MARGUERITE SYVERTSON

Here at JPL, I am the outreach manager for the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) project, an Earth Observing System (EOS) instrument that will improve our understanding of global weather and climate and the role of clouds in the greenhouse process. I also coordinate outreach for the Microwave Limb Sounder, an instrument that measures ozone and chlorine monoxide, the smoking gun of the ozone hole, and for a number of Earth instrument proposals.

My typical day, first of all, isn't typical. My number one priority is to communicate what AIRS (or my other project) does, and why AIRS and its discoveries are important to you. Since the instrument doesn't fly until late in the year 2000, I'm developing a variety of projects that target students, teachers, and the public. I'm most excited about a Direct Downlink satellite receiving station that JPL is installing in December. I'll take the real-time NOAA data and put it on the web AND analyze it to tell you more about the weather, all in near real time! I call it the RealWeather project. To do this, I will have to download the correct satellite passes, process the data, analyze it for weather systems, and explain it, and have it ready to go in about six months! Lots to learn, and a huge challenge, but I can't wait.

I also develop teacher and student workshops. I used to run two sessions, the Earth Science Summer School and the Global Change Workshop for Teachers. The chairmen were Dan McCleese, one of my bosses, and Sally Ride. My job was to select the speakers and students and to make sure the entire week went smoothly, whatever it took. We won't be holding the sessions this year, but I have a proposal under AIRS to do a new workshop...which will be another challenge.

I also am working on webpages (check out http://www-airs.jpl.nasa.gov/), brochures, posters, proposals, education philosophies, exhibits, events...and probably something new every month.

I grew up in the town of Saratoga, California, but I could also say that I grew up in NASA. My father started his career at Ames Research Center in 1948 during the NASA era; he progressed from an aeronautical engineer working on "lifting bodies" (the precursor to the shuttle) to Director. I remember the planetary encounters (Jupiter with the Pioneers, Viking at Mars, and Pioneer Venus) and witnessing the excitement of the scientists at their new discoveries. My father said that I would be the first woman astronaut or the first woman director; fortunately, NASA has already seen those firsts. From elementary school through high school, my career plans bounced from meteorologist to engineer to archaeologist to architect (although my interests in science and math weren't nearly as strong as my interests in writing and creating), but it was always assumed by my family that, in the end, I would work for NASA. In a way, it was a reverse pressure...do math and science, no matter what!

In the fall of 1982 I entered Cornell University and selected geology as my major, mostly because it seemed to be the most fun. My course work included remote sensing, geomorphology, and planetary geology, with a smattering of chemistry. I also found time for the Society of Women Engineers, the Geology Club, and the Joint Engineering Societies Advisory Council (JESAC). Through participating in a variety of activities, I discovered that, despite a great deal of positive reinforcement from my family and others, my strengths were not really in the areas of science and engineering (where my grades were decent but not outstanding) but in the areas of communication and leadership.

In the fall of 1985, I came across a brochure for the Earth Observing System in the geology lounge. I decided that my career goal was to work on EOS as a liaison between scientists and the rest of the project, in order to improve knowledge of the Earth and to assist scientists in achieving their goals. Coincidentally, two JPLers (JoBea Way and Steve Wall) were visiting Cornell in October and I had the chance to speak with them. I was then brought out to JPL for an interview and by December had snagged a job as an instrument system engineer on EOS.

A geologist as a system engineer? During those years, I learned more about instruments and spacecraft than I could have thought possible. My responsibilities included accommodations for nearly 20 instruments on the various EOS platforms (mostly microwave sensors) and science coordination for the EOS SAR, a follow-on to SIR-C. In 1989, the management of the EOS-B platform was transferred to Goddard. Shortly thereafter, the EOS SAR was thrown off EOS-B, and our team resurrected EOS SAR as a free-flyer.

That summer I transferred to the Atmospheres and Oceans section and began work on a Ph.D. in atmospheric sciences while coordinating science issues for EOS SAR and the EOS Interdisciplinary Science investigations. By the end of the school year, I realized I did not want to pursue a research career, and I took a (permanent) leave of absence from UCLA. In late 1991, the EOS SAR project activities were terminated, and I entered into the realm of outreach with SIR-C. At this time I also became the Symposium Coordinator for IGARSS'94 (now considered to be one of the most successful IGARSS's). In late 1992 I became Deputy Project Scientist for ASTER and in 1993 transferred to Division 32 Science Staff where I now coordinate outreach for a variety of Earth and planetary projects.

From May 1993 to May 1995, I was very active with the Advisory Council for Women, starting JPL's (hopefully annual) Take Our Daughters/Children to Work day and editing the ACW newsletter.

What have I learned and wished I knew way back when...but then again, learning it is half the fun (I keep reminding myself of this every time something goes wrong)