For five years, I managed NOAA Oceanic and Atmospheric Research’s international cooperation portfolio in the Atlantic Ocean basin. I wrote and implemented numerous international legal agreements between NOAA and our international counterparts to advance cooperation in oceanography, meteorology, and earth observation. This included crafting Memorandums of Understanding, Letters of Intent, Cooperation Agreements, and other documents in conjunction with NOAA General Counsel and the Department of Commerce Office of General Counsel. I planned several bilateral meetings with foreign institutes including the French Research Institute for the Exploration of the Sea (Ifremer), the Caribbean Institute for Meteorology and Hydrology (CIMH), the Brazilian Institute for Space Research (INPE), the Brazilian Space Agency (AEB), the Marine Institute of Ireland, and the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), among others. I often conducted site visits and planned trips to foreign institutes for NOAA senior officials, including the NOAA Chief Scientist and NOAA Administrator. I also represented the United States at high-level science and technology joint commission meetings led by the Department of State, and briefed several U.S. Embassies on NOAA’s international work, including the U.S. Embassy in Ottowa, the U.S. Embassy in Barbados, the U.S. Mission to UNESCO in Paris, and the U.S. Consulate in Rio de Janeiro.
I also planned outreach events surrounding international research campaigns to engage local communities. Most notably, I spearheaded the launch of the ATOMIC/EURC4A campaign in Barbados and crafted a complex event at the Barbados Grantley Adams International Airport which involved a press conference and a tour of several aircraft, including the NOAA Hurricane Hunters WP-3D. and planned an Open House of the NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown for Barbados government officials, U.S. Embassy staff, and school children.
ATOMIC/EURC4A Launch Press:
https://research.noaa.gov/2021/08/25/new-research-helps-crack-the-mystery-of-clouds-to-improve-climate-prediction/
https://www.barbadosadvocate.com/news/project-crucial
https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/01/25/improved-weather-and-climate-predictions-coming/
https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/01/28/ready-to-fly-barbadian-students-to-get-exposure-to-drone-training/
https://barbadostoday.bb/2020/01/31/preserve-protect-prosper-visiting-noaa-team-to-help-government-grow-blue-economy/
Photo Credit: NOAA