guest editorial soars alumni take their science to the hill 2011.pdf · analyst with nephila...
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S O A R S p R O g R A m F A L L 2 0 1 1
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TheGeosciencesCongressionalVisitsDaywasawhirlwindexperience,jam-packedwithacrashcourseoncommunica-tion,alatenightofpreparationinthehotelroom,back-to-backmeetingsontheHillthenextday,andontopofitall,thesweetreward,aminiSOARSreunioninD.C.!
Theapproximately55participatinggeoscientistsweregroupedaccordingtothestateinwhichwereside.Coincidentally,allthreeparticipatingSOARSalumni,MattColeman,MelanieZauscherandIarefellowCalifornians.Withapolicystaffasourguide,wenavigatedthroughthehallsoftheSenateandCongressionalbuildingstovisittheofficesofCaliforniasenatorsandrepresentatives.Duringourmeetings–mostoftenwithoneofthelegislativeassis-tants–wetookturnsstressingthevalueofthegeosciencesforthewell-beingofourstateandthenationasawhole.
Collectively,ourgoalwastoaskforcontinuedfederalsupportofthegeosciences.WealsodidnotfailtomentionthatsuchfederalsupportresultsinasuccessfuleducationalprogramlikeSOARS!Thiswasagreatopportunitytoprac-ticeatypeofcommunicationskillthatmanyscientistsfindchallenging:tosuccinctlysummarizeyourworkandwhy
it’simportant.Thisexperienceencouragedme,asaproductofmanyyearsoffederalfund-ing,toreflectonthebenefitsIcouldbringtosociety.I’vealwaysworkedhardandtriedtodogoodwork.ButitwasnotuntilthisdaythatIfullyrealizedthatitisnotmychoice,butrathermy responsibilitytodomeaningfulwork.
Rei Ureyama – SOARS alumna
SOARS alumni take their science to the HillG U e S t e d i t O R i A l
“�The�best�part�of�the�experience�was�applying�what��I�learned�at�the�AMS�Summer�Policy�Colloquium.���The�SPC�provided�me�with�a�wealth�of�background��information�on�Congress�and�how�it�operates.��Congressional�Visits�Day�was�a�great�opportunity�to�apply�that�knowledge�by�customizing�my�technical��message�in�a�way�that�makes�sense�to�policy�makers.”
–�Matt�Coleman
This summer, SOARS protégés and visiting students from the Severe Weather Center REU at the University of Oklahoma offered an afternoon of hands-on science experiments for children at Casa de la Esperanza, a low-income housing community in Boulder County.
“…a�rewarding�activity�because�we�learned�about�teamwork�and��about�how�hard�it�is�to�explain��meteorology�concepts�to�five�to��eight�year�olds.��While�we�were��teaching�the�kids�about�the�science��we�were�also�teaching�ourselves.”
–�Tracey�Dorian,�Student�from�the�Severe�Weather�Center�REU
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Giving back
Vanessa AlmanzaattendedtheFORMOSAT-3/COSMICScienceWorkshopinTaiwanwhereshepresentedaposterabouthersummerresearchentitled“Correlatingthetransportofprecipitablewatervaporwithrainfallinacomplexorographicenvironmentbefore,duringandafteratyphoon:casestudyofTyphoonMorakot(2009).”ShegaveatalkwiththesametitleatastudentconferenceattheNationalCentralUniversityinJhongliCity.
D. matthew ColemanreceivedhisMBAinfinancefromtheUniversityofVirginia,DardenSchoolofBusiness.HeacceptedapositionasPortfolioAnalystwithNephilaAdvisorsLLC,ahedgefundthatstructuresinsuranceproductsforweatherandnaturalcatastropheevents.MatthewwasalsoappointedChairoftheAMSBoardforPrivateSectorMeteorologists.
Raymond DetweilerstartedgraduatestudiesinanalyticalchemistryatColoradoStateUniversity.
Alisha FernandezpublishedapaperintheJournalforRegulatoryEconomics:“Fernandez,A.,Blumsack,S.,andReed,P.,2011.Evaluatingecosystemandwind-followingservicesforhydroelectricdamsinPJM.”
Alex gonzalezreceivedaMSinatmosphericsciencefromColoradoStateUniversityandcontinuesasaPhDstudent.
Deanna HencepublishedapaperintheJournaloftheAtmosphericSciences:“Hence,D.A.,andR.A.Houze,Jr.,2011:Verticalstructureofhur-ricaneeyewallsasseenbytheTRMMPrecipitationRadar.”Asecondpaperwasacceptedforpublica-
tionbythesamejournal:“Hence,D.A.,andR.A.Houze,Jr.,2011:VerticalstructureoftropicalcycloneswithconcentriceyewallsasseenbytheTRMMPrecipitationRadar.”
Talea mayopresentedattwoconferences;theSIAMConferenceonMathematical&ComputationalIssuesintheGeosciences,2011,LongBeach,CA,andthe2011RichardTapiaCelebrationofDiversityinComputingConference,SanFrancisco,CA.Shewonposterawardsatbothforherresearchentitled“TaleaMayo,Butler,T.,Altaf,M.,Dawson,C.,Hoteit,I.,Luo,X.:ReducingHurricaneStormSurgeModelErrorUsingtheEnsembleKalmanFilter.”
Shirley murillowasselected2011and2012NOAA/HurricaneResearchDivision’sField
ByJenniferFrazer
WhenTheresaAguilarparticipatedasaSOARSprotégéthissummer,shedidsomethingmostSOARSprotégésdonot:shetookonaprotégéofherown.Thatis,shebecameasciencementortoastudentintheUCARHighSchoolInternshipandResearchOpportunitiesProgram(HIRO).
“IreallywantedtogivebacktotheSOARSprogrambecausetheprogramhasdonesomuchforme,”Aguilarsaid,“andthiswasagoodwaytogiveback.”
Aguilar,asecond-yearMaster’sstudentattheSouthDakotaSchoolofMinesandTechnology,wasworkingonherthesisproject,studyingthedifferencebetweenstormswithgustfrontsandthosewithoutbylookingatstormcharacteristicsandlocalenvironmentalconditions.Shehad
hermentee,DouglasCountyHighSchoolstudent,KaraFong,workonstormchar-acteristics.
Itwasn’teasy:mostofthesummerwasconsumedinjusttryingtofigureouthowtostudythestorms.But,asAguilarnoted,unexpectedchallengesanddifficultiesareanimportantpartoftherealresearchexperience.
“Karagottoexperienceadifferentsideofresearch,shesaid,“analyzingdata,collectingit,butalsothehiccupsalongtheroad.”
TogetherwithFong,shedevelopedandtestedtechniques,whichincluded,atonepoint,usinganold-fashionedlighttabletomanuallyoverlayandanalyzecontoursoftime-heightplots,sincenocomputerprogramhadyetbeenwrittentodowhat
theyneeded.Theybothstruggledtomakesenseofreal,andoftenflaweddata.
“IthinkalotofitwasexplorativebecauseneithershenorIeverhadalltherightanswers,andwebothrecognizedthatandtookitasanopportunitytolearn,”Fongsaid.
Aguilardefinitelylearnedfromtheexperience,primarily,thatpreparationiskey.Shealsolearnedtobesupportiveandthinkofthementee’sneeds.Fong’sinterestischemicalengineering,whichisfarafieldfromAguilar’satmosphericresearch.ButAguilarandFong’speermentor,SOARSprotégéAnnareliMorales,introducedhertostaffinthechemistrydivisionofNCAR.
AguilarrecommendsthatanySOARSprotégéconsideringfollowinginherfoot-stepsmakesuretheyhaveaplaninplace.
“Besupportiveof[yourstudent],commu-nicatewiththem,andfigureoutwhataretheirplanssoyoucanhelpthem,”shesaid.
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r e s e A r c h • m e n T o r i n G • c o m m u n i T y
SOARS congratulates its newest PhD graduates!
ProgramDirector.SheisalsotherecipientoftheAMSCharlesE.Andersonaward.Thisawardisgiventoanindividualinrecognitionofoutstandingcontributionstothepromotionofdiversityintheatmosphericandrelatedsciencesandbroadercommunitiesthrougheducationandcommunityservice.
Lumari pardostartedhergraduatestudiesatUC-SantaBarbara.SheispartoftheHuman-EnvironmentDynamicLabpursuingherPhDingeography.
Diamiliet perez-BetancourtreceivedtheAMSHowardT.OrvilleEndowedScholarshipinMeteorologyandtheDavidSankeyMinorityScholarshipinMeteorology.TogetherwithRosimarRios-Berrios,sheleadstheUniversityofPuertoRico,MayaguezAMSstudentchapter.ThechapterwasawardedtheAMSOutstandingStudentChapteroftheYearAward.
Rosimar Rios-BerriospublishedapaperinTheoreticalandAppliedClimatology:”MarkR.Jury,RosimarRios-BerriosandEduardoGarcia,2011:Caribbeanhurricanes:changesofintensityandtrackprediction.”Shegaveapresentationentitled“Quantifyingtheroleoftropospheric
relativehumidityontropicalcyclogenesis”attheNOAA/AtlanticOceanographicandAtmosphericLaboratory/HurricaneResearchDivision.RosimarisrecipientoftheAMSUndergraduateNamedScholarship,WernerA.BaumEndowedScholarship–2011andwasacceptedtothe2011-2013MSPHD’SCohort.
Aaron piñagraduatedwithaBSinmeteorologyfromTexasA&MUniversityandstartedgraduatestudiesinatmosphericscienceatColoradoStateUniversity.
Daniel pollakgraduatedwithaBSinmeteorol-ogyfromThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity.HehasbeenacceptedtotheBostonUniversitySEASemesterfornextspring.
Luna RodriguezpassedhercomprehensiveexamsforherPhDinmeteorologyatThePennsylvaniaStateUniversity.ShereceivedanAMSStudentPaperHonorableMentionforherpaperon“CouplingaGeneticAlgorithmwithanAtmosphericTransportandDispersionModel”.LunagaveoralpresentationsonhercurrentresearchattheTechnicalCooperationProgrammeChemicalandBiologicalDefenceGroupTechnicalPanel9AnnualMeeting,2011,atthe15thAnnual
GeorgeMasonUniversityTransportandDispersionModelingConference,2011andattheSPIEDefenseSecurity+SensingConference,2011.
Cecille Villanueva presentedaposteronhergradu-ateresearchtitled“ChangesintheProductivityoftheWarmRainProcessinDeepConvectiveCloudsResultingfromRegionalClimateChangeOvertheContinentalU.S.”atthePurdueClimateChangeResearchCenter(PCCRC)AnnualMeetingandPosterSessionSpring2011.ShewasawardedaPurdueResearchFoundation(PRF)Grantforthisacademicyear(2011-2012).
Vanessa Vincentegraduatedmagna cum laudewithaBSinmeteorologyandaminorinmathematicsfromValparaisoUniversity.SheisnowagraduatestudentinatmosphericscienceatColoradoStateUniversity.ShewasawardedtheColoradoAllianceforGraduateEducationandtheProfessoriate(AGEP)Fellowship,aswellastheIntegratedWater,Atmosphere,EcosystemsEducationandResearch(I-WATER)StudentFellowship.
Curtis Walkerwasnamedmeteorologyrepresenta-tiveontheDepartmentofEarthandAtmosphericSciencesStudentAdvisoryCouncilatSUNYOneonta.
Two SOARS protégés, Deanna Hence and Tamara Singleton-Goyea, earned their PhDs this spring, making a total of 17 since the inception of the program.
DeannareceivedherPhDinatmosphericsciencesattheUniversityofWashington,Seattle.HerthesiswithDr.RobertA.Houze,Jr.,wason“TheVerticalStructureofPrecipitationinTropicalCyclonesasseenbytheTRMMPrecipitationRadar.”Thisfall,DeannaisparticipatingintheDynamicsofMadden-JulianOscillationfieldcampaignintheSouthernIndianOceanandshestartedapplyingforpost-doctoralpositions.Shehassomeadviceforprotégésgettingreadyforgraduateschool:“Don’t�be�afraid�to�ask�questions.��Think�them�through�before�you�ask,�of�course,�but�you�will�save�yourself�a�lot�of�time�and�trouble�by�just�asking.��Often�what�you�think�is�a�stupid�or�an�obvious�question�turns�out�to�be�a�really�important�one.��Plus�it�shows�that�you�are�interested�and�engaged�in�what�you’re�
doing,�some-thing�everyone�(but�especially�professors)�appreciates!”Sheadds“Find,�or�make,�community�wherever�you�end�up.�Graduate�school�isn’t�impossible,�but�it�can�be��trying.��Your�community�will�help�you�through�the�rough�patches.”Tamaraagreesonthevalueofcommunityandnetworking“Try�to�develop�a�cohort�of�faculty�and�professionals�in�your�field�of�study.�This�network�of�individuals�will�aid�you�when�searching�for�a�job,�becoming�a�profes-sor,�presenting�or�publishing�your�research,�and�completing�your�undergraduate/graduate�studies.”
TamarareceivedherPhDinappliedmathematicsandscientificcomputingattheUniversityofMaryland,CollegePark.HerthesiswithDr.EugeniaKalnaywastitled“DataAssimilationExperimentswithaSimpleCoupled-OceanAtmosphereModel”.Tamaraacceptedapositionat
theJohnsHopkinsAppliedPhysicsLaboratoryandwillbeworkingintheAppliedInformationSciencesDepartmentasapartoftheSystemsAnalysisGroup.Tosucceedingraduateschool,sherecommendsto“Always�seek�out�opportuni-ties�to�advance…as�a�student�and�future�scien-tist/engineer.�This�can�be�achieved�by�attending�or�presenting�at�conferences,�attending�trainings�and�workshops,�learning�a�computer�program-ming�language�or�latest�software�(i.e.�Matlab,�CAD,�Java,�etc.),�auditing�or�taking�an�extra�course�to�complement�your�area�of�study.”
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F A L L 2 0 1 1 F A L L 2 0 1 1s o A r s p r o G r A m
www.soars.ucar.eduSubscriptions: Contact SOARS Program Office
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SOARS is a registered trademark of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.
“�It�was�such�a�great�pleasure�to�be�a�part�of�the�Casa�de�la�Esperanza�event.�Having�the�young�energy�and�enthusiasm�of�the�SOARS�and��OU�students�made�for�such�a�positive�learning�environment,�as�seen�by�all�the�smiles�of�the��children!�I�love�participating�in�outreach�events�such�as�this�one�because�it�shows�how,�even��with�barriers�such�as�language;�we�can�educate��the�community,�especially�to�those�who�will�be��our�future�scientists�and�researchers.”
–�Sandra�Maina,�SOARS�protégé