The Unidata Users Committee is seeking nominations for a Graduate Student representative to join the group of nine university faculty members currently serving on this committee. Nominees should be Graduate Students who use Unidata software, hold a strong interest in the Unidata program, and have an interest in learning how a community-based program like Unidata is governed. Nominations may be made by any community member, and self-nominations are acceptable. This position will be for a two-year term beginning with the fall 2017 Users Committee meeting.
In addition to bringing a valuable student perspective to Unidata committee discussions, Graduate Student representatives make numerous professional contacts at Unidata and in the university community at large, and gain insights stemming from participation in Unidata program governance. The Unidata Users committee meets twice a year in Boulder, CO; the Unidata Program Center pays all travel and lodging expenses for the student representative's travel to committee meetings.
“Serving on the committee has been one of the most rewarding opportunities I've had as a student, and I enjoyed every minute of it,” says Warren Pettee, who has been the Users Committee student representative since 2015. “It was great to bring the student's perspective to the table and then return with brilliant ideas from the other committee members and the Unidata staff to inspire other graduate students.”
“I felt like I was seeing the forefront of data science, which made the position fun, but the news I brought back to my university and fellow students helps build stronger university programs and students that are ready for the future,” Pettee continues. “It boosted my confidence as a programmer and ultimately led me to the position I recently accepted. I look forward to helping build and contribute to the Unidata Community throughout my career.”
To nominate a student for this committee position, please send a short (no more than one page in length) description that includes:
- Your contact information (e-mail, phone)
- Student's name, institution, and e-mail address
- Student's discipline and major
- Which Unidata software and tools the student is using
- Evidence of interest and/or willingness to engage in community service
- Explanation of why the student is well suited for participation on the committee
(Note: Nominees may also be asked to provide a letter of recommendation from their graduate advisers.)
Please submit nominations by May 31, 2017 to: nominations@unidata.ucar.edu.
Unidata is a leader in educational software development and data distribution. We rely on input from two governing committees, the Users Committee, which is charged with providing feedback from the user community to Unidata, and the Policy Committee, charged with ensuring that community needs are being met by Unidata. For additional information on Unidata's governing committees, see Unidata's governing committee pages.
If you have questions, please contact: Russ Schumacher, Chair, Unidata Users Committee russ.schumacher@colostate.edu
