Institute Co- Directors
Dr. Robert Harriss
Robert Harriss is Director of the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group (ESIG) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder, Colorado. Along with the National Science Foundation (NSF), its original and still primary sponsor, NCAR is supported by a number of public agencies and private organizations and is managed by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) that represents over 60 member institutions in the U.S., plus affiliates located in other nations. ESIG’s research focus is on putting fundamental atmospheric and environmental research into practice with special attention to enhancing the productivity of natural resource use, protection of life and property from weather hazards, and informing climate policy.
Prior to joining NCAR in 1999, Harriss was a Professor and holder of the Wiley Chair in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M University. He also initiated and directed the Sustainable Enterprise Institute aimed at finding systemic solutions to natural resource and organizational management problems. Harriss served 13 years as a NASA Senior Scientist and Science Division Director for the Earth Sciences at the Langley Research Center and NASA Headquarters, respectively. He has also held faculty and research positions with the University of New Hampshire, Florida State University, Harvard University, and the United Nations Environment Program. Honors and awards received include the NASA Exceptional Scientific Achievement Award (1985), Election as a Fellow of the AAAS (1988), U.S. Senior Executive Service (1994-1997), and the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal (1997). Harriss was born in Brownsville, Texas, and received his Ph.D. from Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Dr. Richard Rockwell
Dr. Richard Rockwell is Executive Director of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and Institute of Social Science, co-located at the University of Connecticut. Dr. Rockwell, who earned his bachelor's, master's and doctoral degrees at the University of Texas, previously served as executive director of the University of Michigan's data archive. Prior to that, he worked at the Social Sciences Research Council for 12 years, and has taught sociology at Columbia University and the University of North Carolina.
Dr. Rockwell’s research focuses on the use of sociologic data and research methodologies to address the world’s most critical problems, including sustainable development and global environmental change. He has authored or coauthored over 50 papers, book chapters, and other publications. He has served on the Steering Committee of the International Human Dimensions Programme for global environmental change research, and has particularly led in the development of its research program on Industrial Transformation. In addition, he has served on numerous advisory boards and councils to organizations such as American Statistical Association, World Health Organization, American Sociological Association, and the United States Bureau of the Census. He has served on the editorial board of such journals as Social Science Computer Review, Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, Sociological Methods and Research, Journal of Economic and Social Measurement, and Social Forces.