About the Program Office

Program Office Address

Program Office Staff

About the Program Office

The U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office, established by the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG), assists in leading the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program and facilitates interagency cooperation in carbon cycle research through support of CCIWG business (e.g., office budget and personnel, strategic direction, work planning, meetings and workshops and education). The Program Office functions at the interface of the carbon cycle science community and the U.S. federal government for the advancement of carbon cycle science based on their needs and priorities and in allignment with the U.S. Global Change Research Program goals and mandates. 

Address

U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office
USGCRP National Coordination Office
1800 G Street NW, Suite 9100
Washington, D.C. 20006, USA

Phone: 202.223.6262

Program Office Support

Logistical support for the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office and the activities it leads is remotely provided by the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) - Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) in Boulder, Colorado.

The U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office is supported by the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group. Current funding is provided by National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA), the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA FS), the United States Geological Survey (USGS), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through NOAA's Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Program administered by UCAR's Cooperative Programs for the Advancement of Earth System Science (CPAESS) under awards #R4310253 and 4310253B.

Program Office Staff

Gyami Shrestha, Ph.D., Director, U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office, U.S. Global Change Research Program

Email: gshrestha[at]usgcrp.gov

As the point-of-contact for the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office and the Carbon Cycle Interagency Working Group (CCIWG) since 2011, Dr. Gyami Shrestha represents the Program and the CCIWG on carbon cycle science issues across related domestic and international research and cross-cutting elements of the USGCRP Strategic Plan. Interfacing with the public as needed, Dr. Shrestha is responsible for research, coordination, documentation and dissemination of the U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Program Office and CCIWG activities among the science community and U.S. Federal agencies, in addition to facilitating the integration of carbon cycle research related to “A U.S. Carbon Cycle Science Plan” (1999, 2011). As the Carbon Program and CCIWG liaison with major national and international programs on carbon cycle science, Dr. Shrestha represents the program office and its activities, and also provides official communication among the Global Carbon Project (GCP) Scientific Steering Committee members and its relevant activities.

BIOGRAPHICAL OUTLINE

Prior research, stakeholder decision-support tool development, programmatic and management experience foci

Terrestrial carbon - pyrolized carbon (char, charcoal, soot black carbon) - soil carbon sequestration
Grazing removal impacts
Surface coal mine land reclamation and land management impact on soil bulk density and infiltration
Rainwater harvesting
Energy saving, sustainable resources management
Improved cookstoves and gender mainstreaming via participatory tech transfer

Prior professional experiences

American Association for the Advancement of Science -Research Proposal Review Panel Recruitment/ Management/ Coordination consulting - King Abdulla City for Science and Technology (KACST, Saudi Arabia)
U.S. National Academy of Sciences, Board of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate (BASC) - 2010 America's Climate Choices (ACC) Science Panel Report
University of California Merced - Graduate Researcher; Teaching Fellow for Environmental Science and Policy
Green Campus - UC Merced - Alliance to Save Energy
Center for Rural Technology, Nepal - Societal impacts of renewable Energy and Water Technology use; international/regional network building
International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) - Rainwater Harvesting Database Development and Technology Assessment; Stakeholder perception and needs assessment

Education

Executive Potential Certificate 2018 (Graduate School USA, Washington, D.C.) and Non-Profit Management Certificate Graduate Certificate 2015 (Georgetown University)
Ph.D. - University of California Merced - Environmental Systems; Certificate in Atmospheric Aerosols and Health jointly with UC Davis
M.S. - University of Wyoming  - Soil Science and Water Resources; Certificate in Restoration Ecology
B.Sc. (Honors) - Kathmandu University - Environmental Sciences (Natural Resources Management focus)

Some recent Synergistic Activities

Nepalese Children Education Fund (NCEF) - Board Of Directors and volunteer
UC Merced -
          UCOP Chancellor Search Committee for UC Merced
          Student Affairs Advisory Committee
          Strategic Planning Committee
          Graduate Student Association

Follow these links for biography & list of major publications.

 (Previous Director Roger B. Hanson, Ph.D. retired in 2011.)