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CIRA Fellow

Mike Farrar

Director, Environmental Modeling Center, NOAA/NCEP

Michael.farrar@noaa.gov


Cooperative Institute for Research in the Atmosphere
Colorado State University
1375 Campus Delivery
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1375

Research Interests:

At the NOAA NCEP EMC, Dr. Farrar ensures that NCEP’s operational environmental numerical modeling systems meet the operational requirements of NOAA, NWS and the U.S. weather, water, and climate enterprise. One of his highest priorities is to bring the NOAA/NWS Next Generation Global Prediction System into operations.

In addition to serving as the former MDL Director, Mike was detailed to NOAA’s Office of Atmospheric Research (OAR) as Acting Deputy Assistant Administrator for Laboratories and Cooperative Institutes from March – July 2016, where he oversaw all seven of OAR’s Laboratories and represented OAR at several NOAA forums. As MDL Director, Mike led a 75-person lab that develops and enhances critical applications, tools, techniques and products that enable NWS forecasters to perform their around-the-clock weather forecast mission. These activities include statistical postprocessing of NWS models (including applications for Aviation), probabilistic storm surge modeling, NWS’ National Digital Forecast Database (NDFD), NOAA’s Virtual Lab, and transitions of external R&D into NWS operations.

Mike came to NWS in 2012 as Chief of the Program Management Branch of the NWS Office of Science and Technology, where he led an organization that managed a wide portfolio of programs and projects for operations, maintenance and upgrades of several critical NWS observation, dissemination, and processing systems. He had previously spent two years as the Vice President of Strategic Development for Science and Technology Corporation (STC), which provided scientific and technical support services to NASA, NOAA, the Department of Defense, and other government and private-sector customers. Mike’s public service career includes more than two decades in the United States Air Force (USAF) as a career meteorologist, retiring in 2010 as a Colonel. His USAF career included leadership positions in operational weather forecasting, weather modeling and other scientific development, program management, system acquisition, satellite processing, training, budgeting, strategic planning, policy, and external collaboration with other U.S. and international partners.