Mercy Borbor-Cordova, NCAR's Advanced Study Program • Two things are critical for academic success, says Borbor-Cordova, who combines interests in environmental science and public policy. One is persistence. The other is what makes persistence possible: choosing subject(s) you really love.

The highly detailed forecasts will help the utility use power from turbines when sufficient winds are predicted.

Mercy Borbor-Cordova's research projects extend from the equator across South America and on to Antarctica. From her hometown of Guayaquil, Ecuador, she has built a career that spans three continents, is conducted in two languages, encompasses the oceans and atmosphere, and brings together scientists, policymakers, and impoverished communities.

A team of scientists has successfully flown from the Arctic to the Antarctic this month, the first step in a three-year project to make the most extensive airborne measurements of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases to date.