By KYLE ODEGARD
Gazette-Times reporter | Posted: Wednesday, August 8, 2007 12:00 am
Mark Abbott, the dean of Oregon State University's College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, has declined an appointment to lead the geosciences directorate of the National Science Foundation.
Ironically, the university's strong science programs led to the decision, since the funding agency and Abbott realized he would face potential conflicts of interest in many research areas.
In accepting the position with the National Science Foundation, Abbott would have retained his job at OSU, which is a major player in specialized fields he would oversee, such as oceanography and earth sciences.
"Basically, he would have needed to recuse himself from a number of large things because of his continued affiliation with Oregon State University," said Jeff Nesbit, director of the National Science Foundations office of legislative and public affairs.
"In made more sense for him to stay where he is," Nesbit added.
Abbott was in meetings in Washington, D.C., as a member of the National Science Board, and unavailable for comment on Tuesday.
"Oregon State is involved in many research areas that intersect with many programmatic decisions the NSF will be making over the next few years," Abbott said in an OSU news release. "There would have been serious restrictions on the level of engagement I could have, and that would have limited my effectiveness in the position as an advocate for Earth sciences in the United States."
In a mid-July interview, Abbott expressed enthusiasm about the temporary federal position, and university officials cited the prestige it would bring OSU.
"I am disappointed for Mark, but thrilled he is returning to OSU to continue his work in building one of the top oceanic and atmospheric science programs in the world," Sabah Randhawa, OSU provost and executive vice president, said in a news release.
Abbott joined the OSU faculty in 1988 and has been dean of the College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences since 2001. He serves as a co-chair of the governor's Climate Change Integration Group.
Senior leaders for the National Science Foundation typically remain affiliated with their universities. The level of potential conflict of interest regarding Abbott was unusually high, Nesbit said.
Abbott was set to start a two-year appointment Oct. 1, and could have been renewed with the agency for another two years.
Kyle Odegard covers the city of Corvallis and Benton County government. He can be contacted at kyle.odegard@lee.net or 758-9523.