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Arthur A. Few
Professor Emeritus and Research Professor
Professor Emeritus of Space Physics and Astronomy and of Environmental Science and Research Professor
 
e-mail:few@rice.edu
 
  • B.S. (1962) Southwestern University
  • M.B.S. (1965) University of Colorado
  • Ph.D. (1969) Rice University
 
Primary Department
   Department of Physics and Astronomy
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Department Affiliations
 
  • Center for the Study of the Environment and Society
  • Environmental and Energy Systems Institute
  • Rice Space Institute
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    Websites
     Field Schools in Earth Systems
     Martel College
     
    Research Areas
     Atmospheric Physics and Earth System Science
     
    Research Statement
     DR. FEW joined the Rice faculty in 1970. His research interest is atmospheric physics with a special emphasis on atmospheric electricity. He and his students have done important work on the generation and nature of thunder, the geometry and energetics of lightning channels inside thunderstorms, in situ measurements of electric fields in and around thunderstorms, and the modeling of thunderstorm and global electric fields. His recent work has involved atmospheric electric measurements and research from a suite of instruments at the South Pole that monitor the total global thunderstorm activity, a parameter strongly influenced by global warming. He is active at the national level in global change education; he is an author-participant in the Global Change Instruction Program (NSF and UCAR/NCAR), and a principal investigator in the Earth System Science Education Program (NASA and USRA). In 1993 he received the EDUCOM Award for best curriculum innovation involving computers in the natural sciences. He received the Mitchell Prize in 1979.
    His current project, which was initiated while on sabbatical at UCAR (1999 - 2000) is to develop national field schools in Earth systems; for additional information visit his web site at .
    Most of his Ph.D. graduates have positions at national laboratories such as Johnson Space Flight Center, Marshall Space Flight Center, National Center for Atmospheric Research, National Severe Storms Laboratory, and MIT Lincoln Laboratory.

    Selected publications:
    Few, A.A., System Behavior and System Modeling, 3rd edition, University Science Books, Sausalito, CA, 100 pp., 1996. This publication won the 1993 EDUCOM Award for the best curriculum innovation involving computers in the natural sciences.
    Few, A.A., System Behavior and System Modeling Instructor?s Manual, University Science Books, Sausalito, CA, 45 pp., 1997. A book to assist educators in incorporating modeling in their curriculum.
    Byrne, G. J., J. R. Benbrook, E. A. Bering, A. A. Few, G. A. Morris, W. J. Trabucco, and E. W. Paschal, Ground-based instrumentation for measurements of atmospheric conduction current and electric field at the south pole, J. Geophys. Res., 98, 2611-2618, 1993.
    Few, A.A., Energy Use by Humans, the Global Change Instruction Program of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research with support from the National Science Foundation, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000, 41 pp., 1998.
    Few, A.A., E.N. Cleary, E.A. Bering, and J.R. Benbrook, Diurnal and Seasonal Observations of the Global Electric Circuit from South Pole Station - A Proxy Measure of the Earth's Surface Temperature, Antarctic Journal of the U.S. XXX, 5, 346-347, 1997.
    Bering, E.A., A.A. Few, and J. R. Benbrook, The Global Electric Circuit, Physics Today, 51, 24-30, 1998.
    Fuellekrug, M., A.C. Fraser-Smith, E.A. Bering, and A.A. Few, "On the hourly contribution of global cloud-to-ground lightning activity to the atmospheric electric field in the Antarctic during December 1992," J. Atmos. Solar-Terr. Phys., 61(10), 745-750, 1999.
     
    Teaching Areas
     Atmospheric Science
     
    Selected Publications
     Books
     

    Arthur A. Few "Energy Use by Humans." : 41.

     
     

    Arthur A. Few "Energy Use by Humans." : 41.

     
     Other
     

    Arthur A Few "Rice University." Curricula 2000 in the Atmospheric, Oceanic, Hydrologic, and Related Sciences; Colleges and Universities in the United States and Canada (2000) : 325 - 333.

     
     

    Fuellekrug, M., A.C. Fraser-Smith, E. A. Bering, and A. A. Few ""On the hourly contribution of global cloud-to-ground lightning activity to the atmospheric electric field in the Antarctic during December 1992"." J. Atmos. Solar-Terrl Phys., 61 (1999/10) : 745-750.

     
     

    E. A. Bering, A. A. Few, and J. R. Benbrook "The Global Electric Circuit." Physics Today, 51 (1998) : 24-30.

     
    Presentations
     Other
     

    "Carbon Sequestration by Large-Scale Reforestation." Community Climate System Model Workshop, NSF and NCAR, Breckenridge CO. (June 2001) With Joyce Almaguer-Reisdorf

     
     

    "Building Martel College, the Community." Groundbreaking for the Marian and Speros Martel College, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (April 2000) With Joan Few

     
     

    "Carbon Sequestration by Large-Scale Reforestation." Community Climate System Model Workshop, Breckenridge, CO. (July 2000) With Joyce Almaguer-Reisdorf

     
     

    "Comments on, "What Does Global Warming Mean?"." Global Warming:Science and Policy Conference, Baker Institute, Rice University, Houston, Texas. (September 2000)

     
     

    "Field Schools in Earth Systems." Earth System Science Education (ESSE) Program Annual Meeting, College Park, Maryland. (June 2000)

     
     

    "Virtual Field Schools - Oxymoron?." Annual Spring Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Washington, DC. (May/June 2000)

     
     

    "Field Schools in Earth Systems." Program for Advancement of Geoscience Education, Boulder, CO. (6/3/99) With Joan Few

     
     

    "Global Electric Circuit." Physics Colloquium Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM. (11/19/99)

     
     

    "Proposed Field Schools in Earth Systems." Annual Fall Meeting American Geophysical Union, San Francisco, CA. (12/14/99)

     
     

    "Systems Thinking Applied to Trade Corridors in North America." The North American Institute Workshop on Trade Corridors in North America, San Antonio, TX. (10/3/99)

     
     

    "Teaching interdisciplinary environmental science." Annual Spring Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, Boston, Mass.. (May, 1998) With W Leeman, and J Sisson

     
    Awards, Prizes, & Fellowships
     PI, Earth System Science Education Program (ESSE), University Space Research Association (NASA) (2001)

     Modeling the Earth, Global Change Instruction Program, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (2001)

     Advisory Committee, Global Change Instruction Program, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (2001)

     Chair, Members Committee, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (2001-2002)

     Members Committee, UCAR, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (2001)

     Participant, Community Climate System Model Workshop, National Center for Atmospheric Research and The National Science Foundation (June 2001)

     Membership Committee, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (2000-2001)

     Nominations Committee, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (2000)

     Principal Investigator, Earth System Science Education (ESSE) Program, Universities Space Research Association (2000)

     Advisory Committee, Global Change Instruction Program, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, UCAR (2000)

     Advisory Committee, Global Change Instruction Program, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research

     Proposal Review Panel, National Aeronautical and Space Administration