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Director of the Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies The University of Oklahoma invites nominations and applications for a dynamic, visionary leader to serve as Director of the highly successful Cooperative Institute for Mesoscale Meteorological Studies (CIMMS). CIMMS was established in 1978 as a cooperative program that unites the scientific and technical resources of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and The University of Oklahoma (OU) into a center of research excellence. CIMMS was created to support NOAA’s Mission of Science, Service and Stewardship and thereby contribute to NOAA’s long-term goal of building a Weather-Ready Nation that is prepared for and responds to weather-related events. CIMMS research areas include weather radar, hydrometeorology, observations and numerical modeling of high-impact weather including severe storms, forecast and warning improvements, regional climate variations, the societal and socioeconomic impacts of weather and climate, and related subject areas. The Director of CIMMS is expected to play a leadership role in fostering the development of collaborative research between NOAA and OU and work to realize the transitions of these research benefits to NOAA’s operational mission. The successful applicant must also have a dedicated commitment to the academic and research mission of the University of Oklahoma. Qualifications include an earned doctorate degree in atmospheric sciences or a related field or equivalent experience; strong evidence of exceptional leadership skills, such as managing a large, multi-disciplinary organization; a record of personal research; strong evidence of success in developing and executing a bold vision for collaborative research, including demonstrated success in resource mobilization; evidence of research breadth and/or substantial intellectual curiosity given the breadth of CIMMS activities; outstanding communication skills; leadership in professional service and recognized national and international visibility within the professional community; an understanding of strategies regarding the translation of research outcomes into operations; experience working at or familiarity with a comprehensive research university and an understanding of graduate student involvement in research; working knowledge of how policies are developed within NOAA or similar organizational entities including experience of successfully working with administrators, funding managers and the legislative process to develop and sustain programs and projects. Director of CIMMS will also be appointed as a tenured Professor in the School of Meteorology of the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences or in the appropriate academic department or school. The salary (commensurate with qualifications) and starting date are negotiable. This position will remain open until filled. References will be contacted only upon approval. Every effort will be made to ensure confidentiality in the process until the interview stage. CIMMS is a unit within the National Weather Center at OU (http://www.nwc.ou.edu), the world’s largest facility that brings together academic, operational, research, and support organizations in a uniquely synergistic fashion. The Center is part of OU’s Research Campus (http://urc.ou.edu), which co-locates and strategically builds linkages among private sector, government, and academic organizations. The NWC houses several NOAA operational and research organizations, including the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL), the Storm Prediction Center (SPC), the National Weather Service (NWS) Forecast Office, the Weather Decision Training Division, and components of the Radar Operations Center that manages the Nation’s WSR-88D radar systems. NSSL and CIMMS pioneered development and use of Doppler radars to monitor convective storms and detect signatures of severe weather, which eventually led to the establishment of the national network of WSR-88D Doppler radars and more recently, the introduction of polarimetric radar capabilities to improve precipitation estimates and identify hydrometeor types. NSSL and CIMMS scientists have worked closely over the past two decades with the SPC, NWS Forecast Offices and research experts world-wide at the Hazardous Weather Testbed to demonstrate the value of cutting-edge ensemble weather prediction systems in forecasting the probability of severe weather. The School of Meteorology, also located in the NWC within the College of Atmospheric and Geographic Sciences, is the largest academic atmospheric science program in the nation, with more than 250 undergraduates, nearly 100 graduate students and 25 faculty. The School is most well-known for international leadership in the areas of severe storms, mesoscale dynamics, convective-scale modeling and radar research. However, the expertise of the faculty also includes atmospheric chemistry, polar studies, boundary layer and urban meteorology, climate, monsoon circulations, data assimilation, tropical meteorology, lightning, dynamics and cloud physics. Other OU organizations located in the NWC or housed nearby on the research campus include the Advanced Radar Research Center (ARRC), the Center for Analysis and Prediction of Storms (CAPS) and the Department of Interior’s South Central Climate Science Center (CSC). A unique aspect of the School is the presence of numerous adjunct and affiliate scientists from these co-located research centers, CIMMS and from NOAA. To apply, please submit a letter of interest including a statement that addresses one’s leadership philosophy, research goals and teaching vision, a current curriculum vitae, and the names of four or more people who can serve as references (with full mailing and e-mail addresses, telephone, and fax numbers). Please address all correspondence to: Dean Berrien Moore III All Email correspondence should be copied to Ms. Tracy Reinke: [email protected] The University of Oklahoma is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Protected veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply. |
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