Dr. Brendan P. Kelly was appointed to the new position of Deputy Director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Arctic Sciences (ARC). Dr. Kelly came to NSF from NOAA's National Marine Mammal Laboratory where he led investigations regarding the impact of sea-ice loss on arctic seal populations. As Division Deputy Director, Dr. Kelly will represent the Director of NSF as Chair of the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC) and work closely with the Office of Science and Technology Policy in the White House (See Witness Fall 2010). Additionally, Dr. Kelly will develop the strategic vision for the Division of Arctic Sciences in support of the Office of Polar Programs and NSF.

Dr. Robert (Buck) Sanford is the newly appointed ARC Program Director within the Intergovernmental Personnel Act (IPA). Dr. Sanford will assume responsibilities for the Arctic Observing Network (AON) Program as well as the Decadal and Regional Climate Prediction using Earth System Models (EaSM). Dr. Sanford, whose home institution is the University of Denver, was recently an IPA appointee in the Division of Environmental Biology. He fills the vacancy left as Dr. Martin Jeffries finished his IPA appointment in the Arctic Sciences Division as AON Program Director.

Also new to ARC are Dr. Kelly Falkner, the new Deputy Office Director in OPP, and Mr. Peter West, the new Program Director for Education and Outreach in OPP. All began their appointments in early January 2011.

The Office of Polar Programs often has openings for IPA appointees to serve term positions, assist with the management of OPP programs, and learn about the government funding process from the inside. At present, there is an opening for a program officer to manage the OPP Cyber-Infrastructure program, which serves both the Division of Antarctic Sciences and the Division of Arctic Sciences. For more information about IPA and rotator positions at NSF, see the description of employment opportunities at OPP on the NSF website, or contact Simon Stephenson, Director, Arctic Sciences Division (sstephen [at] nsf.gov).