FDSS: Faculty Development in Space Weather Research: A Systems Perspective

乔治梅森大学(GMU)在计算科学学院(SCS)内发起了一个以空间天气为中心的新项目。为了实施和推进这一计划，预计将有三个新的空间气象终身教职跟踪教员职位，这三个职位将与SCS和物理与天文学系(DPA)联合。这项提议是为了支持其中一个立场。考虑到SCS已经拥有强大的太阳物理教员，NSF支持的职位将被给予磁层科学家的最高优先考虑。这位新的教员将与GMU的资深科学家合作，实施一项新的课程，重点是端到端系统方法来应对空间天气。学生将接受培训，以掌握太阳、日光层、磁层和高层大气/电离层的实用知识，以及社会活动如何受到系统变化的影响。教职员工和学生开展的研究将集中在这种方法上，预计这将带来关于太阳-地球系统如何工作以及如何预测空间天气后果的新知识。空间气象方案的跨学科性质及其在其他领域的应用，将与SCS和DPA的任务保持一致。将致力于让物理学和天文学的本科生接触空间天气，建立空间天气博士轨道(作为现有博士课程的一个选项)，以及发展强有力的空间天气教育和推广计划。毕业生将满足各个政府机构、私营企业和其他大学通过实施国家空间天气计划而产生的对空间天气专家日益增长的需求。GMU与附近的联邦和工业实验室之间的现有伙伴关系将通过新的空间气象计划得到加强。

George Mason University (GMU) has initiated a new program within the School of Computational Sciences (SCS) centered on space weather. In order to implement and go forward with this program, three new tenure-track faculty positions in space weather are anticipated that will be joint with both the SCS and the Department of Physics and Astronomy (DPA). This proposal is for support for one of the positions. Given the already strong solar physics faculty at SCS, highest priority for the NSF-supported position will be given to a magnetospheric scientist. The new faculty member will work with the senior scientists at GMU to implement a novel curriculum focusing on an end-to-end systems approach to space weather. Students will be trained to have a working knowledge of the Sun, heliosphere, magnetosphere, and upper atmosphere/ionosphere, and how societal activities are affected by changes in the system. Research carried out by the faculty and students will focus on this approach, which is envisioned to lead to new knowledge about how the Sun-Earth system works and how to forecast consequences of space weather. In keeping with the missions of the SCS and the DPA, there will be a strong emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of the space weather program and its applications to other fields. There will be a dedicated focus on exposing undergraduate students in physics and astronomy to space weather, on establishing a PhD track in space weather (as an option within the existing PhD programs), and on developing a strong education and outreach program in space weather. Graduates will meet the growing need for specialists in space weather brought on through the implementation of the National Space Weather Plan by various Government agencies, private industry, and other universities. Existing partnerships between GMU and nearby Federal and industrial laboratories will be strengthened by the new space weather program.