the past five years as I have tried to give ocean sciences research the recognition that it deserves both at NSF, and within broader U.S. Federal Government planning. I leave NSF with an even greater appreciation and respect for the quality and significance of the science in which oceanographers are engaged. I believe that progress has been made in establishing the fact that basic knowledge of the ocean’s dynamic processes is critical to the national interest and to the planet’s long term health. This is achieved through you - the community - and the myriad of planning and public outreach activities in which you are engaged. The future for the NSF budget looks more positive today than at any other time that I can recall. As the budget growth that NSF is fighting for becomes reality, the rapid progress on important problems that this will enable will reaffirm the importance of ocean sciences in the national interest. But NSF will continue to manage a tough competitive system - this IS the way to maintain quality, to insure that resources are directed to the most exciting topics, and to retain world leadership. So, thank you, for your support, your understanding and your confidence. I return to the academic community with great respect for my NSF colleagues here, and with confidence that the health of the ocean science research and education enterprise will continue to grow. I am sincerely indebted to Don Heinrichs who has agreed to interrupt his retirement to return to the Division in the role of Interim Division Director effective 1 December, and so insure a smooth transition to new leadership.
G. Michael Purdy |
||
