Three CIRA Research Scientists Win 2011 CIRA Research and Service Initiative Awards

2 June 2011 - CIRA research scientists Prasanjit Dash, Xingming Liang, and Wei Shi were all honored this week with the prestigious Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere (CIRA) Research and Service Initiative Award.

Dr. Dash and Dr. Liang were honored for their work on the Sea Surface Temperature team, specifically their development of the SST Quality Monitor (SQUAM) and Monitoring of Infrared Clear-Sky Radiances over Oceans for SST (MICROS) near-real-time monitoring systems.

Dr. Wei Shi in the STAR/SOCD/MECB Ocean Color Group was recognized by CIRA for his "innovative use of shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands on NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) sensor for the purpose of deriving more accurate ocean color data products in the challenging coastal zones, as well as demonstrating the many practical applications of these improved ocean color products."

Award recipients receive a commemorative plaque and a cash prize of $2,000 and their names are added to plaques in CIRA's locations in Ft. Collins and Boulder. STAR congratulates all three scientists for these awards and for their excellent contributions to STAR research.