A challenge to us all in the weather, water, and climate enterprises, is to just keep pace.  Whether one is in the government, academic, or private sector, we strive to keep pace with such dynamic factors as new science, technology, applications, policies, and career paths.  The challenge of keeping pace is often an opportunity by which we learn, grow, and serve our profession.  Keeping pace is also a challenge and opportunity for our Society so it can directly support those of us in each sector of the weather, water, and climate enterprises throughout our careers and support the needs of the greater scientific, social, economic, and governmental communities with whom our Society interacts.  

Over the recent years, our Society has taken many innovative steps to keep pace.  Examples are numerous and include the initiation of programs, publications, and online support to increase diversity; to support members who are students and in early career stages; to initiate a journal addressing artificial intelligence in the environmental sciences; to join in efforts with other physical science societies and unions; and to issue new and updated statements on pressing topics and policies.   

I’m encouraged by such advances that address issues that challenge us all, and challenge our science and society together, to keep pace.   Our Society will continue to initiate new efforts to support understanding and policies related to the impacts of a changing environment and to support its members by addressing topics related to our publications, relationships with other Societies and Unions, Conferences, and encouragement of diversity, equity, justice, and inclusion.

I take the honor of being put forth as a nominee for a Council position very seriously and look forward to helping our Society and support it to continue to be a tribute to its science, society, and its members. 

Patrick Harr is currently a Science Fellow at Jupiter Intelligence, which is a climate data and risk analytics company.  With his move to the private sector in 2017, his career, which began after a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautics from Miami University and a Master of Science degree in Atmospheric Science from Colorado State, his career went full circle as he started as a meteorologist for the Control Data Corporation implementing numerical model codes on the first supercomputers designed by Seymour Cray.  Always seeking new experiences, Dr. Harr went to the Naval Research Laboratory in Monterey, CA, and eventually completed his PhD in meteorology from the Naval Postgraduate School.  After more than 20 years in academia and seeking to broaden his horizons, he became the Head of the Atmosphere Section at the National Science Foundation (NSF).  Following NSF, Dr. Harr became intrigued by the developing need for analyzing physical impacts and risks due to climate change and re-entered the private sector at Jupiter Intelligence.  

Dr. Harr is a Fellow of the American Meteorological Society and has served the Society in various roles, which include Editor of Monthly Weather Review (2009-2016), member and chair of the Committee on Hurricanes and Tropical Meteorology, and Program Chair and Program Committee member for several of the Society’s scientific conferences.  During his time in government service, Dr. Harr participated in several Federal components of the weather, water, and climate enterprises.  Dr. Harr also served in various capacities on committees of the World Weather Research Program of the WMO.  Additionally, Dr. Harr served on committees within the International Association of Atmospheric Science and Meteorology and co-convened dozens of sessions at the annual Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union.