NSSL and outreach

NSSL hosted a number of high school and college students this summer. The students were sponsored by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU), Practical Hands-On Application to Science Education (PHASE) supported by NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, and NSF's Collaboratives to Integrate Research and Education (CIRE) in Earth System Science program. Daphne Zaras is the project director for REU and coordinates NSSL/CIMMS's involvement in PHASE. Here is a summary by program:

REU students, mentor, school, topic:

Sara Bruening

NSSL-Brooks/SPC-Kay, UW-Milwaukee, "A New Perspective of the Climatology of Tornadoes,"

Nettie Lake

NSSL-MacGorman, Lyndon State College, "A Relationship Between Surface Equivalent Potential Temperature and the Dominant Lightning Polarity of Severe Thunderstorms in the Great Plains,"

Mario Lopez

NSSL-Howard, UT Pan American, "Are Biological Hotspots Dependent on Climate?,"

Alison Marr

NSSL-Elmore, Murray State U. (KY), "The Effects of an Ice Parameterization Scheme on Ensemble Cloud Model Storm Lifetimes,"

Cathryn Meyer

NSSL-Brooks, Boston College, "A Statistical Model for Significant Tornado Hazards in the United States,"

Jason Tomlinson

NSSL-Rust, Valparaiso University, "Procedure for Refurbishing Balloon-Borne Electric Field Meters."

PHASE students, mentor, school:

Sarah Brown

NSSL-Zaras/Rasmussen, OU,

Kathleen Roberts

NSSL-Zaras/Rasmussen, Casady School, OKC,

Chelsea McEntire

NSSL-Zaras/Rasmussen, May graduate of Moore H.S.,

Justen Brown

NSSL-Rabin, May graduate of Norman North H.S.

CIRE students, mentor, school:

Sirneika Fraser

NSSL-Krause, Clark Atlanta University (there are three additional CIRE students at OU).

Summer volunteers:

David Droescher

NSSL-Zaras, Norman North H.S.,

Zachary Dufran

a May graduate of Norman H.S., worked on a climatology of severe storms that produce positive cloud-to-ground lightning.

NSSL staff frequently speak to local schools and several are EARTHSTORM mentors for schools around the state. In addition to the students, we have hosted international visitors from China, Canada, Argentina and Japan. NSSL gave tours and presentations about our work to over 550 children and adults during the months of April, May and June.