Division of Ocean Sciences - Fall 2000 Newsletter

Staff Changes


Photo of Mike Purdy and Ronnie Butler

Mike Purdy congratulates Ronnie Butler on her Director's Award of Excellence.

The summer and fall have seen numerous staff changes in the Division of Ocean Sciences, including several in senior management.

After five years of service to NSF, Division Director G. Michael Purdy will leave on November 30, 2000, to assume the position of Director, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. His leadership and good humor will be greatly missed.

We are delighted that the recently retired Don Heinrichs has agreed to serve as Interim Division Director during the recruitment and selection period for a new Division Director. Within the new division structure (see page 1), Don will also serve as Acting Section Head for the new Marine Geosciences Section.

We are pleased to announce that Larry Clark has been selected to serve as Head of the Ocean Section. Larry has been with NSF since 1979, working in ocean technology development since 1982. Since 1993 he has served as Program Director for the Ocean Technology and Interdisciplinary Coordination program.

Mike Reeve, formerly Head of the Oceanographic Centers and Facilities Section, has transitioned to the position of Head of the Integrated Programs Section, which includes oceangraphic facilities.

Additional staff changes include:

James Allan, Associate Program Director for the Ocean Drilling Program has left NSF and his home institute, Texas A&M University, to work as Chair of the Department of Geology at Appalachian State University. Catherine Bowler, Science Assistant, has left Ocean Sciences to work for the Division of Environmental Biology. Among other responsibilities, she is presently working on the agency-wide Biocomplexity program. Elizabeth Day has moved to NOAA to become the National Education Coordinator for the Sea Grant program. Veronica Butler, Program Assistant for Ocean Sciences, retired this year after many years of dedicated and cheerful service. She began working for NSF in 1959.

Veronica Marjerison, Program Assistant for the Biological Oceanography Program, has left the NSF to work full-time at Recreation Equipment Incorporated (REI). Rachel Pressley, Student Hire, has left the Division to study economics at the University of Maryland. Alison Sipe, a former Sea Grant Fellow and Science Assistant, is now pursuing her interest in molecular biosciences. Anne Tenney, Staff Associate, has returned to the Division after a three-year detail with the NSF Director’s Office.

We also welcome several new arrivals to the Division.

Photo of Rodey Batiza

Rodey Batiza is the new Program Director for the Marine Geology and Geophysics Program. Rodey comes to NSF from the Universtiy of Hawaii at Manoa, Department of Geology and Geophysics, School of Oceanography, Earth Sciences and Technology (SOEST). His research interests are igneous and metamorphic petrology and geochemistry, marine geology, crustal and lithospheric evolution, vulcanology, and upper mantle and crustal processes.

Linda Goad is expected to come on board in January 2001 as Program Manager for Marine Facilities, Linda is from the University of Michigan and has experience in both science and management of research vessels, including her role as marine Superintendent. Her research has included a wide variety of topics within the field of algal physiology.

Photo of Peter MilnePeter Milne arrived in July as Chemical Oceanography’s new Associate Program Director. Peter has been at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Miami, since 1989. He has experience in marine chemistry, environmental chemistry of natural waters and atmospheric systems. Peter’s other research interests include optical and spectroscopic measurement techniques as applied to environmental and biomedical problems.