Ackerman named interim director of Space Science and Engineering Center
Steve Ackerman. Credit: Jeff Miller, UW Communications.
Associate Vice Chancellor for the Physical Sciences Steve Ackerman has been appointed interim director of the Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The appointment was announced by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research and Graduate Education on November 2, 2016.
Ackerman is a recognized leader in satellite meteorology, a field that has its earliest roots at the UW-Madison. Since 1999 he has directed the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS), housed within SSEC, where he leads research teams that develop methodologies for interpreting satellite imagery and data to improve weather and climate forecasting.
As a professor of atmospheric and oceanic sciences, Ackerman is an active and visible proponent of the Wisconsin Idea to communicate science and the impact of the university beyond the classroom. In honor of his teaching philosophy and principles, he has received distinguished teaching awards from the American Meteorological Society (AMS) and UW-Madison. Ackerman is an elected Fellow of the AMS.
SSEC senior scientist Paul Menzel has been named interim director of CIMSS. The executive leadership team of SSEC will remain in place. That team includes: Fred Best (Executive Director for Technology), Wayne Feltz (Executive Director for Science), Jenny Hackel (Executive Director for Administration), and Mark Mulligan (Associate Executive Director for Technology).
Ackerman replaces Hank Revercomb who served with distinction as director of SSEC for 17 years.