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			 **   THE GEM MESSENGER   **
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						     Volume 4, Number 2
						     January 20, 1994

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CHANGE AT THE HELM
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  Although the GEM program itself continues to struggle in this
highly constrained budget environment, the core concepts of Geospace
as the fourth physical geosphere (of Earth System Science) and 
Geospace Environment Modeling appear to be making important advances.
"Geospace" has become an established part of NSF/GEO long-range planning,
discussions at NSF regarding a Space Weather Initiative are fast gaining
momentum, a NASA Research Base Enhancement on Space Weather is receiving
serious consideration, and there is considerable interest in enhanced
interagency coordination and a tighter coupling between space-based,
ground-based, and supporting research activities.  

  For the Spring 1994 AGU meeting, I am the convener on a related
all-union session on "Global Coherence and Cross-Scale Coupling in
Geophysical Systems" which will feature examples from all of Earth 
System Science (Solid Earth, Ocean, Atmosphere, Geospace Environment).
Bill Lotko, Chris Russell, and Ed Szuszczewicz are convening a special
session on "Space Weather: Impacts and Predictions" and Joachim Birn
and Peter Cargill are convening a special session on "Current Sheets on
the Sun, in Interplanetary Space, and in the Magnetosphere."  The GEM
program has had a significant influence on all of these sessions along
with an impact on meeting presentations, publications, new initiatives, 
and scientific activity that is well beyond what one would normally 
expect for a $1.1M per year program at NSF started as recently as FY91.

  The December GEM Workshop at the Fall AGU meeting went very well and
about 55 scientists were actively participating on a Sunday afternoon
from 1-6 pm!  That's the kind of enthusiasm and dedication that has
enabled the GEM program to have such an impact.  Such results clearly
demonstrate the value of the GEM program, its exceptionally large 
leveraging, and how more funds for the program would yield similarly
large returns.  With the December meeting, the modeling group went
into full swing and our long-term goal of a quantitative Geospace 
General Circulation Model (GGCM), although an awesome task, is beginning
to look more manageable as the primary elements begin to take on 
concrete form (at least as prototypes).

  As of this past Wednesday, January 12, I resumed my Research Faculty
position with the Institute for Physical Science & Technology at the 
University of Maryland.  I will be carrying out research work in space
plasmas with a special focus on the cusp and boundary layers.  Also,
I will be providing some coordination for the broad field of Plasma
Science & Technology at UMd and, to some extent, nationally.  If you
have any particular question on PS&T issues, please feel welcome to
contact me and also watch for the forthcoming NAS/NRC report on 
"Opportunities in Plasma Science & Technology" which should be out
by late Spring.  

  Odile de la Beaujardiere of SRI International has already started as
the new Program Director for Magnetospheric Physics.  She has been an
important and active player in the GEM program and I am sure that she
will provide excellent leadership for the program over the next two years.
Please give Odile your congratulations and full support.

  Thank you for your support over past two years.  I'm proud to be part
of the GEM community as a resume my active scientific work.  Please feel
free to call/email me at any time and my very best wishes to each and
every one of you.

Happy New Year

Tim Eastman
IPST
University of Maryland
College Park, MD 20742
phone: 301-405-4829
fax:   301-314-9363
email: eastman at astro.umd.edu


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