By Javier Chagoya

University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) President Dr. Thomas Bogdan, center, holds a drifter buoy built by doctoral candidate Lt. Cmdr. Mathias Roth, left, in the university's Oceanographic Lab, Jan. 29. Roth, along with fellow doctoral student, Cmdr. Shawn Gallaher, right, briefed Bogdan on their research during an exploratory visit to campus.

Roth shared his research into water conditions within the Northern Gulf of Mexico following the catastrophic Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Gallaher, who recently returned from the Arctic, discussed his efforts to improve coupled ocean/ice atmospheric models that will be used to provide high-resolution regional models to improve future ice condition predictions.

"This is my first visit to NPS, and I was incredibly impressed by the breadth of research activity taking place on the campus," said Bogdan. "I think the students are very fortunate to be immersed in an environment at NPS where research and education go hand in glove."

Headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, UCAR is a consortium of more than 100 member colleges and universities, of which NPS is one, focused on research and training in the atmospheric and related Earth system sciences.