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NOAA on the Hill Event at Rayburn Office Building

Article Provided By ORTA Team

Figure 1: Rayburn House Office Building NOAA on the Hill (Photo Credit: NOAA)

On July 10, 2024 NOAA Day on the Hill was held in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill. The event was held in partnership with the Ocean Caucus Foundation and was organized by the NOAA Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs (OLIA).

This three hour event was attended by more than 200 people. Staff from all NOAA line offices were present, showcasing some of the latest and greatest work of their line offices; which also included the travel sized Science on a Sphere, virtual reality stations, and NOAA’s Canine Ambassador Ember.

Figure 2: Ember with Science on the Sphere (Left) Andrew Peck engaging participants with the Virtual Reality experience (Right) (Photo Credit: NOAA).

Multiple members of Congress provided remarks throughout the day, including Rep. Kathy Castor (D-FL-14), Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA-47), Rep. Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR-01), Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-01), and Rep. Eric Sorenson (D-IL-17). Providing remarks on behalf of NOAA were Dr. Michael Morgan (Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction), Dr. Jainey Bavishi (Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere NOAA Deputy Administrator), and Ben Friedman (NOAA Deputy Under Secretary for Operations).

Figure 3: Dr. Michael Morgan (Left) and Ben Friedman (Right) providing remarks (Photo Credit: NOAA).

Following remarks, members of Congress visited the various line office display areas and  enjoyed meeting NOAA’s Canine Ambassador Ember.

Figure 4: Rep. Kathy Castor (Left), Rep. Katie Porter (Center), and Rep. Melanie Stansbury (Right) all take time to meet and greet Ember (Photo Credit: NOAA).

OAR participation included scientists from the Air Resources Laboratory and the Office of Research, Transition, and Application (ORTA). The NOAA Research exhibit included an Argo float, ocean exploration video footage, the Picarro Gas Concentration Analyzer with real-time interactive display, an Ozonesonde, and handouts on Sea Grant and from the Global Ocean Monitoring and Observing (GOMO) office. 

Representing ORTA were Kenneth Vierra and Andrew Peck, who were accompanied by Ken’s certified K-9 Caring Angel Therapy Dog and official NOAA Canine Ambassador, Ember. Andrew showcased NOAA virtual reality experiences, created by the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and the NOAA Environmental Visualization Lab. Other OAR attendees included Kody Muhic Congressional Analysis and Relations Division (CARD), Claire Montgomery (Comms), and Ariel Stein and Winston Luke (Air Resources Laboratory).

Figure 5: Kenneth Vierra, Ember (NOAA Canine Ambassador) and Andrew Peck with the OAR Office of Research, Transition, and Application (Photo Credit: NOAA).

The NOAA Line Offices who participated:

  1. Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR)
  2. National Weather Service (NWS)
  3. National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)
  4. NOAA Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
  5. NOAA Marine & Aviation Operations (OMAO)
  6. National Ocean Service (NOS)


Figure 6: Collage of the various line office tables of activities engaging the public and members of Congress at NOAA on the Hill event (Photo Credit: NOAA).