Committee on Future Roles, Challenges, and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 09:45:53 -0500 To: "A - Division Chief and Staff", "B - Branch Chiefs and Offices", "DC - All District Chiefs" From: "Robert M. Hirsch" (by way of Jan Arneson) Subject: NAS Committee on Future Roles, Challenges, and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey Cc: "Pamela R Malam Reston, VA" In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 409 MEMORANDUM May 21, 1998 To: Distribution A, B, DC From: Robert M. Hirsch /signed/ Chief Hydrologist Subject: Committee on Future Roles, Challenges, and Opportunities for the U.S. Geological Survey The purpose of this memorandum is to inform you of a broad review of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to be conducted over the next 18 months by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academy of Sciences. At the request of the USGS, the NRC has organized a review team to provide independent advice about the agency's vision, mission, role, and scientific opportunities which will guide the agency into the 21st century. The NRC committee is a multidisciplinary group of experts drawn from industry, academia, and government to assist the USGS in its evolution. A report will be prepared as a final product that addresses the following points: 1. major societal needs that the USGS should address, 2. significant emerging scientific and technical issues that appear especially important in terms of their relevance to the mission of the USGS; options for addressing multidisciplinary issues, 3. opportunities for improving partnerships and other cooperative arrangements with other Federal agencies, State agencies, universities, and the private sector; appropriate international functions of the USGS; and, 4. the balance of activities such as data acquisition and management, regional studies, and fundamental research. The NRC Commission on Geosciences, Environment and Resources (CGER), will provide oversight for the study. A list of the review team members is shown below. Some of you may be familiar with individuals on the committee and you may be called on to participate in their deliberations. We anticipate that they will meet on a few occasions in USGS facilities and be briefed by USGS staff, customers, or partners. COMMITTEE MEMBERS CHAIR Donald J. DePaolo is Professor of Geochemistry at the University of California, Berkeley. His research interests range from the chemical evolution of the Earth's mantle, to the origin and evolution of the Earth's continental crust, to isotopic studies of sediment provenance and paleogeography, and to isotopic hydrology and paleo-oceanography. VICE CHAIR Hugo F. Thomas is Director of the Connecticut Institute of Water Resources, University of Connecticut. He previously served as chief of environmental services in the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection and State Geologist of Connecticut. MEMBERS John C. Antenucci is president of PlanGraphics, Inc. He is an engineer, planner, management consultant, and author specializing in technical and institutional issues concerned with management of geographic information. Odin D. Christensen is the Chief Geologist for Newmont Mining Corporation. Prior to joining Newmont, he was an assistant professor at the University of North Dakota and later, a research geochemist at the University of Utah Research Institute. Michael T. Clegg is Dean of the College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences and Professor of Genetics at the University of California, Riverside. He is chair of the NRC's Board on Biology and former chair of the Committee on Scientific Issues in the Endangered Species Act. Thomas Dunne is a professor in the School of Environmental Science and Management and Department of Geological Sciences and Geography at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is a leading geomorphologist-hydrologist. He conducts field and theoretical studies of drainage-basin, hillslope and fluvial geomorphology in landscape management and hazard analysis. William Fisher holds the Barrow Centennial Chair in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin. He has extensive experience in State and Federal Government, including service as Texas State Geologist and Director of the Bureau of Economic Geology, and as Assistant Secretary of the Interior. Lawrence W. Fritz is Senior Staff Scientist at Lockheed Martin Corporation. His expertise includes remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems. Grant M. Heiken is Staff Member in the Earth and Environmental Science Division at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Dr. Heiken has conducted extensive research in volcanology, volcanic hazards, geothermal resources, and lunar geology. James A. MacMahon is a Professor of Biology and Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at Utah State University in Logan, Utah. His expertise is in ecology and vertebrate zoology. Dianne R. Nielson is Executive Director of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality, which safeguards and protects public health and quality of life by protecting and improving environmental quality. Prior to this appointment, Dr. Nielson worked as an exploration geologist, and later directed the Utah Division of Oil, Gas, and Mining. Joanne M. Nigg is Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Disaster Research Center at the University of Delaware. She is also President of the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute. Dr. Nigg is an expert on the societal response to natural hazards and disasters. Jerome O. Nriagu is Director of the Environmental Health Services Program, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He has edited 25 books related to his research interests in environmental chemistry, biogeochemistry, aquatic toxicology, and the health effects of toxic metals, especially lead, copper, zinc, nickel, and cadmium. Raymond A. Price is Professor of Geological Sciences, Queen's University at Kingston, Ontario. Previously, he was Director General of the Geological Survey of Canada and Assistant Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines, and Resources, Canada. A leading authority on tectonics and structural geology. Dr. Price has extensive expertise and experience in international geoscience organizations and multidisciplinary scientific problems, including global change and radioactive waste disposal. Daniel R. Sarewitz is Senior Research Fellow at Columbia University. From 1995 to 1997, he was Director of the Institute for Environmental Education of the Geological Society of America in Boulder, Colorado. For 5 years he was the science advisor to Chairman George E. Brown, Jr. with the Committee on Science, Space and Technology of the U.S. House of Representatives. Dr. Sarewitz is emerging as one of the Nation's leading young experts on science and environmental policy. Bruce A. Stein is Director, Conservation Science External Affairs, The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, Virginia. Dr. Stein has taught plant diversity and plant evolution at the graduate level; and environmental resource analysis and ecology at the undergraduate level. Copy to: Pam Malam *************************************************************** * Robert M. Hirsch rhirsch@usgs.gov * * 409 National Center 703-648-5215 * * U.S. Geological Survey fax 703-648-5002 * * Reston, VA 20192 * ***************************************************************