IRIS/PASSCAL Celebrates Career of Jim Fowler

Jim Fowler started as IRIS Chief Engineer in 1984, and became the founding manager for the PASSCAL program. In 1999, he relocated from Washington D.C. back to his home state of New Mexico, and set up an office in the PASSCAL Instrument Center. As a news article from New Mexico Tech noted,

"My wife, Cynthia, and I are originally from New Mexico, so it really wasn't as difficult for us to move here as it might have been for someone who's a hardcore 'Easterner,'" Fowler says.

"Since most of my work involved the Instrument Center, it seemed best for all concerns if my office was actually located at the Instrument Center," Fowler points out. "Basically, instead of living in Washington and commuting to New Mexico, I now live in New Mexico and commute to Washington."

Now that James Gridley has become the IRIS/PASSCAL Program Manager, Jim Fowler has taken a position as Senior Advisor for Engineering and Instrumentation for IRIS.

IRIS/PASSCAL staff arranged a surprise party to honor Jim and his decades of service. The event came off without a hitch on February 17th, 2012, at the Artichoke Cafe in Albuquerque, NM.

IRIS/PASSCAL staff gathered to honor Jim Fowler on February 17th, 2012.

	Jim and Cynthia Fowler pose with the official Party Mascot, featuring Jim's image on a full-sized replica of the Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man in the World."
	Guy Tytgat, Noel Barstow, Rick Aster, and Jim Fowler socializing before the arrival of food.
	Rick Aster, his wife Jan Tarr, Patricia Griego, and Sandra Azevedo watch in amazement as software superviser Steve Azevedo demonstrates the Lotus Position.
	PASSCAL's Derry Webb used Photoshop to good effect while generating several images of Jim in his newly appointed role of "The Most Interesting Man in the World." These were included in a booklet for Jim and Cynthia, which also included salutations to Jim from staff members of IRIS/PASSCAL.



Eliana Arias-Dotson, Noel Barstow, Rick Aster, and Cynthia Fowler getting a sneak peak at Jim's commemorative booklet.
	Derry Webb, PASSCAL's Photoshop Wizard, enroute to the Artichoke Cafe in the NM Tech Van.