Below is a list of the AOSC Department Committees. Click the title to expand for more information.
A. Jones (Chair), A. Ruiz-Barradas, Grad and UG Students
Charge:
- Discuss and evaluate ideas for making AOSC a more welcoming place for all— Undergraduate and graduate students, Staff, and Faculty
- Implement community-driven initiatives, working with the Chair and the department
- Advance diversity, opportunity, and inclusivity in the department
CMNS APT: D. Zhang (AOSC Representative)
AOSC APT: D. Zhang (Chair), G. Cooper
Charge:
- Evaluate requests for Advancement, Promotion, and Tenure (including emeritus)
- Create APT Subcommittees and oversee the promotion process
- Organize/supervise the AOSC APT votes
- Create Faculty Search Committees, in consultation with the Chair
Charge to the APT subcommittee:
- Propose a list of appropriate external evaluators, with feedback from CMNS
- Draft objective report—Summary of Professional Achievements—in collaboration with the candidate.
- Draft Department APT report and related documents
- Compile the dossier following CMNS and UMD guidelines
- Ensure the dossier has all necessary elements
Charge to the Faculty Search Committee:
- Advertise for and recruit outstanding candidates for faculty and staff positions
- Draft search advertisement addressing Chair and Department priorities
- Seek candidates who can enhance the AOSC community and its national profile
- Solicit feedback on candidates from all—Faculty, Students, and Staff
- Recommend candidates who will advance AOSC’s academic and research standing
- Present findings and recommendations to the AOSC faculty and Chair
APT: CMNS
R. Pinker (Chair)
- Represent the Department on the CMNS APT committee.
Z. Li (Chair), J. Carton
Charge:
- Discuss target awards and potential nominees, meeting at least once a semester Page 3 of 5
- Organize submission of faculty nominations for college, university, national, and international awards
K. Ide (Chair)
Charge:
- Help the Burgers Program advance geophysical applications of fluid dynamics
- Help recruit new faculty and students with interests and expertise in these areas
Computer
J. Henrikson (Chair), W. Tribett, Grad Student
Charge:
- Evaluate AOSC computational facilities and recommend enhancements
- Interface with the HPC Committee Chair to develop HPC recommendations
- Develop equitable allocation policies for computer resources among faculty, staff, and students, and across AOSC’s physical premises
- Refine algorithms for legal and equitable allocation of computer use charges
High Performance Computing (HPC)
K. Ide
Charge:
- Manage AOSC’s DT2 allocation, with speedy approval of new users and projects
- Help develop instruction in multi-processing techniques with faculty input
- Make recommendations for improvement in AOSC’s HPC capabilities
C. LaPadula (Chair)
Charge:
- Track maintenance and renovation work of AOSC facilities, keeping all apprised
- Evaluate current allocation of office space, lab space, and other facilities and reassign as necessary, consistent with the AOSC space policy and needs
- Collaborate with the graduate student association on student office assignments
- Coordinate with the corresponding ESSIC committee on dual-use space
- Pursue UMD and external resources to enhance/beautify AOSC space and facilities
N. Zeng
Role
- Represent AOSC in the Faculty Senate
- Attend Senate meetings and report back relevant information/updates
S. Nigam, J. Poterjoy
Role
- Inform university colleagues about UCAR activities and updates
- Serve on UCAR governance committees, which involve participating in decisionmaking processes
- Represent university perspectives and positions to UCAR and NSF NCAR
- Elect trustees and members of UCAR governance and advisory committees at the Annual Members Meeting
- Participate in scientific planning sessions and discuss matters affecting the scientific enterprise
Below is a list of the AOSC Acedemic Committees. Click the title to expand for more information.
Grad Program: J. Poterjoy (Director), T. Hendershot (Asst. Director), V. Bonhomme (program specialist)
UG Program: A. Jones (Director), T. Canty (Advisor), L. Uccellini, G. Cooper (Manager)
Charge:
- Direct the academic program
- Implement policy decisions made by the faculty
- Act on student petitions and resolve concerns/disputes
- Ensure that degree requirements are fulfilled in a timely fashion
- Represent the program on College and University committees
- Survey and maintain student databases
- Respond to prospective student queries about the academic program
- Meet with the students once a semester/year to review the academic program, including course syllabi, recruitment, teaching evaluations, etc.
- Meet yearly with the chair to review the program
- Observe as many thesis defenses as possible to ensure uniformity of standards
A. Jones (Chair), J. Poterjoy, J. Wenegrat, T. Canty, G. Cooper; UG Student
Charge:
- Review/update the content and catalog description of all undergraduate courses
- Advise on course textbook choices as needed
- Review the undergraduate curriculum and delivery of course materials
- Consult with faculty as new courses are formulated to ensure the content and delivery follow College and UMD guidelines and satisfy curriculum gaps/needs
- Schedule classroom visits: 1 visit per course by 1-2 committee members; alternate visits to the course should be unannounced. A report for AOSC files and constructive feedback to the instructor should follow. Priority should be given to classes taught by new instructors and faculty up for promotion
- Encourage development of new courses addressing topical/emergent issues
J. Poterjoy (Chair), J. Carton, J. Wenegrat, T. Canty, G. Cooper; Grad Student
Charge:
- Review/update the content and catalog description of all graduate courses
- Review/recommend CORE courses and their content
- Advise on course textbook choices as needed
- Schedule classroom visits: 1 visit per course by 1-2 committee members; alternate visits to the course should be unannounced. A report for AOSC files and constructive feedback to the instructor should follow. Priority should be given to classes taught by new instructors and faculty up for promotion
- Meet with graduate students once a year to solicit feedback on teaching and course content
- Recommend ways to boost course enrollment, including restructuring/renaming of electives and their cross-listing with other departments, etc.
J. Wenegrat (Chair), J. Poterjoy, T. Hendershot
Charge:
- Respond to queries and requests for information about the graduate program
- Screen graduate applicants and recommend the top-tier ones for admission
- Use fellowships, TAs, and AOSC-controlled funds to recruit an outstanding class based on academic excellence, research potential, and community contributions
- Assign academic and research advisors based on research interests and funding
X. Liang (Chair), M. Youngs, R. Salawitch, J. Carton, T. Hendershot
Charge:
- Solicit questions/discussion topics from faculty, sub-select and refine them (as needed), and coordinate with the Graduate Office to facilitate timely distribution
- Establish 5-person committees comprising 4 faculty and the advisor for each student taking the oral comprehensive exam
- Device strategies to advance uniformity in exam protocol and difficulty
- Organize a faculty meeting to evaluate results, if needed
- Periodically review exam policy to make oral exams more evaluative and uniform
Graduate Committee: Graduate Director, Admissions Chair, AOSC Chair; T. Hendershot
UG Committee: UG Program Director, AOSC Chair; G. Cooper
M. Molina (co-Chair), Z. Li (co-Chair), M. Youngs, R. Dickerson, S. Nigam, E. Wisinski, A. Cresanti
Charge:
- • Recruit speakers for the AOSC weekly seminar, focusing on exceptional research findings, communication skills, national standing, and community engagement
- Advertise AOSC seminars via email to students, faculty, alumni, and academic and research institutions in the Washington/Baltimore area
- Arrange travel and lunch for speakers, as needed; the seminar committee has a department-approved annual budget
- Maintain the seminar website, keeping all seminar information up to date
A. Ring (Chair), W. Tribett
Charge:
- Track alumni and maintain an up-to-date directory
- Foster alumni engagement via events, seminars, Facebook pages, newsletters, etc.
- Help organize AOSC alumni events at the AMS and AGU annual meetings