Jim Scanlon
Part 2. International Citizen
Scientist
James R. Slusser, Ph.D.
Program Director
USDA UVB Radiation Monitoring Program
Colorado State University
As I wrote in Part 1, Jim
Scanlon epitomized to me the concept of citizen
scientist. In this second set of excerpts from Jim Scanlon's
letters to me, the focus will be on the summer internship
of Andres Hernandez. Jim suggested that I engage Andres
for a summer work session so he could be around an active
research, high-tech instrumentation group. After thinking
the idea over, I thought, “Why not?” and set the wheels
in motion to bring Andres from Patagonia, where he was
working in the Ozone and UV Radiation Laboratory at
University Magellanes in Punta Arenas, Chile.
After 10 days of intense negotiation
between the Chilean Embassy in Washington, D.C., and
U.S. Immigration in Santiago, Chile, Andres flew to
Denver and begin his five week stint at Colorado State
University 's UV-B program. He proved to be an excellent
worker and took to the American way of life with great
zest. In addition to giving Spanish lessons, Andres
will be supported in his master's degree study at the
University of Mexico by a grant from the National Science
Foundation. He will be studying the influence of aerosols
on photochemical ozone pollution.
Thu Sep 9 14:24:19 2004
Hi Jim:
Hope all is going well, or at least,
not too bad. I'm not sure if my e-mail to National Geographic
Magazine made it to the right place. They don't open
attachments -- a horrible indictment of the Intel/Microsoft
monopoly! And I'm not sure if the images I embedded
into the e-mail I sent got to them. Right now I am not
in a position to stuff, TAR and what not to insure that
everything gets through.
I'm sending you the "comment" with
the embedded images. Please let me know if you can view
them properly. Anyway, the text should make it clear
what I am up to.
I was wondering if there might be any
possibility of getting some training for Andres Hernandez,
a friend of mine who is the number two guy at the Ozone
and UV Radiation Laboratory in Punta Arenas down on
the Strait of Magellan . He has already gotten his name
on two publications and visited Japan on a fellowship
of some kind or other that I helped him apply for.
His English is pretty good and he is
a bright smiling, optimistic, hard working, uncomplicated
"kid" (he is about 30). He has an engineering degree
in computer science and has worked with the Brewer,
GUV, Solar Light 501s and new NILU from Norway . This
kid is a job to be around.
He needs exposure to high achievers.
Is there any possibility of getting him into your crew
for a few months? That is a question, not a request.
Any chance of getting some university or grant $$ for
Third World training?
…. So, let me know how the images come
out on the letter to National Geographic.
Best wishes,
Jim
Fri Oct 29 13:43:49 2004
Hi Jim:
Well I made it down here; about 9,000
miles from home and within a half an hour of unpacking
I almost broke my neck taking a shower in a narrow bath
tub. There had been a non skid rubber mat in the tub
that had been removed in order to clean the tub and
it had not been replaced. I shot backwards on to the
floor and was lucky not to have hit something. I used
my left arm to break my fall as I fell backwards and
sprained the shoulder a bit. It hurt yesterday so I
could hardly put on my jacket, but today it is much
improved.
I spoke with Andres yesterday and things
look good with him and his director, however there are
a lot of details to be worked out between you and him.
He showed me a slide show of ozone holes (it goes so
fast it is really an animation). It is unrealistic to
send you this data now because the season is not yet
complete and the file would be too big for the low band
with (there is no land connection that does not go through
Argentina !) Anyway it shows graphically the low ozone
episodes which occasionally reach up to Brazil .
Andres is just finishing up today his
local work defending his "title" to an advanced engineering
degree, so, I'm pretty sure he will write you tomorrow
or Monday.
So, hope all is well with you. Needless
to say I was careful showering today.
Best wishes to all.
Jim
From arhs@ona.fi.umag.cl Fri Nov 12
14:14:16 2004
Dear Dr Slusser:
I am sorry it has taken so long to
send this letters of recommendation to you. I have two
letters which I am sending with this email. I will send
printed copies to you by airmail on Monday November
15, when the post office opens.
I am still waiting for the third letter
you requested and I would send it as soon as I can.
I though I would send two letter I have instead of waiting
for the third one.
Thank you very much for consider me
to work in your Laboratory next year. I am prepared
to do wherever it takes to make my work with you a success.
Andres Hernandez
Laboratorio de Ozono y RUV UMAG - CEQUA
Punta Arenas
Chile
Fre Nov 12 14:09:54 2004
Dear Sirs:
As the Director of the "Laboratory
for Monitoring Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation" in the
University of Magellan in Punta Arenas , Chile , I have
directly worked with and supervised Andres Hernandez
for almost four years. Andres initially maintained and
operated our scientific instruments and computer network
and for the past three years he not only operates and
maintains the equipment, but also works with me, as
an Assistant Researcher, in planning investigations
and attending meetings, conferences and seminars.
In January 2004 Andres was selected
by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency for
Scientific Cooperation, to participate in an international
conference in Tokyo where he spent almost a month and
gave a presentation, in the English language, of the
work we are doing in our laboratory. He has made three
presentations in Chile relating to atmospheric physics,
climate change and Antarctic research.
Andres has excellent work habits. He
is motivated to high achievement. We are a small laboratory
and must work closely together. He is creative, reliable,
helpful and cheerfully in his work and also in little
things that help make scientific operations proceed
smoothly and successfully. As you may know, our laboratory
is situated in a critically important geographical location,
subject to increased exposure to ultraviolet radiation
from stratospheric ozone depletion. Because of this,
our University recognizes we have a problem and has
obtained without outside funding the most up to date
scientific equipment available to study the phenomena.
We operate a Brewer MK II spectroradiometer
and a network of five Robertson Berger UVB meters covering
the entire Region of Magallanes ( Punta Arenas , Puerto
Natales, Tierra del Fuego, Cape Horn region) and also
part of the Antarctic Peninsula . We also recently acquired
a new instrument, a Nilu-UV,from Norway . Andres participated
in the installation of all these instruments and now
operates and maintains them. He is responsible for integrating
and publishing the daily ultraviolet B radiation estimate
on our web site and distributing it to the media and
our health authorities.
Since I often have to attend scientific
meetings, including he Managers of the Montreal Protocol,
in Europe and elsewhere, Andres is solely responsible
for the operation of the laboratory in my absence.
Andres has applied to Autonomous University
of Mexico in Mexico City for his Master Degree and we
hope he will be accepted in January. This should not
affect his availability to work in your laboratory in
Colorado . We are prepared to make the necessary changes
in a Laboratory, since we know we must obtain the best
training possible for our staff to complete our scientific
mission which is important to our region, our country
and the world. We do not receive any funds from outside
the country.
I believe Andres has a good scientific
future ahead of him. He is a hard working, optimistic
type of person with high intelligence who is motivated
to achievement and learning. What he lacks is exposure
to advanced American technology, science, culture and
learning. We are proud of the work he does and will
do here in Chile . If he is selected I believe his work
will honor our country and the University of Colorado
State.
I hope information assist you. Please
let me know if you have any other requirements.
Attentively,
Claudio Casiccia
Director Ozone and RUV Laboratory
Universidad de Magallanes
Punta Arenas - Chile
From sluss@nrel.colostate.edu Wed Apr
20 17:11:36 2005
As the result of Jim's suggestion,
I am happy to host Andres Hernandez from the "Laboratory
for Monitoring Ozone and Ultraviolet Radiation" in the
University of Magellan in Punta Arenas, Chile, for a
two month internship this summer at my lab. Jim had
a special affection for the South American people, especially
from the southern "cone."
Jim was an example of a gentleman and
a scholar, a rare and precious human being. We can only
aspire to emulate his life of love.
Jim 
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