25 Years Later: The Jackson State University Meteorology Program

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25 Years LaterThe Jackson State
UniversityMeteorology Program

• A look inside the JSU Meteorology Program...
• by Paul J. Croft, Program Coordinator

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History and Demographics

• Initiated 1975
• General Science
• NOAA support
• Association NWS
• Teaching and Research Missions
• Minority Scientists
• Current Enrollment
• Past Graduates

• Jackson, MS
• School of Science and Technology
• Urban University
• Only HBCU with B.S. Degree Meteorology
• Research NASA, DoD, Industry, NSF, AHPCRC, others

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Program Components...
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Program Details

• Recruitment
• Retention
• The Minority Student
• Coursework
• Research Opportunity
• Professional Development/Mentor
• Student Response

• Only 35 of African-American students ever
  complete an undergraduate degree
• In science and math this value is only 8
• Other Minority Results Quite Similar
• Ph.D. near zero

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The Curriculum Students...

• Curriculum Revision as per AMS Bachelors Degree
  Statement Employers
• Relevance to NWS and other employers
• Practical classroom field experiences
• Research experiences during semester
• Summer Internships and Co-ops
• Development of Graduate Program

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Facilities...

• MCSR newly installed Cray T3E
• JSU-AHPCRC SP2 Program Platforms
• Upgrade of Weather Instrumentation
• Building and Campus Renovations
• Professional Development through Research,
  Service, Presentation, and Role-Playing
  Opportunities

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Research Outreach...

• MM5 runs operational
• Collaborations
• UCAR/NCAR
• COMET, SRH, NWS
• NWA, AMS, Others
• NASA, DoD, NSF, ONR, others...
• Informal Exchanges

• National Laboratories
• Local Schools
• Local TV Affiliates
• Teacher Workshops
• High School Programs
• Dissemination
• Web-site http//weather.jsums.edu

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Research Students...

• Attendance and Presentation at Professional
  Conferences and Meetings
• Presentations to Peers, Faculty, and Public
• Professional Mentoring at Meetings
• Research Support for Travel
• Co-authored publications
• Grants of 2.5 Million in the Department

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What the Future Holds...

• Transition to Complete Pre-Professional
  Environment and Curriculum
• Complete Electronic Instruction and Professional
  Development Delivery
• JSU Meteorology Program as Focal Point for Gulf
  Coastal States and Gulf of Mexico Research and
  Educationthe VISIONF...

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The JSU Meteorology Program-A Vision for the
Future

• Gulf Coast States Gulf of Mexico Region
• Suite of Models, Products, Visualization
• Satellite, Buoy, and other RS/GIS ingest
• Research, Applications, Dissemination
• - Weather Analysis and Forecasting
• - Tropical Cyclones and Convective Initiation
• - Pollutant Transport and Aerosol/Radiation
• - Severe and Winter Weather and others

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Structure/Approach
Support by NOAA, DoD, EPA, Agriculture, Educatio
n, Others
Base Funding Internships Research
Student interns as professionals
Gulf of Mexico and Gulf Coastal States Research
Program and Products
Private Sector
Faculty/Staff
Satellites for Research
Technical and Virtual Community
Conduit for Diversity