Planetary Resources reorg, My colleagues and I are proud to have the privilege to serve our outstanding Department with a history that dates back to 1868 when Joseph Le Conte taught the first courses of Geology in the newly established University of California. In the department’s 140 years, a large number of students have graduated and gone on to distinguished careers in academia and industry.
Today our Department ranks third among earth science departments in the country and first among public universities. Eight of my colleagues are members of the National Academy and research projects span the whole range of our wide discipline including studies of the structure of the core of Jupiter; earthquake mechanisms; the exchange of carbon between Earth’s atmosphere and the oceans; the role of geological environments on microbial activity; volcanism on Mars, the composition and structure of the deep earth to evolution of landscapes, to name just a few. Our mission remains to educate the best students and to advance our field as leaders in creative research. This comes with challenges particularly in times of severe budget cuts that limit our possibilities. Here we reach out to our friends and alumni, using the Campaign for Berkeley as a vehicle. So many have been generous to us in the past. For example, the Charles Ramsden (B.A. 1933) endowment had tremendous impact on our undergraduate program. The Esper Larsen (PhD 1933) fund enables stimulating research projects every year related to mineralogy and petrology. A gift from Ann and Gordon Getty established the Garniss Curtis Chair that provides discretionary funds to apply to urgent needs. Most recently the John Kilkenny (B.A. 1935) endowment helps us maintain a high quality seminar program. Other contributions support graduate student fellowships. Today, with our growing department and our many areas of research and learning, we need additional resources. Here we focus on issues of relevance to society, addressing them head on and in depth. These include climate change, surface processes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and pollution (see below and additional materials for further detail). We know that earth sciences plays a special and important role at this point in the history of our globe. Obviously there are many other exciting programs that we pursue and the list above is by no means exclusive. Our scope is large, but there is a tremendous amount more we need to do. We invite your input and involvement with us via our website, e-mail, in visits to campus and by participating in our exciting seminars and colloquia. Please visit our website at http://eps.berkeley.edu/ for more information or contact me. We also invite you to partner with us financially to support our very important work. Our limitations are only financial. There are many ways you can support us. To review our programs, priorities and needs, please see the following description. I would be happy to talk with you about our priorities and your interests. Or, you may donate online at http://eps.berkeley.edu/about/gift.php. This is a particularly auspicious time to partner with us in this way as UC Berkeley launches its Campaign for Berkeley in the fall, 2008, and our Earth and Planetary Sciences funding goals are a part of this important campaign. We join the University in the Campaign for Berkeley and invite you to join us with your support. I greatly appreciate your interest in our program and hope you will participate with us. Again, I would be happy to talk with you about our priorities and your interests so do not hesitate to contact me. Roland Bürgmann Chair, Earth and Planetary Sciences Heritage and History The Earth and Planetary Science Department and programs are among the strongest on campus. Significant resources are already in place, including greatly esteemed faculty and staff, brilliant undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, well-equipped labs and substantial building space, some fellowship funds, and a strong alumni base. These assets provide an excellent foundation on which to build the EPS program of the future. The goal: to realize the program’s promise in expanded educational opportunities, research discoveries, and intellectual contributions to global human knowledge. The Path to Knowledge and Solutions There is palpable excitement in the classrooms, labs, and field stations where EPS scientists and students explore fascinating questions, do superb research and create innovative solutions to some of our most pressing problems. This is a pivotal time in our explorations and studies; only limited resources can hold us back. With financial support from others who share the thirst for knowledge and the commitment to global solutions, Earth and Planetary Science at Berkeley can move strongly forward.New Research Initiatives, Innovation & People: Central to the continued excellence and innovation of the program are new initiatives and the brilliant people to develop them. Strategic leverage points to support these new initiatives and people include Innovation Awards to support: Pilot research projects Graduate student support and graduate fellowships Graduate student awards for excellence Endowed Chairs with emphasis on innovation ($1-2 M): Scientific discoveries and advances in our understanding of the Earth are aided by technological innovations that enable new observations. EPS is leading the innovation on multiple fronts including a new modeling system to more fully understand the life cycle of water, ocean carbon sensors and extensive seismological studies. Such new observations will not only advance earth science, but will also guide management of natural resources and preparedness for natural hazards and climate change. Endowed faculty chairs support these and other opportunities for faculty and the department to pursue new directions of excellence. Speakers Program ($ 500K; $25K / year): Our weekly seminar series presents a lecture on a wide range of earth science topics. Speakers include internationally recognized experts in the field, graduating students and faculty. These inspiring lectures not only convey the state of the art in our highly diverse discipline but also create interaction and exchange of knowledge between various fields, and particularly between students and faculty, an essential component to support cohesion within the department. Renovation Projects ($ 100K-300K): The building is 45 years old. 15 years ago we had a major renovation but largely confined to earthquake safety. There were no funds for improving the infrastructure. At the same time, especially with engaging in new research directions and hiring new faculty there is increasing pressure on space that could be addressed by rational reorganization and renovation. Rooms dedicated to analytical instrumentation are a top priority. Over time our infra-structure may become obsolete and renovation projects, especially for analytical facilities are badly needed. Undergraduate support including field work and research (Endowment: $ 400K ; $20K / year): Undergraduate learning relies on engaging students early in research projects and in earth sciences field work. We are fortunate to have the Ramsden Fund, donated by an alumnus, to promote the undergraduate environment but this fund is restricted. We wish to offer the same opportunities to all students, particularly at a time when we strive to include underrepresented groups. Outreach to K-12 Education ($500K; $25K / year): The department stands poised at a divide in both visibility and contribution to society at large at a critical moment in American history. Global warming, resource depletion, and pollution pose serious threats to the environment and put earth sciences at the forefront of public concerns. Yet understanding of earth science issues remains almost invisible in the K-12 education system. EPS can contribute an important new role in helping to educate young students in earth sciences by having our own students participate in community projects and by preparing earth science teachers for K-12 schools.
Today our Department ranks third among earth science departments in the country and first among public universities. Eight of my colleagues are members of the National Academy and research projects span the whole range of our wide discipline including studies of the structure of the core of Jupiter; earthquake mechanisms; the exchange of carbon between Earth’s atmosphere and the oceans; the role of geological environments on microbial activity; volcanism on Mars, the composition and structure of the deep earth to evolution of landscapes, to name just a few. Our mission remains to educate the best students and to advance our field as leaders in creative research. This comes with challenges particularly in times of severe budget cuts that limit our possibilities. Here we reach out to our friends and alumni, using the Campaign for Berkeley as a vehicle. So many have been generous to us in the past. For example, the Charles Ramsden (B.A. 1933) endowment had tremendous impact on our undergraduate program. The Esper Larsen (PhD 1933) fund enables stimulating research projects every year related to mineralogy and petrology. A gift from Ann and Gordon Getty established the Garniss Curtis Chair that provides discretionary funds to apply to urgent needs. Most recently the John Kilkenny (B.A. 1935) endowment helps us maintain a high quality seminar program. Other contributions support graduate student fellowships. Today, with our growing department and our many areas of research and learning, we need additional resources. Here we focus on issues of relevance to society, addressing them head on and in depth. These include climate change, surface processes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and pollution (see below and additional materials for further detail). We know that earth sciences plays a special and important role at this point in the history of our globe. Obviously there are many other exciting programs that we pursue and the list above is by no means exclusive. Our scope is large, but there is a tremendous amount more we need to do. We invite your input and involvement with us via our website, e-mail, in visits to campus and by participating in our exciting seminars and colloquia. Please visit our website at http://eps.berkeley.edu/ for more information or contact me. We also invite you to partner with us financially to support our very important work. Our limitations are only financial. There are many ways you can support us. To review our programs, priorities and needs, please see the following description. I would be happy to talk with you about our priorities and your interests. Or, you may donate online at http://eps.berkeley.edu/about/gift.php. This is a particularly auspicious time to partner with us in this way as UC Berkeley launches its Campaign for Berkeley in the fall, 2008, and our Earth and Planetary Sciences funding goals are a part of this important campaign. We join the University in the Campaign for Berkeley and invite you to join us with your support. I greatly appreciate your interest in our program and hope you will participate with us. Again, I would be happy to talk with you about our priorities and your interests so do not hesitate to contact me. Roland Bürgmann Chair, Earth and Planetary Sciences Heritage and History The Earth and Planetary Science Department and programs are among the strongest on campus. Significant resources are already in place, including greatly esteemed faculty and staff, brilliant undergraduate and graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, well-equipped labs and substantial building space, some fellowship funds, and a strong alumni base. These assets provide an excellent foundation on which to build the EPS program of the future. The goal: to realize the program’s promise in expanded educational opportunities, research discoveries, and intellectual contributions to global human knowledge. The Path to Knowledge and Solutions There is palpable excitement in the classrooms, labs, and field stations where EPS scientists and students explore fascinating questions, do superb research and create innovative solutions to some of our most pressing problems. This is a pivotal time in our explorations and studies; only limited resources can hold us back. With financial support from others who share the thirst for knowledge and the commitment to global solutions, Earth and Planetary Science at Berkeley can move strongly forward.New Research Initiatives, Innovation & People: Central to the continued excellence and innovation of the program are new initiatives and the brilliant people to develop them. Strategic leverage points to support these new initiatives and people include Innovation Awards to support: Pilot research projects Graduate student support and graduate fellowships Graduate student awards for excellence Endowed Chairs with emphasis on innovation ($1-2 M): Scientific discoveries and advances in our understanding of the Earth are aided by technological innovations that enable new observations. EPS is leading the innovation on multiple fronts including a new modeling system to more fully understand the life cycle of water, ocean carbon sensors and extensive seismological studies. Such new observations will not only advance earth science, but will also guide management of natural resources and preparedness for natural hazards and climate change. Endowed faculty chairs support these and other opportunities for faculty and the department to pursue new directions of excellence. Speakers Program ($ 500K; $25K / year): Our weekly seminar series presents a lecture on a wide range of earth science topics. Speakers include internationally recognized experts in the field, graduating students and faculty. These inspiring lectures not only convey the state of the art in our highly diverse discipline but also create interaction and exchange of knowledge between various fields, and particularly between students and faculty, an essential component to support cohesion within the department. Renovation Projects ($ 100K-300K): The building is 45 years old. 15 years ago we had a major renovation but largely confined to earthquake safety. There were no funds for improving the infrastructure. At the same time, especially with engaging in new research directions and hiring new faculty there is increasing pressure on space that could be addressed by rational reorganization and renovation. Rooms dedicated to analytical instrumentation are a top priority. Over time our infra-structure may become obsolete and renovation projects, especially for analytical facilities are badly needed. Undergraduate support including field work and research (Endowment: $ 400K ; $20K / year): Undergraduate learning relies on engaging students early in research projects and in earth sciences field work. We are fortunate to have the Ramsden Fund, donated by an alumnus, to promote the undergraduate environment but this fund is restricted. We wish to offer the same opportunities to all students, particularly at a time when we strive to include underrepresented groups. Outreach to K-12 Education ($500K; $25K / year): The department stands poised at a divide in both visibility and contribution to society at large at a critical moment in American history. Global warming, resource depletion, and pollution pose serious threats to the environment and put earth sciences at the forefront of public concerns. Yet understanding of earth science issues remains almost invisible in the K-12 education system. EPS can contribute an important new role in helping to educate young students in earth sciences by having our own students participate in community projects and by preparing earth science teachers for K-12 schools.
Title: Planetary Resources reorg
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Rating: 100% based on 99998 ratings. 5 user reviews.
Post by 7:27 AM
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