Clear Skies Ahead: Conversations about Careers in Meteorology and Beyond

We talk to Sarav Arunachalam, Deputy Director at the Institute for the Environment and Acting Director for the Center for Environmental Modeling for Policy Development at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill about about his early work in applied research and public policy, how his university fostered on-the-ground connections with the surrounding community, and ensuring that air polluti...

Let's be clear about leadership: it's not just about being a manager. We talk to Becky DePodwin, Leyon Greene, and Matt Lacke about being co-chairs of the Early Career Leadership Academy, its inception, and how you can find your own personal definition of leadership if you apply! Episode transcript Hosted by Rex Horner and Kelly SavoieProduced by Brandon M. CroseEdited by Peter TrepkeTheme music c...

We talk to Meredith Garofalo, Certified Broadcast Meteorologist at WeatherNation, about the value of working in all areas of the newsroom, flying alongside a satellite on the military's largest transport plane, and what she hopes to accomplish as the chair of the AMS Station Scientist Committee. Episode transcript Hosted by Rex Horner and Kelly SavoieProduced by Brandon M. CroseEdited by Peter Tre...

We talk to Javier Fochesatto, Professor and Chair of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, about how there is no use for a great scientific idea if it cannot be expressed, why he encourages students to gain a more diverse experience abroad, and being deployed into grizzly country on a glacier. Javier is also the co-chief editor of the Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology (JTECH), publis...

We talk to Tom Kilpatrick, Oceanographer at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, about the competitiveness of tenure track faculty positions, the challenges of being a student athlete while studying engineering and applied mathematics, and how a love for surfing inspired him to learn more about the ocean. See also Deep Learning with Python by François Chollet and Tom's  personal website . Episod...

We talk to Jeff Strong, Research Scientist at AIR Worldwide about moving from academia into the private sector, translating high level science to a wide range of stakeholders, and driving across the country for a post-doctoral job at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Episode transcript Hosted by Rex Horner and Kelly SavoieProduced by Brandon M. CroseEdited by Peter TrepkeTheme music composed and...

We talk to Tanya Brown-Giammanco, Managing Director of Research at the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety about building the testing facility that she now operates, engaging with the major U.S. insurance companies that are investing in her research, and how to make hail in a lab. Episode transcript Hosted by Rex Horner and Kelly SavoieProduced by Brandon M. CroseEdited by Peter Tre...

We talk to Matt Fronzak, Weather Portfolio Advisor and Principal Aviation Systems Engineer at the MITRE Corporation, about working in baggage and cabin service for Delta Air Lines before becoming the first meteorologist hired from within the company,  managing federally funded research and development centers, and communicating uncertainty. Episode transcript Hosted by Rex Horner and Kelly SavoieP...

We talk to Doug Hilderbrand, Weather-Ready Nation Ambassador Lead at the National Weather Service, about the reality working shifts on a 24/7 schedule, how the Southeast tornado outbreak in 2011 represented a crossroads for the weather enterprise, and how he has partnered with over 11,000 ambassadors as part of the Weather-Ready initiative. Engage with Weather-Ready Nation at  https://www.weather....

We talk to Vanessa Alonso, the Sunrise/Midday Meteorologist at WCBI, about borrowing every book on weather from the library while in grade school, being the first student to graduate the University of Miami with a dual major in meteorology and broadcast journalism, job searching during a recession, and her success story achieving the CBM designation. Episode transcript Hosted by Rex Horner and Kel...

We talk to Don Berchoff, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) at TruWeather Solutions in Reston, Virginia, about flying reconnaissance missions in the Air Force, integrating weather data into operational decision-making, and why he decided to start his own company. Episode transcript Hosted by Rex Horner and Kelly SavoieProduced by Brandon M. CroseEdited by Peter TrepkeTheme music composed and perfor...

We talk to Carl Schrek, a Research Scholar with the North Carolina Institute for Climate Studies at North Carolina State University, about experiencing the power of Hurricane Fran firsthand, how the extreme weather event led him into researching tropical meteorology, and the critical importance of math and computer programming skills in his field. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex Hor...

We talk to Melissa Huffman, a Warning Coordination Meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Corpus Christi, Texas about her experience with Hurricane Harvey and partnering with local emergency management, local government officials, broadcast meteorologists, and storm spotters to communicate weather risks. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMusic by Steve SavoieProduced b...

We talk to Rob Cifelli, Research Scientist and Lead of the Hydrometeorology Modeling and Applications Team at NOAA’s Physical Sciences Laboratory, about the difficulty of long-term planning with a government budget, bipartisan support for a research agenda that involves crucial issues like flooding and drought, and bonding with a diverse array of scientists on field campaigns. Episode transcript H...

We talk to Karthik Mukkavilli, Machine Learning Project Scientist in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Exascale Initiative, about the next generation of computing, its transformative power, the emerging interdisciplinary space for machine learning and environmental science, and the cutting edge research taking place in industrial and tech labs. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMu...

We talk to Azar Abadi, Research Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska’s College of Public Health Medical Center, about how climate change is affecting people worldwide, the need for climate change expertise in many different sectors, and the challenge of communicating climate risks to rural communities in the United States. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMusic by...

We talk to Ryder Fox, Research Fellow in the DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship Program at the University of Miami and Consultant at Diversity Learning Solutions, about their nontraditional background, their time-management superpower, the need for diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy in the sciences, and working for an organization that shares your values. Episode transcript Hosts...

We talk to Sheila Steinberg, Professor of Social and Environmental Sciences at Brandman University, about her field work in the Peace Corps, infusing mixed methods research into curriculum, working in an interdisciplinary environment, and the social component of science. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMusic by Steve SavoieProduced by Brandon M. Crose AMS Career Resources:  ht...

We talk to Brett Edwards about his work as a Meteorologist at AccuWeather. We discuss the unrivaled importance of networking, the need for coding skills in the industry, his personal forecasting “wins,” avoiding burnout, and the collaborative science behind a forecast. Note: Brett is now a Meteorologist at Pacific Gas and Electric Company. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMusic...

We talk to Bernadette Woods Placky, Chief Meteorologist and Climate Matters Program Director at Climate Central, about transitioning out of broadcast television, how a minor in French eventually coincided with international work around the Paris Climate Change Agreement, mentors that built her climate IQ, and environmental takeaways from Dr. Seuss. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex Ho...

We talk to Randy Bass, a Manager of the Federal Aviation Administration's Weather Research Branch and an AMS Certified Consulting Meteorologist, about serving as an officer in the Air Force, close calls with tornadoes, transitioning a research capability into operations, and making your next flight as smooth and safe as possible. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMusic by Steve...

We talk to Colleen Iversen, a Senior Staff Scientist in the Environmental Sciences Division and in the Climate Change Science Institute at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, about communicating science, devoting time to her family, having a natural curiosity for the world, asking new questions, finding answers through teamwork, and shaping a story. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex Horner...

We talk to Tim Heller, a talent coach and media weather consultant at HellerWeather in Houston, Texas, about how broadcast meteorology has evolved during his 35 years in the studio, unusual college classes worth taking, navigating station contracts, and communicating the weather in the digital age. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMusic by Steve SavoieProduced by Brandon M. Cro...

We talk to previous guests Elizabeth Austin, Albert Betancourt, Tony Praino, Max Vido, and Jeff Yuhas about working in weather during the pandemic. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMusic by Steve SavoieProduced by Brandon M. Crose AMS Career Resources:  https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/education-careers/careers/ Contact us: skypodcast (at) ametsoc.orgCopyright © 2020 Ameri...

We talk to Max Vido, a Meteorologist at ACES Power, about finding a niche in the energy and long range product line at Accuweather (his previous job), his beneficial mentoring experience with the Board of Private Sector Meteorologists at the AMS, and using climate studies and statistics while working with utility clients. Episode transcript Hosts: Kelly Savoie and Rex HornerMusic by Steve SavoiePr...