National Weather Service (NWS) and the NOAA-Education Collaborative Science Center (CSC) Project: Shaping a Diverse and Scientifically Capable Workforce Through Collaborative Research Daniel Meléndez 1 and NWS-CSC Action Plan Team 1 National Weather Service, Science and Technology Integration Office 2018 Annual Conference 27 th Symposium on Education Tuesday 9 January, 2018, 1130 Paper 4.5 1
NWS-CSC/NSF Action Plan Team Roster Ms. Rosemary Auld, NWS/Eastern Region HQ Dr. Vankita Brown, NWS/HQ Ms. Hope Hasberry, NWS/Office of Chief Operating Officer Dr. Michelle Hawkins, NWS/Analysis and Forecast Services Dr. Michael Hicks, W/Office of Observations Mr. Jeff McQueen, NCEP/Environmental Modeling Center Mr. Michael Staudenmeier, Western Region/Science & Tech Ms. Cindy Woods, NWS/Office of Chief Operating Officer Dr. Daniel Meléndez, NWS/Science & Tech Integration - Team Lead ADVISORS: Prof. Belay Demoz, CSC, Univ. Maryland Baltimore County Dr. Marlene Kaplan and Ms. Jaqueline Rousseau, NOAA-Education Prof. Jorge González, NOAA-CREST, City University of New York Prof. Vernon Morris, CSC Howard University 2
NWS-CSC Project – Purpose • Promote expanded participation in education, training, capacity building, and collaborative research focusing on groups traditionally underrepresented in key geosciences disciplines supporting NOAA mission-relevant science including - – science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) – social, behavioral, and economic disciplines (including communications sciences) • Produce a highly skilled cadre of technical and environmentally literate professionals who will help build a more resilient nation in the face of weather extremes 3
NWS-CSC Project – Background STEM = Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Civilian Labor Force (CLF) 2010 percentage Poster 1031, Trends in Federally Employed Women and Minorities in STEM at the Leading US Science Agencies, Wed 10 Jan 3:45-5:30 pm, 27 th Symposium on Education AMS Jan 2018 – page 4
NOAA-CSC Project – Funding & Partners • Five-year $11.9M competitive award (Aug 2016) from NOAA Educational Partnerships Program (EPP) to four Centers - – Florida A&M University – Howard University – CCNY (City College of NY)/City University of NY (CUNY) – University of Maryland-Eastern Shore • Of key interest to NWS is the CSC-funded NOAA Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (NCAS-M Lead institution - Howard University, Washington, DC) partnering with - Jackson State University (Mississippi), Pennsylvania State University, San Jose State University (California), State University of New York at Albany University of Maryland/Baltimore County (UMBC), University of Maryland/College Park (UMCP), University of Puerto Rico at Mayaguez (UPR-M), University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP), Fort Valley State Univ, San Diego State Univ, Tuskegee, and Universidad Metropolitana (UMET) 5
NCAS-M - Targeted Participants • Collaboration involves the following participants 1 – NCAS-M Students (undergraduate/graduate) 2 – NCAS-M Postdocs/Faculty 3 – NCAS-M Project Mentors • Participation is not just in meteorology but includes physical sciences, engineering, and social sciences • Students typically recruited before beginning the semester (fall and early winter) through summer programs, outreach efforts, and informal minority serving institutions (MSI) networks – Students gathered in “cohort” groups • NOAA subject matter experts serve as mentors • Projects are listed in the NOAA Student Scholarship Internship Opportunity Online System (SSIO) webpage ( shown next ) 6
NOAA Student Scholarship Internship Opportunity (SSIO) Webpage – Project Repository 7
NCAS-M Project – NWS Action Plan Goals Organizes NWS-NCAS-M actions under three strategies: 1. Increase the numbers of students, postdocs, and faculty in collaborative research relationships with NWS 2. Engage more NWS scientists/staff with NCAS-M institutions 3. Engage more NCAS-M under-represented minorities (URM) into NWS career-paths 8
NCAS-M Action Plan Goal #1 • Steer prospective NCAS-M students into these programs – Rate and raise NWS-relevance of projects and internal awareness (e.g., R2O transition paths) – Raise program awareness at NWS and academia (e.g., mass mailing including social sciences) – Increase viable collaborative opportunities; ease access to collaboration; and, promote mentoring internally at NWS – Connect students and NWS mentors early (e.g., earlier showcasing of projects and mentors) 9
NCAS-M Action Plan Goal #2 • Assist in enhancing NCAS-M projects – Identify NCAS-M project leads at NWS centers/units – Invite NCAS-M faculty to co-plan way-forward – Systematically comb for project opportunities NWS-wide – Provide mentoring incentives for NWS personnel (e.g., awards, recognition) – NOAA training of mentors for NCAS-M 10
NCAS-M Action Plan Goal #3 • Better capture students into NOAA/NWS upon graduation – Strengthen outreach and interaction with students (e.g., awards for NWS mentoring, regular campus visits, adjunct faculty appointments, etc.) – Engage NCAS-M alumni network – Survey NCAS-M alumni on quality of experience to spot key factors of success and challenges 11
NCAS-M Project - Progress • NCAS-M already has two cohorts of students supporting NOAA mission-relevant research (Goal #1) – Direct support for 17 PhD , 9 MS and 12 BS students • Funding two postdoctoral fellows (Goals #1-3) – Dr. Richard Medina at NWS Sterling Test Center, and Dr. Keren Rosado at NOAA/ESRL • Engaging over 20 NOAA employees advisors, co-advisors, and collaborators (Goal #2) #12
NCAS-M Project - Progress • Improving NCAS-M faculty engagements (Goal #1) – Satellite retrievals (Dr. V. Morris and Dr. N. Nalli) – Air Quality Forecasts (Dr. W. Stockwell and Mr. J. McQueen) – Integrated Decision Support (Dr. T. Adams and Dr. V. Brown) – New Observational Capabilities (Drs. V. Morris, S. Smith, and Mr. B. Spencer) • Training students at Weather Forecast Offices (Goals #2-3) – WFO Paducah, KY – WFO Jackson, MS • NOAA personnel contributing to courses at Jackson State U. (Goals 2-3) #13
NCAS-M Project – Next Steps Year 2 (2018) • Complete Cohort Two recruitment • Establish additional NCASM points-of-contact within NWS units • Procure NWS mentoring and participation incentives • Engage NCAS-M leadership in review of NWS action plan • Leverage NCAS-M survey of participants/alumni on lessons learned 14
NWS-CSC/NSF Action Plan Team Roster Ms. Rosemary Auld, NWS/ERH Dr. Vankita Brown, NWS/HQ Ms. Hope Hasberry, NWS/OCOO Dr. Michelle Hawkins, NWS/AFSO Dr. Michael Hicks, W/OBS Mr. Jeff McQueen, NCEP/EMC Mr. Michael Staudenmeier, WR/STID Ms. Cindy Woods, NWS/OCOO Dr. Daniel Meléndez, NWS/STI, Team Lead ADVISORS: Prof. Belay Demoz, CSC, UMBC Dr. Marlene Kaplan and Ms. Jaqueline Rousseau, NOAA-Education Prof. Jorge González, NOAA-CREST, CUNY Prof. Vernon Morris, CSC Howard University 15
Questions? 16
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