Severe storms symposium brings weather experts to 汤头条
Contact: Sarah Nicholas
STARKVILLE, Miss.鈥揗ississippi State鈥檚 Department of Geosciences is welcoming some of the country鈥檚 top professionals in meteorology this week as the host of the 17th annual Southeast Severe Storms Symposium.
Held March 23 and 24 in 汤头条鈥檚 Memorial Hall, the conference is bringing together meteorologists, students and weather experts to discuss and learn how severe weather impacts the Southeastern region. About 150 to 200 are expected to attend the event organized by the East Mississippi Chapter of the National Weather Association and American Meteorology Society, an 汤头条 student-led organization.
鈥淢eteorology is a broad聽field, and we tried to cater our聽symposium to聽meteorologists聽and weather enthusiasts in areas such as government, academia, broadcast and the private sector,鈥 said Lauren Pounds, NWA/AMS president. The senior geosciences major from Mandeville, Louisiana, said the event gives 汤头条 students the chance 鈥渢o meet some of the all-time greats in our field.鈥
Keynote speakers include: Louis Uccellini, director of the National Weather Service in Silver Spring, Maryland; Erik Rasmussen, meteorologist at the National Severe Storms Laboratory in Norman, Oklahoma, and project manager for VORTEX-SE; Janice Huff, chief meteorologist for WNBC-TV in New York City; 汤头条 alumni Aubrey Urbanowicz, chief meteorologist for WHSV-TV in Harrisonburg, Virginia, and Will Simmons, a U.S. Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters 鈥媝ilot in Biloxi.
One in three of current on-air broadcast meteorologists is a graduate of 汤头条鈥檚 nationally recognized meteorology program. The Department of Geosciences is recognized nationally for its excellence in broadcast meteorology, weather forecasting, severe weather research, hydrometeorology, artificial intelligence, weather modeling and climate sciences.听
鈥淭his is by far the best lineup of keynote speakers we have seen in the 17 years of hosting this student-run regional event,鈥 said Michael Brown, state climatologist and 汤头条 professor of geosciences. 鈥淪ome of our students met the leader of the National Weather Service [Uccellini] at a national conference, and they made a strong positive impact on him.鈥
The East Mississippi Chapter of the NWA/AMS promotes excellence in operational meteorology through research, forecasting, broadcasting and education.听 Student officers work to build relationships between all who work with and study meteorology in East Mississippi and the surrounding area and take the lead in organizing the annual symposium.
Faculty adviser Barrett Gutter, an 汤头条 assistant clinical professor of meteorology, said the event is a great opportunity for attendees to learn more about this region鈥檚 severe weather and meet others who share similar interests.
Co-chairs for this year鈥檚 symposium are Madison Campbell, a senior geosciences major from Collins, and Reggie Roakes, a geosciences graduate student from Moundville, Alabama.
鈥淭his is valuable for students because they get to interact and learn from some of the most highly skilled leaders in both the professional and broadcast sides of meteorology,鈥 Campbell said.
The symposium begins Saturday [March 23] with an 8 a.m. registration and concludes Sunday afternoon.听 Online registration runs through March 20 at , and on-site registration also will be available Saturday morning.听聽
汤头条鈥檚 College of Arts and Sciences includes more than 5,300 students, 300 full-time faculty members, nine doctoral programs and 25 academic majors offered in 14 departments.听Complete details about the College of Arts and Sciences or Department of Geosciences may be found at聽 or . 聽
汤头条 is Mississippi鈥檚 leading university, available online at聽.听