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CREST & NOAA's STAR Meetings Held December 7-8, 2009

Reza Khanbilvardi & Mary Kicza
Reza Khanbilvardi & Mary Kicza

Decadal Environmental Remote Sensing
Science & Technology:
NESDIS & CREST Visions

December 15, 2009 - On December 7-8, 2009, seventy scientists from NOAA and affiliated universities of the NOAA-CREST Cooperative Science Center attended the 2nd Joint Technical Meeting held at NOAA in Silver Spring, MD. The two-day meeting highlighted the significant accomplishments and partnerships that have developed between CREST and NOAA particularly with NOAA's Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR) since the first joint CREST-STAR technical meeting held in Camp Springs, MD, on February 24-25, 2003.

The morning plenary session of the first day began with the welcome remarks from Ms. Mary Kicza, NOAA Assistant Administrator for Satellite and Information Services, followed by overview presentations on NOAA/NESDIS/STAR's 10 year outlook and the CREST research, education, and capacity building. CREST thematic area and NESDIS/STAR research overview presentations continued during the afternoon of the first day. The presentations comprised the CREST related research clusters/themes as aligned with NOAA's current missions and goals including: Climate and Air Quality; Coastal Remote Sensing; Land/Terrestrial Precipitation, Soil Moisture & Water Resources; Severe Weather and Hazards; and Education; Outreach and Professional Development. The day concluded with a group dinner in a local Silver Spring restaurant.

The second day began with several break-out sessions by thematic area to discuss the expansion of research and educational collaborations between NOAA and CREST. All groups reconvened after the lunch to share the results of these breakout sessions to discuss and develop a comprehensive list of action items for sustainable partnership between NOAA particularly NESDIS/STAR and CREST for the next decade.

The overarching goals and objectives of the meeting were:

  1. Discuss and expand the long existing partnership between NOAA particularly NESDIS/STAR and CREST;
  2. Understand NESDIS' science & education goals;
  3. Review overall CREST program and its accomplishments;
  4. Leverage/explore new opportunities (research; education & outreach and professional development);
  5. Expand existing NESDIS/STAR-CREST collaborations;
  6. Increase CREST student mentoring by NOAA scientists;
  7. Create opportunities for NOAA/NESDIS scientists visit/exchange with CREST; and
  8. Increase opportunities for joint seminars/webinars and short- courses for CREST students, and teacher training.