Dr. Eric Barron, Professor of Geosciences and current Director of Penn State's Earth System Science Center, has been named head of the newly established Environment Institute in Penn State's College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. The Institute will initially include two existing centers in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences: the Earth System Science Center (ESSC) and the Center for Integrated Regional Assessment (CIRA).
Dr. Barron is past chair of the EOS Science Executive Committee and is an EOS IDS Principal Investigator.
Dr. Geoffrey Kent, Science and Technology Corporation and an EOS science team member, has been selected to receive NASA's Distinguished Public Service Medal for his contributions to the success of programs in the Aerosol Research Branch, NASA Langley Research Center. This award "is granted only to individuals whose distinguished accomplishments contributed substantially to the NASA mission. This is the highest honor that NASA confers to a non-Government individual." He will receive the award at a ceremony and reception to be held in Washington, DC, June 4, 1998.
The Earth Observer staff and the Earth Science community would like to congratulate Dr. Barron on his new assignment and Dr. Kent on his outstanding accomplishment.