Dean's monthly update

November 2004

Many of you realize that I have been traveling much of the last few weeks and I will be away three days during the next two weeks. After only four months on the job, I have made Alaska Airlines MVP Gold status. I would rather have taken a year to accomplish this frequent flyer level. I thought I should report on those trips so you will know that I am not just trying to escape the snow outside.

October 11-15, I was in Washington, DC to attend the UNOLS Council meeting. During that week, in addition to attending the UNOLS Council and Annual Meeting, I had meetings with:

Dr. Richard (Rick) Spinrad – NOAA Assistant Administrator & NOS Director
Dr. Gary Matlock – NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Director
Mike Hemsley – Ocean.US Deputy Director for Coastal Operations
Dr. David Policansky – National Research Council and Chair, SFOS Advisory Council
John Rayfield – Staff Director Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Stephen Peranich – Legislative Director for Congressmen Gene Taylor (D – Mississippi)
Barbara Moore – NOAA National Undersea Research Program (NURP) Director
Dolly Dieter and Mike Reeve – National Science Foundation Ship Operation Program Managers

October 22, I was in Anchorage, AK to attend the Fishery Industrial Technology Center (FITC) Policy Board meeting that was held at our MAP offices.

October 26-27, I was in Seward, AK to attend the Alaska SeaLife Center Board of Directors meeting and to attend the opening of the ASLC 3rd Annual Research Colloquium.

This week I will be traveling to Girdwood, AK on Wednesday (Nov. 3) to attend the Marine Advisory Program (MAP) retreat and will be in Anchorage on Thursday (Nov. 4) evening for the Sea Grant Dinner with their Advisory Board. On Friday (Nov. 5), I will accompany UAF Chancellor Steve Jones to Seward, AK to visit with SFOS faculty and staff, meet with Seward city leaders and tour the SFOS Seward Marine Center and the Alaska SeaLife Center. We will host a dinner with Chancellor and a select group of 53 from the city of Seward on Friday night. I will report the results of that trip to you next week.

November 11 and 12, I will be in Seattle, WA to visit with Glosten Associates (designer of the ARRV), several people at NOAA PMEL, the International Pacific Halibut Commission, SeaBird Electronics, and some friends of SFOS. From Seattle I fly to San Diego, CA to attend the National Association of Universities and Land Grant Colleges (NASULGC) meeting where I have been appointed by Chancellor Jones to the Board of Oceans and Atmospheres.

After this trip to San Diego, I hope to be in the office for one continuous month – if I am lucky.

Denis