Max Holloway is a mechanical engineer in the Atmospheric Remote Sensing group in NOAA’s Chemical Sciences Laboratory. His work focuses on instrument development and deployment, and in 2023, he was awarded a CIRES Outstanding Performance Award for playing an integral role in the “design, modification, and implementation of the latest generation of 2-axis mirror scanner system for the MicroDop doppler LiDAR system.” Holloway loves spending time outside fishing and hunting with his wife and two daughters. His home is filled with animals—his family has two cats, two dogs, a snake, and seven chickens.

Humans of CIRES Q&A

Q: What do you do here at CIRES?
I work as a Mechanical Engineer in the Atmospheric Remote Sensing group of the Chemical Sciences Laboratory at NOAA. I primarily work on instrument development and deployment, mostly [with] mobile Doppler wind lidar systems, including ship, aircraft, and truck-based systems.

Q: What’s the most challenging part of your position?
There is always some new challenge with field science. Something unforeseen will inevitably pop up, and figuring out how to solve that problem keeps things exciting.

Q: Tell us about a hobby of yours.
I spend the time I am not working with my wife and 2 daughters hunting and fishing as much as possible. This keeps us in the outdoors and teaches my kids an appreciation for the wildlife they are surrounded by, as well as about where their food comes from and how to cook it.

Q: Dogs or cats?
I like dogs... but since my wife is a vet tech, we have 2 cats, 2 dogs, a snake, and 7 chickens. So I guess we are animal people.