SPECIAL LECTURE

The vantage point of space provides a unique way of viewing the Earth and studying its climate.  The global observations enabled by space-based remote sensing allow for characterization of many environmental variables for the land, ocean, atmosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, and surface and can assist in documentation of the long-term human-induced evolution that is superimposed on shorter-term natural variation.  They can also contribute to the enhancement of the models used to predict the future evolution of the Earth system and help attribute observed changes to human and/or natural forcings.  In this talk, the results of space-based Earth observation on the Earth¹s system and the implications of these results in advancing global knowledge of climate variability and change and the implications of those changes for society will be addressed in the context of the broader global effort addressing these issues.

Jack Kaye currently serves as Associate Director for Research of the Earth Science Division (ESD) within NASA’s Science Mission Directorate (SMD).  He has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since August, 1999, managing NASA’s Earth Science Research Program.  Earlier positions in his more than 28-year career at NASA include being a Space Scientist at the Goddard Space Flight Center and Manager of the Atmospheric Chemistry Modeling and Analysis Program at NASA HQ.  In addition, he has held temporary acting positions as Deputy Director of ESD and Deputy Chief Scientist for Earth Science within SMD.  His academic training is in chemistry (B.S. Adelphi University, 1976; Ph.D., California Institute of Technology, 1982).  He also held a post-doctoral research associateship at the US Naval Research Laboratory.  As Associate Director for Research, Dr. Kaye is responsible for the research and data analysis programs for Earth System Science, covering the broad spectrum of scientific disciplines that constitute it.