Killeen to head NSF Geosciences

NSF has appointed Tim Killeen to be Assistant Director for Geosciences beginning July 1, 2008. Tim is currently director of the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and president of the American Geophysical Union.


The Geosciences directorate (GEO) oversees three divisions, Earth Sciences (EAR), Ocean Sciences (OCE), and Atmospheric Sciences (ATM), with a combined budget of $752 million.

One important consequence of Tim's arrival at NSF is that we may now see someone appointed as director of the EAR division. After Herman Zimmerman retired, Art Goldstein served as Acting Director but his temporary appointment expired and he left for a deanship at the College of New England. Jim Whitcomb is the current Acting Director. Appointment of a permanent division head was put on hold last year when GEO Director Margaret Leinen left for a job in the private sector. NSF decided to wait until her replacement was appointed (just announced to be Tim) so he can play a lead role in selecting the person to head EAR.

Hopefully, EAR will get someone in the permanent position soon and eliminate the uncertainty that has hung over the division for too long.