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The Center for Adaptive Optics (CfAO) as a Science and Technology
Center (STC) funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) is evaluated on an
annual basis by a visiting committee of researchers and technologists. Last year
this was scheduled for September 19th to 21st, 2001. The tragic events of September
11th intervened and after extensive discussions, it was decided, because of potential
difficulties in travel, to proceed with a "virtual" site visit. It was
agreed that only in-state site visitors would assemble at Santa Cruz, the others
including the NSF officers in Washington, would participate via video-conference
or tele-conference links.
Over a five day period speakers were informed of the decision
to proceed. Slides were prepared and presentations reviewed, discussed and edited
via tele-conference and email. The final versions of slides to be used were placed
in a "secure" location on the Center web-site. This enabled participants
to download presentations onto their terminals while watching or listening to
the speaker located at another site. Our presenters were at geographically diverse
locations ranging all the way from London to Honolulu. Consequently, time zones
were taken into account when preparing the schedules. In the main, despite the
potential for catastrophe and a few technical glitches that occurred, the "virtual
site visit" went extremely well. Irrespective of their location, Center presenters
were there ready and waiting when called upon. In all cases they stayed within
their allocated time periods and no difficulties were experienced in maintaining
the schedule.
The subsequent panel report was com-plimentary of the enormous
effort spent in the past year refocusing the Center's efforts from research
goals to themes that are more technology oriented and also commented on the relative
smoothness of the "virtual site visit". There had been some concern
as to the efficacy of this communication mode for transferring information and
encouraging discussion. A "wrap-up" evaluation by the NSF staffers and
the site visit committee concluded that overall the information exchange was good
and probably ninety per cent as effective as that for an actual on-site visit.
Technical Sergeant USAF, Rob Medrano speaks to site visitors from left Dr. Scot
Olivier (CfAO) Lisa Hunter, (CfAO) Dr. Morris Aizenman (NSF) Dr. Julian Christou
(CfAO), Dr Joseph Janni (Air Force Maui Optical and Supercomputing Site), Dr Kent
Miller (AFOSR), Mrs J. Agee, Mrs. K. Miller. |
Dr. Jean-Rene Roy (Gemini North Observatory), meets with site visitors Dr. Morris
Aizenman (NSF), Major Paul Bellaire Jr. (AFOSR) and Dr. James Beckinridge (NSF) |
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