17th Annual GLOBE Partners Meeting

17th GLOBE Annual Partner Meeting

12 -- 16 August 2013

Download the 17th GLOBE Annual Partner Meeting program here.

All presentations from the Annual Meeting are now posted as pdfs on the GLOBE website here.

View photos on Facebook. Click on the photos link near the top of the page.

To see the GLOBE community in action view the video produced by NASA Goddard.

The 17th Annual GLOBE Partner Meeting was held on the outskirts of Washington D.C., in Greenbelt, Maryland, on 10 – 16 August 2013. The event was held at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and the University of Maryland Conference Center.  The 17 member Organizing Committee was led by Goddard's GLOBE Training Coordinator Todd Toth, with additional support from the GLOBE Program Office (GPO), and created an impressive program for the week.

The theme of this year's meeting "From Space to Place: From Eyes on Earth to Hands on GLOBE" drew participants from 26 countries and 27 U.S. states. Participants took part in the welcome reception, information and networking sessions, poster presentations and field studies, over the course of the 5-day event. Members of the GLOBE community presented posters and exhibited materials highlighting their local GLOBE activities. Their presentations, posters and activities helped to inform the community of successful GLOBE implementation around the world.

Highlights of the week in Maryland included:

  • A welcome reception for all guests on the evening of Sunday 11 August, following meetings of the  Education Advisory Committee, the Science Advisory Committee and the GLOBE International Advisory Committee (GIAC);  
  • Opening remarks by astronaut Charles Bolden, NASA Administrator, and geophysicist Dr. Roger Wakimoto,
  • National Science Foundation (NSF) Assistant Director for Geosciences;
  • A keynote address by Michael Freilich, Director of the Earth Science Division, in the Science Mission
  • Directorate at NASA Headquarters;
  • Reports from the regions by regional representatives of the GLOBE International Advisory Committee;
  • Working sessions that encouraged participant suggestions for improving GLOBE science, education, partnerships, communications and technology;
  • Small group discussions for Country Coordinators, U.S. Partners and GLOBE teachers;
  • Student research presentations by students attending the concurrent GLOBE Student Research Exhibition;
  • Field training sessions in various Atmosphere, Hydrology and Soil protocols as well as Landsat and Cloudsat investigations;
  • An inside look at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, including a behind-the-scenes tour of the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) soon to be the largest telescope ever sent into space, NASA thermal vacuum chambers, Science on a Sphere and Goddard Hyperwall.

 

This year's GLOBE Annual Meeting grew in size and scope in response to record-breaking attendance numbers. The 2013 Meeting surpassed all earlier records for the following:

  • Greatest number of attendees.  Two hundred and sixty nine (269) participants registered from 24 countries and 27 U.S. states.
  • Greatest number of break-out sessions.  More than 80 sessions were held on a wide array of topics of interest to the community.
  • Greatest number of student participants.  Eighty (80) students from five countries presented their GLOBE research projects to Partners, scientists and fellow students. Students from an additional five countries joined in virtually.  All 6 GLOBE regions were represented at the exhibition.
  • Greatest number of scientist speakers. Three astronauts: Charles Bolden and Leland Melvin of the United States and Dr. Piers Sellers a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom; Dr. Roger Wakimoto and Dr. Richard Duschl of the National Science Foundation; and, Dr. Michael Freilich, Director of the Earth Science Division of the NASA Science Mission Directorate. Christie Vilsack, USAID Senior Advisor on International Education spoke about the importance of literacy.

 

The meeting provided opportunities for all participants to work toward nurturing and strengthening the GLOBE Program. The energy and enthusiasm of the student participants demonstrated the reach and impact of GLOBE around the world.

The GLOBE Program Office (GPO) wishes to thank the members of the 17th Annual Meeting Planning Committee led by Goddard's GLOBE Training Coordinator Todd Toth; all partners, teachers, scientists and tge students of the GLOBE Student Research Exhibition; GPO support staff; exhibitors Forestry Suppliers, the Vernier company and 3M for their continued support, and especially, to our generous sponsors at NASA and NSF, and supporters at NOAA and U.S. Department of State, who recognize the value of The GLOBE Program and whose support is essential to the success of GLOBE throughout the world.