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Notes from the President, series II, number 1 (30 September 2012)

My First Note

Dear SCAR Colleagues,

I would like to start my first general message to all of you thanking the great confidence I received with my election as SCAR president. After having been involved the last 23 years in Antarctic research and having served SCAR from several positions, it is for me a great honor and at the same time a commitment and responsibility. I will do my best to rise to the challenges and needs of SCAR and of the history and merits of our community.

It is my intention to continue, among other things, the series of messages initiated by our previous president. These communications have been one of the many good things that Chuck Kennicutt has established during his mandate. I would like to thank Chuck for the extraordinary work that has passed to us a stronger and better organized SCAR.

Like I mentioned in Portland, among the main priorities I see for the immediate coming period are:

The plans of the Standing Groups, Standing Committees and other subsidiary bodies for the next biennial period, as well as the start of the new five Scientific Research Projects set a promising panorama for Antarctic science and SCAR.

I think we have an excellent Executive Committee that I am convinced is a solid foundation for the developments and challenges we have in front of us: Sergio Marenssi (Argentina) and Yeadong Kim (South Korea) will maintain their previous 'portfolios': Administration and Science, respectively. It was agreed that the new VPs elected in the XXXII SCAR Meeting, Karin Lochte (Germany) and Bryan Storey (New Zealand), will have the following assignments: Education and Outreach and Finances, respectively. As you know Chuck Kennicutt will be in the ExCom for the coming two years as past president. In the Executive Committee meeting held following the Delegates Meeting, it was agreed that he will chair the Horizon Scanning Action Group, a task I consider very important for the future of SCAR.

I would like to thank all of them for accepting their tasks. We count on the proven experience of those that were previously in the ExCom and on the capacities of the new ones. I would like to mention that Karin is the first female member of a SCAR ExCom (after 54 years!). The involvement of Bryan in the organization of the 2014 XXXIII SCAR Meeting and Open Science Conference in Auckland is an advantage for the success of our next general meeting.

My perception is that the Executive Director, Mike Sparrow, and the whole team of the SCAR Secretariat are doing excellent work. I have recently expended a couple of days in Cambridge working with them, receiving their opinions and being updated on the secretariat procedures and immediate commitments.

In my view, one of the main strengths SCAR has is its diversity. Our organization includes 37 countries and 9 ICSU unions. I would like to explore and promote as much as possible the ways in which SCAR can be useful to its members and also how members can be more involved in SCAR at all levels. In my opinion, there is a great potential in our organization for improvements in that field.

The ExCom members and the Secretariat can be contacted about issues related to their portfolios and responsibilities. Besides, don't hesitate to contact me for issues or ideas you would like to discuss. You can do that in English, the official language of SCAR but also, if you prefer in other languages I can understand (Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese). My intention is to be in touch separately with national delegates to discuss the above and other issues.

Best wishes,

Jerónimo López-Martínez
President of SCAR

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