ARL staff honored at NOAA Research awards ceremony

February 19, 2026

Three members of the Air Resources Lab received awards last week at a NOAA Ocean and Atmospheric Research (OAR) ceremony. Barbara Shifflett was part of a group 2025 Employees of the Year Award and Karly Curtis and Xavier Hoskins received a group 2025 Team Members of the Year Award.

Two women pose, one with her certificate, in front of a screen with the list of names who received this group award.
(L to R) Barbara Shifflett and LaToya Myles (ARL Deputy Director) pose after the awards ceremony. Credit: John Kochendorfer (NOAA)

Barbara’s award citation reads “for [her] exceptional contributions to the 2025 OAR Obligations Review Process; for receiving, reviewing, and processing all acquisitions obligation requests for the Line Office; and for providing timely support and guidance to ensure successful execution of OAR’s budget.” 

Karly Curtis and Xavier Hoskins’ citation reads: “For demonstrated exceptional resilience, foresight, and dedication in the face of uncertainty amidst a significant and unforeseen challenge. All the while maintaining exceptional service to the customer, advancing NOAA’s boundary layer research, and breaking new ground in support of NOAA’s goal of building a weather ready nation.”

Three people posing for a picture. Two hold certificates.
(L to R) Karly Curtis and Xavier Hoskins display their certificates with Matthew Brewer (Deputy Director of ARL’s Special Operations and Research Division). Credit: Jason Rich (NOAA)

Barbara was part of a team that was formed as a result of an Executive Order; all federal agencies were required to create and implement a new process for requests to fund contracts, interagency agreements and grants. Barbara’s group received, reviewed and processed all OAR requests to award and obligate contracts and interagency agreements. She developed guidance for the new and ever changing obligations process, created templates and a system for records management. She met weekly to discuss new changes to processes and impacts to OAR and provided timely support to the Labs and Program Offices with bi-weekly office hours to answer any questions and assist acquisitions personnel. Barbara’s work allowed OAR to respond to multiple data calls, provide timely updates and reporting and supported the weekly discussions between OAR leadership and NOAA and DOC teams.

Overall, Barbara’s team processed 406 contracts and interagency agreements on behalf of OAR, valued at ~$200M. They directly contributed to OAR and NOAA being able to meet its mission and successfully execute its budget.

Karly and Xavier successfully navigated the proposed termination of their facility’s 40-year lease while simultaneously maintaining seamless work for their primary customer, the Idaho National Laboratory (INL). This situation, which created profound uncertainty for the team, was handled with remarkable problem-solving skills and emotional intelligence, ensuring that critical mission support not only continued but excelled, all while laying the groundwork for future advancements in NOAA’s observational capabilities.

The prospect of a move presented a daunting logistical challenge. ARL has occupied the space for 40 years, accumulating a vast collection of materials essential to its mission. This includes the tools, sensors, data loggers and calibration equipment required to build and maintain their network of 34 meteorological towers. It also included an extensive library of historical records and research, much of which was in physical print form. Preserving this 77-year legacy of data and research required a meticulous review and digitization process, a massive undertaking for a small, five-person team. With unwavering focus, Karly and Xavier began the arduous process of sorting, cleaning, and organizing the entire facility, ensuring everything could be packed and moved the moment the final word was given.

Throughout this period of intense internal pressure, the team’s commitment to their mission remained their top priority. Karly and Xavier maintained exceptional productivity; The INL not only noted no disruption in the high level of support, but also offered several compliments from INL leadership for their outstanding work. Most significantly, while managing this potential crisis, the team was also breaking new ground for NOAA. They continued to advance the site preparation for a new fire weather tower, a project that involved complex, high-level coordination between the Department of Energy and NOAA to plan the construction and deployment of this permanent observational asset. Karly and Xavier’s ability to maintain exceptional productivity under duress is a testament to their professionalism and dedication.