Richard Armstrong is Interim Director of NSIDC. A research scientist at NSIDC since 1985, Armstrong specializes in remote sensing of snow, ice, and frozen ground; snow cover and glacier fluctuations as indicators of climate change; and physical and mechanical properties of seasonal snow and snow avalanche hazard.His work has combined research and data set development, including the optimal gridding of SMMR, SSM/I, and AMSR-E brightness temperatures, as well as the systematic cross-calibration of those sensors and the validation of related cryospheric products. Armstrong has also helped develop innovative approaches to mapping snow cover, using both visible and microwave data. Armstrong is a long-time advocate of scientific data management, and has been instrumental in defining NSIDC's practices and user community focus.