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Climos chief science officer to speak at NJIT about greenhouse gases

Margaret Leinen, PhD, chief science officer and vice president of Climos, will discuss at New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) next week the buildup of atmospheric greenhouse gases over just two centuries. Leinen believes that this change has impacted the Earth’s climate and ecosystems, and that changes cannot be modeled without including fossil-fuel emissions. Leinen’s talk will also examine the essential role of geoscience in understanding how climate processes will respond to a continuing increase in greenhouse gases and the rate at which change will occur.

The talk will take place Feb. 12, 2007, in NJIT’s Campus Center Ballroom from 11:30 a.m. -1 p.m. The public is invited in addition to students, faculty and staff at NJIT, Essex County College, Rutgers-Newark, the University of Medicine and Dentistry, and Sigma Xi. Light refreshments will be served: For information, see http://tsf.njit.edu.

As recorded in geologic deposits, the complex elements of the Earth system that determine climate and ecology have changed profoundly over many millions of years. However, while such changes have occurred in a more distant past, climate has been relatively stable during the last 6000 years. This stability can no longer be taken for granted and there is growing awareness worldwide that the near future will bring major environmental changes of great significance for nations, social institutions and individuals.

Leinen holds a PhD in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island. Prior to her recent appointment at Climos, Leinen was the assistant director for geosciences at the National Science Foundation, where she led the transition of the ocean drilling program to the integrated ocean drilling program, and oversaw the development of the ocean observatories initiative and advanced modular incoherent scatter radar. Leinen has also served at University of Rhode Island (URI) as dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography, dean of the College of Environment and Life Sciences, and vice provost for marine programs.

Event co-sponsors are NJIT’s Distinguished Lecture Series on Environmental Science, Engineering and Policy; Murray Center for Women in Technology; NJIT ADVANCE Program; Albert Dorman Honors College; NJIT Technology and Society Forum Committee.

More lectures to come at NJIT include on Feb. 26, 2007, William A. Wulf, president of the National Academy of Engineering, who will discuss challenges confronting the U.S. in the global economy. On March 28, 2007, the Downtown Chamber Trio will perform in a concert honoring four women composers. On April 9, 2007, James E. West, an inventor and electrical engineer, will discuss African Americans who contributed to science and technology.

NJIT, New Jersey's science and technology university, at the edge in knowledge, enrolls more than 8,000 students in bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees in 92 degree programs offered by six colleges: Newark College of Engineering, New Jersey School of Architecture, College of Science and Liberal Arts, School of Management, Albert Dorman Honors College and College of Computing Sciences. NJIT is renowned for expertise in architecture, applied mathematics, wireless communications and networking, solar physics, advanced engineered particulate materials, nanotechnology, neural engineering and e-learning. In 2006, Princeton Review named NJIT among the nation’s top 25 campuses for technology and top 150 for best value. U.S. News & World Report’s 2007 Annual Guide to America’s Best Colleges ranked NJIT in the top tier of national research universities.

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