NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
OFFICE OF POLAR PROGRAMS
DATE: June 10, 1999
TO: Distribution
FROM: Director, Office of Polar Programs
SUBJECT: Program Manager for Arctic Research Support and Logistics
The NSF Office of Polar Programs is pleased to announce the appointment of
Mr. Simon Stephenson as the Program Manager for Arctic Research Support and
Logistics. With extensive experience in coordinating science needs and
logistics in Antarctica, Mr. Stephenson will provide leadership and liaison
with the science community in developing improved research infrastructure to
benefit national and international Arctic programs.
Mr. Stephenson comes to the Arctic Program with 21 years experience in polar
research. His first 11 years were as a glacier geophysicist with British
Antarctic Survey and then with a team based at NASA's Goddard Space Flight
Center working on the dynamics of West Antarctic ice streams. He worked as
part of both light, two-person field teams, and large integrated
multi-institutional field campaigns. More recently Mr. Stephenson has worked
in NSF's Office of Polar Programs as the Research Support Manager for the
Antarctic program, leading the development of support plans for over 100
projects annually, and the research infrastructure, in the disciplines of
Aeronomy, Astrophysics, Biology, Geology, Geophysics, Climate studies and
Oceanography.
In the near future, Mr. Stephenson will be attending as many science
planning meetings as possible in order to meet members of the polar research
community who focus on arctic regions and discuss their infrastructure needs
and priorities.
Mr. Stephenson was selected after a national search. His expertise and
experience will greatly assist NSF in developing and deploying the research
support infrastructure so essential to first-class research.
Mr. Stephenson has a Master of Philosophy in Glacier Geophysics from the
Council for National Academic Awards, UK.
Karl A. Erb
Director, OPP