Bob Harriss Named President of HARC; Sustainability Scientist to Assume Post June 1, 2006.

THE WOODLANDS, Texas -- Robert (Bob) C. Harriss, an internationally recognized expert in community response to large-scale environmental impacts, will become president of the Houston Advanced Research Center (HARC), effective June, 2006.

Harriss, 65, is a senior scientist and former director of the Environmental and Societal Impacts Group (ESIG) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) in Boulder. He is also an adjunct professor at Texas A&M-Galveston working on the Galveston Futures Project. This unique program demonstrates how collaborative planning and knowledge management tools can make the island more hurricane resistant and resilient.

Prior to joining NCAR in 1999, Harriss was professor and Wiley Chair in Civil Engineering at Texas A&M. He also initiated and directed the university's Sustainable Enterprise Institute, which focused on defining solutions to natural resource and organizational management problems.

HARC Chairman and President J. Todd Mitchell said Harriss's appointment culminates a nationwide search. "Bob Harriss comes to HARC with a history of outstanding scientific achievement and broad experience in managing complex organizations," Mitchell said. "Bob's Texas roots underscore his commitment to our region and passion for HARC's mission - moving knowledge to action for human well-being and the environment."

Mitchell, son of HARC founder George P. Mitchell, will continue in his role as chairman of the Board.

Harriss said that he would like HARC to become a highly effective leader in creating a better future for the Greater Houston region and Upper Texas Coast. "I can imagine a HARC that is known as the premier institution for constructing new relationships between academia, business, and the civic enterprise on topics crucial to regional livability, competitiveness, resilience, and sustainability," he said.

Harriss explained that every person and community aspires to be safe, smart, and busy. "These basic characteristics of livability and sustainability are at the heart of being resilient to the volatile times in which we live."

In addition to his work at NCAR in Boulder and at Texas A&M, Harriss served 13 years as a senior scientist and division director in earth sciences at NASA. 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. One of Harriss's current research interests includes hurricane preparedness, response, and recovery. He is also exploring how digital technologies, the creative arts, and sustainability science and engineering can be integrated to accelerate learning and innovation.

An ISI highly cited author (2003), Harriss is author or co-author of close to 200 scientific papers and has served on the editorial or advisory committees of numerous professional societies. Honors and awards 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.

HARC was founded in 1982 by Houston oilman and philanthropist George P. Mitchell whose passion for sustainable development has guided HARC throughout its history. After studying successful high technology regions in different parts of the country, Mitchell created HARC as a center for research in basic, applied and policy research. Four universities--the University of Houston, Rice University, Texas A&M University and The University of Texas at Austin--joined HARC as charter members.

"We've known Bob Harriss for several years," Mitchell said, "and feel he has an excellent background. He is an outstanding choice to lead HARC, and we are very fortunate to have him."

Today the nonprofit organization, based in The Woodlands, Texas, is dedicated to improving human and environmental well-being through the application of sustainability science and the principles of sustainable development. Major program themes include air & climate; clean energy; environmental health; water resources; ecosystems; and the built environment. For more information about HARC, visit www.harc.edu.

For more information about the NCAR, visit www.ncar.ucar.edu. For more information about ISSE, visit www.isse.ucar.edu.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Photo of Dr. Harriss available at http://www.harc.edu/harc/Content/NewsEvents/