Hydrographic Science Center Director appointed to NOAA Advisory Committee
Thu, 06/07/2012 - 11:37am
Ken Barbor, director of the Hydrographic Science Research Center in The University of Southern Mississippi Department of Marine Science, has been appointed by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco to serve on the Hydrographic Service Review Panel. The panel is a federal advisory committee that gives NOAA independent advice for improving ocean and coastal navigation products, information, data and services.
Barbor, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, is a past director of the International Hydrographic Bureau in Monaco. His 28-year U.S. Navy career culminated in his command of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, where he directed the Navy's operational hydrography, oceanography and meteorology.
In 2001 he became the first director of the Hydrographic Science Research Center, which is located in the Department of Marine Science. He returned to the Center in 2008 following his tenure with the International Hydrographic Bureau.
“We are extremely honored and proud to have Admiral Barbor's expertise called upon in such a prominent way,” said Dr. Monty Graham, chairman of the Department of Marine Science. “Ocean navigation and mapping has entered a new era of technology, and his insight from decades of Navy and academic experience is a tremendous asset to the nation.”
The Hydrographic Services Improvement Act of 2002 established the review panel to advise the NOAA administrator on matters related to NOAA's hydrographic and navigation services. It specifically reviews and formulates recommendations regarding NOAA hydrographic survey priorities, technologies relating to operations, research and development and dissemination of data pertaining to hydrographic surveying; shoreline surveying; nautical charting; water level measurements; current measurements; geodetic measurements; geospatial measurements; and geomagnetic measurements.
The Hydrographic Science Research Centerprovides the research complement to the Hydrographic Science Masters Degree program at Southern Miss, one of only two internationally recognized hydrographic education programs in North America. The mission of the center is identification of emerging trends in hydrography and related sciences, and adaptation of these trends to provide government and industry partners with innovative operational capabilities to address their hydrographic surveying, precise positioning, environmental characterization, nautical charting, and data management needs.
For more information about the center and the Southern Miss Department of Marine Science, online visit www.usm.edu/marine