[ESIP-all] In Memoriam: Molly Macauley

[Bob Chen]

Erin, Dave, et al.--

Thank you for circulating this. All of us who knew and worked with 
Molly are still in shock about this tragic event. Molly was a leader 
in the Earth and space policy communities with a broad view of the 
importance of data and information in decision making. She was also 
one of the warmest and most supportive people you could imagine.

Molly served as the chair of SEDAC's User Working Group from 
2010-2014. She was a very effective chairperson, bringing both high 
expectations and a constructive attitude to the oversight and advisory 
responsibilities of the group. I know she also served on a wide range 
of major advisory groups at NASA, NOAA, and other organizations with 
comparable skill and influence.

Last month, Molly arranged for Alex de Sherbinin and me to give an 
informal presentation about SEDAC to her colleagues and many student 
interns at RFF. It was very clear how proud she was of the large 
cohort of students there this summer, and how much they looked to her 
as a valued role model, leader, colleague, and friend.

All of us at SEDAC and CIESIN wish to extend our deepest sympathies to 
Molly's family, her colleagues at RFF and in the broader 
science/policy community, and her friends and neighbors in Baltimore.

In sadness, Bob

*****
Dr. Robert S. Chen
Director, Center for International Earth Science Information Network
  (CIESIN), The Earth Institute, Columbia University
Manager, NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC)
P.O. Box 1000, 61 Route 9W, Palisades, NY 10964 USA
tel. +1 845-365-8952; fax +1 845-365-8922
e-mail: bchen at ciesin.columbia.edu
CIESIN web site: http://www.ciesin.columbia.edu
SEDAC web site: http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu


On Tue, 12 Jul 2016, Erin Robinson via ESIP-all wrote:

> Date: Tue, 12 Jul 2016 17:58:33 -0600
> From: Erin Robinson via ESIP-all <esip-all at lists.esipfed.org>
> Reply-To: Erin Robinson <erinrobinson at esipfed.org>
> To: "esip-all at lists.esipfed.org" <esip-all at lists.esipfed.org>
> Subject: [ESIP-all] In Memoriam: Molly Macauley
> 
> Dear ESIP - 
> 
> This weekend Dr. Molly Macauley, Vice President for Research and Senior Fellow at Resources for
> the Future, was tragically killed near her home in Baltimore. Molly has intersected the ESIP
> community for years, was a champion of Earth science data and undoubtedly worked with many on
> this list, so I wanted to remember her here.  
> 
> Dave Jones, former ESIP President, CEO of StormCenter Communication and colleague of Molly's
> shared the news with me earlier this week. He said, "Molly combined her wealth of knowledge in
> remote sensing and economics with her passion to determine the value of weather and climate
> information to users and decision makers. She was kind and always open to conversations
> regarding space, weather, climate and earth observation…and the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens!
> Molly’s work and legacy will impact everyone she encountered, forever. Having known Molly for
> more than 20 years I can honestly say that her life was a true blessing to everyone who met her,
> spoke with her or just glanced her way. Today the entire space, weather, climate and science
> enterprise has its collective head bowed thinking of just one word…why? 
> 
> It will be important to honor Molly’s life and legacy, although it’s not clear exactly how right
> now. Please keep her family in your thoughts. 
> 
> Best,
> Erin 
> 
> Erin Robinson
> Executive Director
> ESIP Federation | Foundation for Earth Science
> 314-369-9954 
> 
>