Meet the Board of Directors— Johannes (Hans) Verlinde, Secretary
Johannes (Hans) Verlinde is Secretary of the ARCUS Board of Directors. Elected to the Board in 2008, and as its secretary in 2013, his term ends in 2014.
Hans is a Professor of Meteorology at Pennsylvania State University. He holds degrees from the University of Pretoria in South Africa and Colorado State University. Hans is an observational atmospheric scientist interested in understanding the physical processes in clouds using surface based remote sensing tools and airborne platforms. His primary research interests are clouds and cloud processes in the Arctic and how these impact climate. Lately he has looked at ways to optimize field experiment decision-making. Hans serves as the Site Scientist for the U.S. Department of Energy's Atmospheric Radiation Measurement Program Climate Research Facilities at Barrow and Oliktok Point on the North Slope of Alaska.
Hans observes that, "The ongoing changes in the Arctic environment and their impact on global atmosphere and ocean circulation patterns confirm the need for ongoing research of those physical processes that determines the response of the system to forcing. There is a great need for ongoing measurement campaigns in the Arctic as most atmospheric models rely on understanding of the processes developed from mid-latitude measurements, which does not directly transfer to higher latitude environments. Arctic atmospheric processes depend strongly on and influence the underlying surface, which itself undergoes a strong seasonal changes. ARCUS fulfills a critical role in the community by providing a bridge for researchers from different communities to come together to identify integrated cross-disciplinary research objectives."