Lamont Weekly Report – July 14, 2006

OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
P.O. Box 1000, 61 Route 9W Palisades, New York 10964

<> REPORT SUMMARY <>

- Letter from the Director

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<>LETTER FROM THE DIRECTOR

This has been a hectic week - while half the world has been in Woods
Hole at the Ocean Carbon meeting, I spent Tuesday in DC at the Ocean
Council, reaching agreement on how we will move forward to formalize
the merger of JOI and CORE, the two community-based organizations
that present ocean sciences in Washington. The actual creation of
the new Corporation is probably more than a year away, but I sense
that there is now a commitment on the part of most of the nation's
ocean leadership to make it happen.

I flew from DC to Chicago to meet with the Brinson Foundation, and
also to tour the Comer Children's Hospital, an incredibly impressive
facility at the University of Chicago that was made possible by a
gift from our own good friend Gary Comer. The Children's Hospital is
absolutely magnificent. We have a challenge ahead of us to insure
that our own Geochem Building will live up to the high standards of
quality and aesthetic beauty (as well as extreme functionality)
evident in this facility.

I was with development Director Sarah Huard in Chicago, and we
determined never ever to take a cab in Chicago again - one got lost
(hopelessly) in downtown, ran up a $70 charge on the meter, and was
so mortified refused to take payment. The other subjected us to an
hour and a half in jammed traffic in 92 degree heat without air
conditioning ... ah! The trials and tribulations of modern-day
travel.

Today (Friday) we are lucky to be hosting David Hirsh (CU Executive
VP for Research) for most of the day. He is coming here to learn
about Marine Seismics in the morning, and mass spectrometry in the
afternoon. Soon after he leaves I will be helping run the first in a
series of panel meetings designed to pass on useful informations to
our students, post docs and junior staff about how to succeed in the
wonderful (but sometimes crazy) profession of ours. The first this
afternoon was on Washington, DC - how it works, what the agencies do
and how they make decisions etc. Next Friday (July 21st), same time
same place - 330pm Lamont Hall - the topic will be Proposal Writing.

Our hearts go out to Adam Haywood (who runs our cafeteria). His
father died last weekend after a remarkable career in academia,
athletics, music and business.

Best wishes are also due to Tom Eberhard who got out of surgery a
couple of days ago after having a gall stone removed that was
reportedly the size of a small planet. Good luck Tom, and we all wish
you a speedy recovery.

I anticipate that we will be releasing some unbelievably good news
about the future of the Lamont-Morningside shuttle bus service in the
next few days. The news is so unbelievably good that I do not
believe it, and anyway it should be announced by the person whose
hard work and determination has made it all possible - Assistant
Director for Facilities and Engineering Pat O'Reilly. So this is
blatantly nothing more than a teaser...

The sun is shining, the sky is blue, and it's Friday,

Have a great weekend,



- Mike





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