Jesse H. Ausubel

Jesse Huntley Ausubel is an American environmental scientist and program manager of a variety of global biodiversity and ecology research programs. Notably, he is the Vice President of Programs at the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation where his main area of responsibility is supporting basic research in science and technology.^[1]

Career

Mr. Ausubel received his bachelor's degree from Harvard College and two master's degrees from Columbia University. Ausubel also serves as Director and Senior Research Associate of the Program for the Human Environment of Rockefeller University.^[2] Ausubel later worked in for the National Academies complex in Washington DC from 1977 to 1988. He was a fellow of the National Academy of Sciences, staff officer of the National Research Council Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate, and from 1983-1988 Director of Programs for the National Academy of Engineering (NAE).^[3]

Activities and research projects

Jesse Ausubel played a major role in the formulation of the US and world climate research programs. He was instrumental in organising the first UN World Climate Conference which was held in Geneva in 1979. This led to the elevation of the global warming issue on scientific and political agendas. Later, he led the Climate Task of the Resources and Environment Program of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, near Vienna, Austria, an East-West think-tank created by the U.S. and Soviet academies of sciences.^[3]

Ausubel participated in the creation of and served as founding chair of the Encyclopedia of Life, a biodiversity web site modeled on Wikipedia, aimed at cataloging all known and named species on Earth. The project, will harness the resources of contributors worldwide to become the world's most comprehensive resource aimed at helping the scientific community, and others, gain a better understanding of the wide variety of life forms with which we share the planet.^[3]

Under the auspices of the Sloan Foundation, Ausubel has participated in the development of an international program, titled the Census of Marine Life, to assess the diversity, distribution, and abundance of marine life—a task never before attempted on this scale.^[1] As an outcome of his deep involvement in the project, Ausubel has also co-founded the movement in environmental genomics to develop very short DNA sequences for species identification, popularly referred to as the "Barcode of Life" movement. Mr Ausubal has in recent years been involved with the establishment of the international Deep Carbon Observatory and the first interactive simulation model of the US university, Virtual U.^[3]

Recognition

Recently, a new genus and species of deep sea lobster discovered off the coast of Luzon, Philippines during the Census of Marine Life, has been given the scientific name Dinochelus ausubeli and the common epithet of "Ausubel's Mighty Clawed Lobster"in his honour.^[4]

References

1. ^ ^{a b} Wade, Nicholas (April 25, 2011). "A Passion for Nature, and Really Long Lists". Science - Scientist at Work (New York Times Online). New York Times Company Ltd. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/science/26ausubel.html?_r=1&nl=todaysheadlines&emc=tha210. Retrieved 4 April 2011. 
2. ^ "Research Affiliates - Jesse H. Ausubel, M.A.". Scientists and Research. The Rockefeller University. http://www.rockefeller.edu/research/faculty/resaff_ausubel. Retrieved 4 April 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d} "Jesse H. Ausubel, Director". Program for the Human Environment. The Rockefeller University. http://phe.rockefeller.edu/jesse/. Retrieved 27 April 2011. 
4. ^ "Newly discovered deep sea lobster named for Rockefeller's Jesse Ausubel". Newswire. Roockefeller University. February 1, 2011. http://newswire.rockefeller.edu/?page=engine&id=1137. Retrieved 27 April 2011. 

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Name	Ausubel, Jesse H.
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