GESTAR II Scientists Contribute to Course on PACE Mission

From August 1-5, 2022, a week-long graduate-level course on the upcoming NASA Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) mission was held at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) and NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC). The class covered both oceanic and atmospheric aspects of PACE. Early Career Scientists and 42 students participated, coming from US-based institutions as well as Australia, Canada, Ireland, Uganda, and Uruguay. The course included lectures, hands-on activities, and field trips that allowed students to explore all aspects of the PACE mission. Several instructors contributed to this class, including visits from NASA's Earth Communication team, NASA HQ program managers, those from the PACE engineering component, and members of the NASA PACE in-house science and science application team, among them GESTAR II scientists Pengwang Zhai (613/UMBC), Lorraine Remer (613/UMBC), Vanderlei Martins (613/UMBC), Andy Sayer (616/UMBC), and Ivona Cetinic' (616/MSU). This course was supported by the Ocean Carbon and Biogeochemistry (OCB) Program.

(Photo: Participants at group picnic at Patapsco Valley State Park, MD. Photo Credit: Courtesy of drone of Riley Blocker, course attendee.)