PAOC Spotlights

The faculty, graduate students, postdocs and staff of MIT’s Program in Atmospheres, Oceans, and Climate (PAOC) begin each year with a retreat generously supported by the Houghton Fund. The 2006 PAOC Retreat took place at the Grand Summit Hotel in Mount Snow, VT over an early-fall weekend.

Each year, the PAOC retreat centers its discussions and lectures around a particular theme; this year's was "Milestones in my journey through atmosphere, oceans and climate sciences." In order to help guide the conversation, the PAOC Retreat Committee invited a broad array of engaging speakers, who each shared their perspective on achievements that have defined their careers, ideas and discoveries that have influenced the field. David Archer (Chicago), Isaac Held (GFDL), Glenn Flierl (MIT), Daniel Jacob (Harvard) and Carl Wunsch (MIT) accepted invitations to talk and lead discussions on this theme.

When PAOC members weren't metaphorically stretching their brains during the retreat, many were found stretching their legs and kicking back. Nearby the hotel were great opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, yoga, golf and prime fall "leaf-peeping." And on Saturday, guests enjoyed "Taste of the Valley"--a local food festival, which included music, face painting and a pie-eating contest. After enjoying the company of their peers, PAOC members, friends and families took in the autumn air before returning to Cambridge early Sunday afternoon.

Thanks to the PAOC Retreat Committee for all of their work preparing in this experience. Enjoy photos from this and previous retreats on our PAOC and EAPS Flickr pages!