Dr. Waleed Abdalati held the position of NASA Chief Scientist from 3 January 2011 through December 2012. Dr. Abdalati was named to this position on 13 December 2010 by NASA Administrator Charles Bolden. Dr. Abdalati previously served NASA as Head of Cryospheric Sciences at Goddard Space Flight Center between January 2004 and June 2008. Dr. Abdalati is the current director of the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.