SM004 - A Global Network of International Action Teams Targeting Improvements of Resilience to Space Weather

Understanding and predicting space weather and its impact on society is acknowledged as a global challenge. To address the need to join forces and to maximize return on efforts the COSPAR Panel on Space Weather coordinates an active network of International Space Weather Action Teams (ISWAT). Action teams are organized into clusters and work in coordinated effort to improve resilience to space weather. The initiative is building upon established efforts and facilitates emerging of new teams and ideas. We solicit contributions from teams focused on different aspects of space weather including advancing understanding, assessment and improvement of predictive capabilities, utilization of available observations, transition of research ideas to applications, and inputs for future missions planning.

We particularly encourage submissions on space weather community-wide initiatives and campaigns and invite discussions on global coordination in space weather.

Primary Convener: Masha Kuznetsova (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center)

Conveners: Sean Bruinsma (CNES, France), Dibyendu Nandi (Center for Excellence in Space Sciences) and (Indian Institute of Science, Education and Research, India), Hermann Opgenoorth (Umea University, Sweden)

(1) CAREER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN IN PHYSICS 28 - 31 Oct 2019 Worldwide, women constitute a decided minority in the physics community. One of the goals of this Workshop is to bring together women physicists from all over the world, so that they can share their thoughts and learn from each other's experiences. Another goal is to offer mini-workshops that deal with the various non-academic skills that are needed to succeed in a career in science, that male physicists often acquire through the old boys' network, but that women, being more isolated and thus lacking mentors, may find harder to pick up. In addition to hearing from successful female scientists who will share their thoughts and experiences, there will be sessions on topics such as how to write a CV, how to give oral presentations, how to write scientific articles for publication in peer-reviewed journals, the art of negotiation in an academic environment, and how to try to achieve a balance between the demands of career and family. There will also be a scientific poster session, and several opportunities for informal discussion.

REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 25/08/2019

For more details on how to apply, please visit; https://afgps.us19.list-manage.com/track/click?u=b14cdf00ad22fff1badfcb2b2&id=fe8dd4f9c9&e=efe83620d9

(2) ANNOUNCEMENT OF SHORT COURSE ON SPACE WEATHER (NOVEMBER 14 - 27, 2019) Conducted by Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, India Organised by The Centre for Space Science and Technology Education in Asia and the Pacific (Affiliated to the United Nations) This short course is intended to benefit professionals who have been working in areas of atmospheric science, space physics, satellite systems, satellite communication and navigation, high-flying airliners, pipeline transportation of petroleum products, and national power grids. These are a few of the high-tech systems affected by space weather phenomena. Local and national planners, as well as system designers, must account for the possible disruptions and interference caused by electromagnetic waves and charged particles spewing from our Sun and arriving on Earth.

For more details on how to apply, please visit; www.cssteap.org/documents/SpaceWeatherBrochure2019.pdf

(3) AGU 100 OUTREACH: CATCH THEM YOUNG FOR GEOSCIENCES Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria 11th July, 2019. The essence of the event was to celebrate the value of Earth and space science and the AGU Centenary and also to showcase some beautiful results and benefits of geosciences to the society and in particular school children with a bid to catch them young for Science. The event also allowed for us to establish a student-mentor program for a number of School children who showed interest in developing career in geosciences.

We had three accomplished scientists as guest speakers;

1. Prof Babatunde Rabiu (Director/Chief Executive, Centre for Atmospheric Research, NASRDA)
2. Prof Jacob Ehiorobo (Geologists and Former Deputy Vice-Chancellor, UNIBEN)
3. Dr(Mrs) Folasade Olajuyigbe (Distinguished Biochemists and a Fulbright Scholar)

The Executive Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Nogheghase Obaseki was represented at the event by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Science and Technology, Mrs Birgita Okodugha.

Over 400 students and teachers participated in the event which was generously organized by Edo State Government, American Geophysical Union, Centre for Atmospheric Research, Popularization of Emerging Science and Technology Initiative, Women's Dignity Initiative Inc. and Network of Space- Earth Environmentalists.

(4) SCIENTISTS OF THE MONTH (NEIL ARMSTRONG, BUZZ ALDRIN & MICHEAL COLLINS) On July 20, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Micheal Collins embarked on a journey that would forever change our understanding of the solar system according to Vox.com

The legacy of that mission is immense. Today, we acknowledge the effort it took these young men and the entire Apollo 11 team in accomplishing this huge task.

50 years later, the achievement of the Apollo11 team still belongs to everyone. In the words immortalized on the plaque they planted on the moon: “We came in peace for all mankind”. And from the words of Neill Armstrong, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind”, surely, these men will remain an inspiration to many young Scientists.

(5) POEM OF THE MONTH – Millionaire Presidents By Jean AYER