Alessondra Springmann, PhD

Page 2 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: constructive suggestions regarding how the already remarkable institutional efficiency and societal impact of NCAR could be further enhanced through increased (not decreased) federal support in the years to come. Please note: To ensure the highest level of technical rigor, this response focuses exclusively on the core atmospheric and natural hazard science topics within the author’s primary domain of expertise; for this reason, I have omitted a response to Topic 4 (Space Weather)." NCAR weather modeling and atmospheric observing capabilities a) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as a stand-alone activity. The proposed management of weather-related research as a stand-alone activity is a scientifically regressive path that ignores the fundamental physical reality of the Earth system. Modern atmospheric science has demonstrated (largely, it is worth noting, due to groundbreaking researc

Page 3 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: b) Management and operations of weather-related observational platforms, modeling and science as combined with other NSF investments/facilities. The highly specialized nature of the NCAR-Wyoming Supercomputing Center (NWSC) infrastructure represents an extraordinary value proposition that cannot be replicated by combining it with more generalized NSF programs. The NWSC is not a generic high-performance computing (HPC) facility; it is a laboratory uniquely optimized for atmospheric science workflows, with a hardware and storage architecture specifically designed to handle the massive, high-bandwidth data demands of Earth system modeling. Furthermore, its model of providing an excellent, free-at-point-of-use technical support team ensures that the focus remains on the science rather than the overhead of systems administration. This centralized expertise allows individual researchers, smaller labs, and even entire universities—who would otherwi

Page 4 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: NCAR Mesa Lab (located in Boulder, Colorado) a/b) Ownership of the NSF NCAR Mesa Lab building for public and private use. Far more than just an office building, NSF NCAR Mesa Lab is an iconic and purpose-built facility designed specifically for the study of atmospheric science. Its position at the physical interface of the Rocky Mountain foothills and the Great Plains is a deliberate reflection of its mission, serving as a visible symbol—in an iconically American setting—of the federal government's enduring commitment to science in service of society. For many in the field, including myself, the Mesa Lab holds singular importance as a focal gathering point for the global atmospheric science community. My own early career exposure to weather and Earth system modeling, in fact, occurred within these walls, and I have long felt that the facility’s architecture and location inspire a necessary sense of awe regarding the atmosphere’s complexity a

Page 1 of letter by Daniel Swain. It begins: Dear Acting Director Stone and the NSF NCAR restructuring team: I am writing to provide a formal response to the Request for Information (RFI) regarding the proposed restructuring of the NSF National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) and its critical weather science infrastructure contained within the January 23, 2026 Dear Colleague Letter (DCL) entitled “NSF Intent to Restructure Critical Weather Infrastructure.” I submit these comments in my professional capacity as an atmospheric research scientist within the University of California, where my research focuses on the physics and dynamics of atmospheric processes related to extreme weather events and their role in shifting natural hazard and disaster risk. My perspective is informed by a public-sector career dedicated to bridging the gap between fundamental atmospheric research and real-world application in an academic context, with a particular focus on understanding and mitigating

I just submitted my letter to NSF responding to its proposal to dismantle the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR). I argue that doing so would be an astonishing and avoidable misstep, and that federal support for the institution should in fact be *increased.* [1/4]

@cpsc.gov do you have opinions about plugging clothing irons into power strips or extension cords?

Dr. Nina Rogers at Boulder Creek Family Medicine.

I know someone! Carina Baker at UIUC, she enjoys detectors and instrumentation, I am sending her to the application :-)

was always horrified by Krauss behavior, now more so than ever. transnews.network/p/epstein-ba...

even I draw the line at smoked salmon cheesecake, there are some lines best not crossed.

Appreciate the post and knowing who to unfollow!

‘Cuz I haven’t been posting! Hello!

In case someone else also needs a refresher on Fred Korematsu like I did... encyclopedia.densho.org/Fred_Koremat...

What would we lose if the National Center for Atmospheric Research is dismantled? Quite a lot. In this short excerpt from a longer livestream, Daniel Swain reflects on what would be lost if the National Center for Atmospheric Research were to be dismantled, as has been proposed, and why the present moment is such an important one when voicing support for this irreplaceable weather, climate, w

Another brief clip from yesterday's rapid response livestream regarding what's at stake with the potential loss of NCAR, and what we can do about it: "What would we lose if the National Center for Atmospheric Research is dismantled? Quite a lot."

amaaaazing

(Matthew quoted me in an article in 2015 when I was dating someone I had no business dating. That someone said rather unsupportive things when I shared the article, resulting in the immediate cessation of dating. I will always be grateful to Matthew for his help in ending that relationship!)

thank you! no relationships were ended in the making of this story :D

Quote from your friendly neighborhood asteroid scientist.

What Tumbling Asteroids Tell Us About Their Innards - Eos Data from the Gaia space observatory reveal that many slowly spinning asteroids rotate chaotically. A new theory links that chaos to their inner structure and history.

Some asteroids spin smoothly. Others tumble chaotically. Understanding their differences could help us learn more about asteroid history and improve planetary defense measures.

congratulations!

What Tumbling Asteroids Tell Us About Their Innards - Eos Data from the Gaia space observatory reveal that many slowly spinning asteroids rotate chaotically. A new theory links that chaos to their inner structure and history.

Some asteroids spin smoothly. Others tumble chaotically. Understanding their differences could help us learn more about asteroid history and improve planetary defense measures.

Research led by @wzhou.bsky.social at @utokyoofficial.bsky.social, comments from @sondy.com

eos.org/articles/wha...

This was very popular in the SwRI garage :D

If you don't get in touch with Toshi, I'm happy to be backup!

My license plate used to be YORP.

I filled out the form! I am a huge air quality nerd, so it brings me so much joy to see other huge air quality nerds bringing better air quality to more people.

thanks to this post, I checked out a copy from my library and stared listening!

I have 100,000 images from the last 15 years in Photos. Mad respect!

Look at how round this bird is!!! Bird of the year!!

lovely bird. hope he recovers easily!

levocetirizine is sold in 5mg doses—guessing this would mean doubling up? taking that in the am and montelukast at night, and famotidine 2x daily.

There’s also a free copy on arXiv. as the lead author, please let me know if you’ve any questions! We didn’t give the paper a great title so it’s not been cited as much as I’d like.

Anyone had success at getting a health insurer (UHC) to cover a medical food like Visbiome? It’s infinitely cheaper for them than having me on a $$$$$ biologic, but insurance doesn’t want to touch medical foods despite studies.

Title: Gender Census 2025. Text: If you can't easily put yourself into just one of these two boxes, you are invited to take part. Illustration: Two boxes, each with photos of relevant dictionary pages.

The 12th annual international Gender Census 2025 is now open until at least 30th August 2025!

survey.gendercensus.com

It's for anyone whose gender (or lack thereof) isn't described by the M/F binary. It's short and easy, and results are useful in academia, business and self-advocacy.