News Briefs

Comings and goings

Don Burgess
Don Burgess retired from his position as Chief of NSSL's Warning Research and Development Division on July 1, 2003 after 31 years of federal service. Don will join CIMMS on a part time basis and return to his long-time scientific interest of radar data analysis. We are fortunate that Don's scientific talent and expertise will remain in Norman.

Doug Lilly
Doug Lilly, a distinguished senior scientist with NSSL and Emeritus Professor of Meteorology at OU, has retired and moved to Nebraska to spend more time with his grandchildren. Dr. Lilly carried out research at NSSL related to tornadoes and other strong low-level vortices.

John Cortinas
John Cortinas reported to Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR) Headquarters in Silver Spring, MD on May 5 as the new Manager of the NOAA/OAR Joint Institutes. We are fortunate John will remain in the OAR family. His contributions as a scientist and administrator have been invaluable to all of us at NSSL.

NSSL at national AMS meeting in Long Beach, CA
NSSL hosted a booth at the 83rd AMS Annual Meeting in February 2003. NSSL/ CIMMS scientists were lead authors on 17 papers presented at the conference. New and advanced algorithm and display applications from the Warning Decision Support System - Integrated Information (WDSS-II) were demonstrated at the NSSL booth.

NOAA Weather Radios donated to local schools
NSEA, the NSSL/CIMMS/SPC employee association, donated and delivered 10 NOAA Weather Radios to Norman-area schools during Severe Weather Awareness Week at the beginning of March. Mike Baldwin (CIMMS), NSEA President, said "We encourage everyone to have a NOAA weather radio in their home or business. They should be as common as smoke detectors."

AUITI (Acronyms Used In This Issue)

CIMMS - Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies
FAA - Federal Aviation Administration
MIT - Massachusetts Institute of Technology
NCAR - National Center for Atmospheric Research
NOAA - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
NSSL - National Severe Storms Laboratory
NWS - National Weather Service
ORPG - Open Systems Radar Product Generator
OU - University of Oklahoma
ROC - Radar Operations Center
RPG - Radar Product Generator
SPC - Storm Prediction Center
WSR-88D - Weather Surveillance Radar - 88 Doppler, same as NEXRAD