Newswise — GLOBE , a worldwide Earth science and education program based at the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR), has selected Craig Blurton as its new director. Blurton, an educator who specializes in science and computers, starts work on January 5.
A hands-on, school-based program for Earth science education, GLOBE involves hundreds of thousands of primary and secondary students around the world in partnership with scientists to collect important data for research about Earth's environment. More than 24,000 teachers in 14,000 schools and over 100 countries have received GLOBE training. "After an extensive international search, we are excited that Craig has agreed to join the new GLOBE team. He has a strong background in both education and management," says Jack Fellows, who heads UCAR's Office of Programs. Fellows was involved in the creation of GLOBE while working at the White House in the early 1990s.
Blurton comes to GLOBE from the University of Hong Kong, where he was an associate professor at the Centre for the Advancement of University Teaching and head of the Information Technology and Teaching Group.
Before his position at the University of Hong Kong, Blurton was associate director of Classroom of the Future, NASA's premier research and development laboratory for education technology. While at NASA, Blurton managed the development of educational multimedia products such as the award-winning Astronomy Village: Investigating the Universe. He holds a doctorate in education from Arizona State University.
"I am very pleased to be invited to serve as GLOBE's director and I am excited about joining the worldwide GLOBE community," Blurton says. "I look forward to meeting GLOBE students, teachers, partners, scientists, and staff as we work together to shape the program's future." Launched in 1994, GLOBE enlists teachers and students to measure and report on physical, chemical, and biological properties of the atmosphere, climate, water cycle, soils, land cover, and living organisms. The resulting global datasets are made freely available to the worldwide education and science community and other users via the Internet at http://www.globe.gov.
Each GLOBE measurement is part of an ongoing scientific investigation selected through a peer review process. Scientists develop measurement protocols and instrument specifications to ensure that data collected by students are accurate and consistent. They also continually review data reports in the GLOBE archive for quality control purposes.
GLOBE is managed by UCAR in partnership with Colorado State University. The National Science Foundation, NASA, and the U.S. Department of State support the program.
On the Web:For more information about GLOBE, see http://www.globe.gov.
For more information about Craig Blurton, see http://www.hku.hk/caut/Homepage/itt/itt_new/craig.htm.
Visuals: Find this news release and accompanying visuals at http://www.ucar.edu/communications/newsreleases/2003. UCAR and NCAR news: http://www.ucar.edu/communications/newsreleases/2003.
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