Career Experiences and Accomplishments of Satya Pal Arya

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1.Early Career and Post-Graduate Education (191-!"

Shortly after our #nal exams at $%&' ( )as o*ered a month lon+ practical
trainin+ in Saharanpur )ith an S,%' $.P. (rri+ation ,epartment. -hen' ( )as
appointed as an Assistant En+ineer at the Central ,esi+n ,irectorate' $.P.
(rri+ation ,epartment' .uc/no). ( en0oyed my challen+in+ )or/ of desi+nin+
tunnels for a lar+e hydroelectric po)er pro0ect' and 1isitin+ a similar pro0ect
at 2oyna. 3ut' after one year' ( +ot some)hat disappointed 4y the
4ureaucratic setup of the +o1ernment and listenin+ to the experiences of the
older collea+ues )or/in+ in that department. ( +ot admitted to the PG56E
pro+ram at $%& and resi+ned my +o1ernment 0o4. (t felt +reat to 4e 4ac/ at
our 4elo1ed campus and ( en0oyed li1in+ in the hostel (Go1ind 3ha1an" once
a+ain )ith some of our classmates. After completin+ my PG in CE' (
successfully inter1ie)ed for and +ot a teachin+ position in the CE
,epartment. ( started my #rst academic career as a .ecturer in CE. ( tau+ht
se1eral courses durin+ my three years (197-8"' did my thesis research'
and completed my 6E de+ree. ( also pu4lished my #rst t)o 0ournal papers on
my research )or/ there. 6y most memora4le experience of )or/in+ as a
faculty at $%& )as playin+ tennis almost e1ery day )ith my collea+ues at
the Sta* Clu4. ( had learned and en0oyed playin+ tennis as a student at the
famed ES Clu4' and ha1e /ept up that ho44y throu+hout my career and e1en
no) durin+ retirement.

(n Au+ust 198' ( )as admitted' )ith a research assistantship' to the Ph.,.
pro+ram in CE ( 9luid 6echanics" at Colorado State $ni1ersity' 9ort Collins'
C%.' $.S.A. ( had to tra1el under 4lac/out conditions durin+ the (ndia-Pa/istan
)ar' ta/in+ a detour throu+h 3om4ay. ( arri1ed in 9ort Collins on Au+ust 18'
and )as ama:ed to see sno) ;urries comin+ do)n' as ( )as hurryin+ up my
re+istration and +oin+ to my apartment )ith < fello) +raduate students in
CE from (ndia' )ho ri+htly thou+ht that ( )ill 0oin them in the t)o 4edroom
aparment they had already rented. =e had a )onderfull time to+ether durin+
our stay there. ( completed my Ph.,. in 19! and a su4se>uent post-doctoral
appointment in 199. 6y research )or/ in1ol1ed la4oratory simulation of
atmospheric 4ounday layer in a thermally controlled en1ironmental )ind
tunnel. -his research resulted in 8 0ournal pu4lications and chan+ed my
focus to en1ironmental pro4lems. 6y most memora4le experience of life in
the &oc/y 6ountain state )as of hi/in+ to di*erent mountain pea/s on most
summer )ee/ends. ( 0oined a hi/in+ +roup )ho )ill dri1e to the 4ase of the
1arious hi/in+ trails in the &oc/y 6ountain ?ational Par/ 4efore sunrise' hi/e
to the pea/' and return to that 4ase 4efore sunset. Sometimes' )e )ould +et
cau+ht in thunderstorms.

7. (ntermediate Career as a &esearch 9aculty (199-@"

After my Ph.,. and post-doctoral )or/' ( )as appointed as a &esearch
Assistant Professor' ,epartment of Atmospheric Sciences' $ni1ersity of
=ashin+ton' Seattle' =A. -his mar/ed a ma0or transition in my career from
ci1il en+ineerin+ to atmospheric5en1ironmental sciences. -his )as a natural
extention my thesis research and my +ro)in+ interest in en1ironmental
pro4lems. 6y research faculty appointment pro1ided me )ith a +olden
opportunity to do full time research in1ol1in+ theory' numerical modelin+
and #eld experiments o1er land' la/es and oceans. ( fondly remem4er
spendin+ more than a )ee/ o1er the Arctic pac/ ice 0ust ABB/m from the
?orth Pole. =e had a ma/e shift camp of porta4le (4y helicopter" 4uildin+s
housin+ 8B scientists in su4-free:in+ temperatures (-AB to -<B C". 6y )or/
in1ol1ed measurin+ )inds' temperatures' and )ind stresses o1er the ice'
usin+ instruments on a 1Bm to)er. =e encountered some ha:ards' such as
openin+ up of ice into a steamin+ )ater lead' rapid mo1ement of ice under
stron+ )inds' and occasional 1isits of polar 4ears. (ce )as thic/ enou+h to
land lar+e transport plans on it. 6y research )as funded 4y the $.S' ?ational
Science 9oundation and resulted into more than 7B 0ournal papers on
atmospheric 4oundary layer and its interactions )ith ice' sno)' 1e+etation'
and )ater surfaces. 6y fondest memories of life in Seattle )ith my youn+
4ride 0oinin+ me in 19@B are hi/in+ and campin+ in the )ilderness areas of
Paci#c ?orth)est' includin+ Cancou1er (sland. =e also had our #rst child 4orn
there and en0oyed parties and picnic/s )ith other families )ith +ro)in+ /ids.
=e used to dri1e to Cancou1er to attend concerts 4y 3olly)ood actors and
sin+ers. (ndian community in Seattle )as not 4i+ enou+h to host them at that
time.

<.6ature Career as a Senior 9aculty5Administrator (19@-7B11"

( 0oined my #rst tenure-trac/ faculty position in 19@ as an Associate
Professor in the ,epartment of Geosciences' ?orth carolina State $ni1ersity'
&alei+h' ?C. ( )as promoted to 9ull Professor )ith tenure in 19!1 in the ne)
,epartment of 6arine' Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. ( tau+ht an
under+raduate course in micrometeorolo+y' and +raduate courses in
en1ironmental ;uid mechanics' atmospheric 4oundary layer and tur4ulence'
air-sea interaction' air pollution meteorolo+y and dispersion for <A years. (
also ser1ed as an (nterim Dead of the 6EAS ,epartment durin+ 19!7-!<' and
a Cisitin+ Professor at the Center for Atmospheric sciences at ((- ,elhi in
19!<-!A. ( )as an ad1isor to hunreds of under+raduate students' and ma0or
professor5ad1isor to <B 6.S. and 18 Ph.,. students. (n addition' do:ens of
post-doctoral research associates and 1istin+ faculty )or/ed on my research
pro0ects' )hich )ere funded 4y federal and state a+encies. Primary areas of
my sponsored research )ere en1ironmental ;uid modelin+' planetary
4oundary layer (P3." measurements' modelin+' and parameteri:ation'
aircraft )a/e 1ortex transport and e1olution in the P3.' ;o) and dispersion
around 4uildin+s and hills' and air >uality aspects of )aste disposal at
ho+5s)ine farms. -his research has resulted in more than 1BB 0ournal
pu4lications and three 4oo/s on micrometeorolo+y' air pollution meteorolo+y
and dispersion. ( retired in 7B1B' 4ut still appointed as a Professor Emeritus
of 6EAS ,epartment' )ith an oEce and other faculty pri1ile+es.

( ha1e also 4een acti1ely in1ol1ed in professional ser1ice and acti1ities as a
9ello) of the American Society for the Ad1ancement of Science' 9ello) of the
American 6eteorolo+ical Society' and 6em4er of the American Geophysical
$nion. ( )as also elected to honor societies of Phi 2appa Phi and Si+ma Fi. (
ha1e ser1ed as a Chairman of se1eral scienti#c5 technical committees of the
a4o1e professional or+ani:ations and or+ani:ed a num4er of national and
international conferences5symposia. ( ha1e recei1ed se1eral a)ards and
professional reco+nitions for my research and ser1ice.

All the 4est

Satya Pal Arya (C"