Number One... She’s our leader by Gerhard Behrens Discussing mooring and clam sites with Robie Macdonald. It happened about 2 days into the cruise. Ed Hudson, whose gift for speaking deserves it’s own web page, jokingly called our leader Number One, in honor of her position. It stuck. Dr. Kelly Kennison Falkner is the chief scientist for the cruise. That puts her in charge of the science crew, the decisions about where the ship goes, the science work that gets done, and who does what with whom. It is a big job. This is the classic leadership role, everywhere at once, but always behind the scenes: no one thinks about you if things are going well; everyone is mad at you if things break down. Here we are, near the end of the cruise, and the teacher/reporters have yet to mention her position. What does that tell you about the job she is doing? The chief scientist has to be a good coach, letting her players show their strengths. Andreas Muenchow makes decisions about the data he collects on currents and ocean forces. Robie Macdonald decides on the best spot for clams. Humfrey Melling works out the details for the moorings. She must also keep her own investigations going by scheduling casts for water samples and sediment cores. All these investigations require correct positioning of the ship, helicopters to scout out locations, small boats to access areas near the shore, coordination of the ship’s scientific equipment, and the expertise of the Healy crew to run heavy machinery. Kelly coordinates all these scientific needs with the captain and his crew so the scientists can do their work. The daily science meeting: keeping everyone informed. She checks in daily with her science colleagues on the ship, discussing the progress of their work and hers. Kelly has to make sure the science happens, and she has to do the science, too. Working with physical, geological, and chemical oceanography, she must be an oceanographic jack-of-all-trades. Having some fun serving pizza at The Science Crew’s morale night. The chief scientist also has to be a loving parent, making sure everyone is OK in their home away from home. She is on deck when the small boat returns at midnight, she’s there watching a cast for water samples at 3:00 am, she’s on the bridge when the helicopter takes off and lands, she’s checking with lab techs who are analyzing endless samples. Being part parent means picking up team members at the airport, arranging living quarters, reminding science members to pick up after themselves, cleaning a toilet or two herself, doling out coveted rides on the helo and small boat, and encouraging people to get rest. The coaching part has to be done without stifling the talent and enthusiasm of the fellow scientists. The parent part has to be done without hovering and lecturing. It is the toughest balancing act of leadership on the ship. The responsibility doesn’t begin or end with the cruise, either. CATS, Canadian Archipelago Throughflow Study, runs for 5 years. It began years ago with the planning stages, proposal writing, and unending preparations. It will go past 2007 with reports, presentations, and academic papers. A quiet moment on the bridge. Kelly and friendly berg. What are the perks: a room to yourself on the ship; the captain knows your first name; you don’t get to sleep often? Honestly, the perk has to be that as chief scientist, Kelly is leading a team of world-class scientists and technicians. They are doing research to understand the least understood ocean on our planet. Their work can help leaders make decision about taking care of the earth. That’s a big job….an honorable one. Kelly lives in Corvallis, OR. She and her husband, Jimmy, have two children: Perrin, 8, and Elliot, nearly 4.