For the week: December 18 - 24, 2006
Did
You Know?
The standard unit of measure for crude oil, the forty-two-gallon barrel,
traces its definition back to the 15th Century.
"The number was borrowed from England, where a statute in 1482
under King Edward IV established 42 gallons
as the standard size barrel for herring in order to end skulduggery
and `divers deceits' in the packing of fish."
Source: Daniel Yergin, The Prize, Simon & Schuster, 1993.
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Colloquium: There will not be a Department colloquium this Thursday. http://www.met.psu.edu/dept/events/MeteoColloq.html Congratulations to Rhonda Spychalski who won the "Future Star" Award at the EMS Staff Appreciation luncheon on Wed., Dec. 20! The award honors a staff member who has been with the College fewer than two years, who demonstrates initiative and commitment to their unit, and has made a significant impact within their short employment. All Penn State Meteorology faculty, staff, students, and alumni are invited to an Alumni Reception to be held at the Annual AMS Meeting in San Antonio, TX on Tuesday, January 16 from 6-8:30 p.m. in Salon J of the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel. Please help us to spread the word to fellow Penn Staters! Announcing the Dissertation Medal in Applied Climatology for 2007 to be awarded by the American Association of State Climatologists. Any recent Ph.D. graduate who has a galley-proof manuscript or a published journal article derived from dissertation work accomplished while a student in North America or one of the U.S. Territories is eligible to apply. [More information including how to apply.] AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships: Call
for Applications Water Bottles are on sale in the Weather Station. They are fantastic and make great gifts and great PSU Meteorology souvenirs. They are $8 each. Just look for one of the PSUBAMS officers to purchase one. Chi Epsilon Pi will be selling unique Penn State Meteorology items this year to raise funds for activities we plan to hold in the future and spread Penn State Meteo spirit! The two items we will be selling are Penn State Meteorology window clings and magnets. The price is $3 per magnet and $2 per window cling. However, for those interested in purchasing several of each, we will offer a discount of 4 magnets for $10 and 3 window clings for $5. You may purchase these items from Rhonda Spychalski in the main office on the 5th floor of Walker, Zack Byko in 410 Walker, Victor Yannuzzi in 412 Walker, or Jared Lee in 405 Walker. Any questions, contact Zack at zmb102@psu.edu. [View images of magnets and window clings.] Weekly forecast discussions will return on Tuesday, January 23, 2007! These discussions will take place each Tuesday afternoon at 2:45 in the Weather Station Classroom during the spring semester. They will be informal, last about 30 minutes, and will be lead by a Penn State, AccuWeather, or National Weather Service forecaster. Everyone with an interest in weather forecasting is invited! Feel free to drop in on the discussions whenever possible, whether it is on a weekly basis or just once or twice all semester. It is our hope that the experts giving the discussions can teach us a little more about weather forecasting and the audience engage and question the forecast discussion leader. We are still in need of more forecast discussion leaders for the spring semester, so if you have an interest in leading a forecast discussion or know someone you think would be interested, please contact Zack at zmb102@psu.edu. Colloquium Cooking Challenge Continues into Spring 2007: Due to the overwhelming number of great treats submitted to the "Colloquium Cooking Challenge" this semester and several people expressing they would like an opportunity to bake something for the contest, I have decided to extend the challenge until Spring Break. Each Thursday afternoon with a colloquium in the spring semester through Thursday, March 8, somebody will have a chance to win two free tickets to the Meteorology Department's Spring Banquet on Wednesday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. (reception at 6:30 p.m.) at the Atherton Hotel. I have already placed a sign-up sheet outside my office (410 Walker)....anyone with an interest in baking something feel free and sign up when you get a chance. For those who have already entered a dessert and those who will in the future, the winner will be announced on or around March 9. If you have any questions, or would like to sign up via email, please contact Zack Byko (zmb102@psu.edu) Colloquium: There will not be a Department colloquium this Thursday. http://www.met.psu.edu/dept/events/MeteoColloq.html Earth and Mineral Sciences Film Series: For a preview of films to be aired throughout the spring 2007l semester, please visit: http://www.libraries.psu.edu/emsl/videoseries.html WxChallenge: Conference Room Calendar Change: The 529 and 511 Walker conference room calendars are now "view only" due to a scheduling issue. If you'd like to reserve one of these rooms, the staff in the main office will be glad to make the reservation for you. IN THE NEWS: A story titled "Pollution Knows No Borders" and focusing on the research of Anne Thompson and her research team, is featured in the December 11, 2006 issue of Penn State Live [View Story]. The article is a synopsis of the talk Prof. Thompson will present at the AGU Meeting this week and focuses on ozonesonde launches and air quality sampling done in Mexico City, Houston, TX and Richland, WA over the spring and summer. Alumnus Dan W. Pulsipher, D.O. ('88 B.S.) was recently featured in an article in Medical Economics titled "Dream Practice: Working in Paradise." [View article] The September 2006 issue of Geotimes features an article by Samuel C. Schon and Arthur A. Small titled "Climate Change and the Potential of Coal Gasification." [View article] Alumni Joel Gratz ('03 B.S.) and Erik Noble ('02 B.S.) have authored an article titled "Lightning Safety and Large Stadiums," which appears in the September 2006 issue of the Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society. [View article] Craig Bohren addresses the controversial topic of global warming in the August 7 issue of the USA Today in an article titled "How to get to the bottom of the global warming debate." [View article] On August 14, Millersville University PR Newswire published an article titled "Millersville University Professor Works to Make Sailing Safer," which features alumnus Todd Sikora ('90, '92, '96) and research collaboration with George Young. [View story] An August 9, 2006 article in Penn State Live titled, "To the Point, Penn State professor on effects of Alaska oil field shutdown," features Andrew Kleit. [View story]. A May 2006 PNL web publication in the Atmospheric Science & Global Change Division titled "Sharing Space for the Sake of Science," discusses collaborations with Anne Thompson's and Bill Brune's research teams. The article also includes quotes from PNNL scientist and Penn State alumnus, Jim Mather ('86, '90, '94). [View article]. Alumnus Henry Margusity ('90 BS), senior meteorologist for AccuWeather, and Prof. Michael Mann are interviewed for an article titled "A hurricane here could spell trouble" that appeared in the Hazelton Standard Speaker on July 16, 2006. [View Article] Geoff Cornish was interviewed for a story appearing in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.com on July 9, 2006 titled "Where's the Most Perfect Climate" [View Story] A 2002 Penn State Meteorology alumnus, Manajit Sengupta, was featured in an article in the Wall Street Journal on June 27, 2006. The article, titled "Under a Cloud" is about the daunting backlog of visa applicants and the logistics and time involved in getting a long-term visa. [View Article]. Fred Gadomski is featured in a Penn State Live article on June 21, 2006 about the summer forecast. [View Article] Research done by Michael Mann, Raymond Bradley, and Malcom Hughes was in the spotlight in most national newspapers last week. For instance, visit, "Study: Earth 'likely' hottest in 2,000 years" from CNN.com. On May 29, The Toronto Star published an article titled "Weather matters to Wall Street," which discusses the increasing opportunities for meteorologists in financial markets. Andy Kleit was interviewed for the story. [Full Story] A story titled "Climate change responsible for increased hurricanes," featuring Michael Mann, was published in the May 31, 2006 issue of Penn State Live. [Full Story] Archived News: The weekly news is archived. See the link at the bottom of the page to access the archives.
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Colloquium: There will not be a Department colloquium
this Thursday. http://www.met.psu.edu/dept/events/MeteoColloq.html Congratulations to Rhonda Spychalski who won the
"Future Star" Award at the EMS Staff Appreciation
luncheon on Wed., Dec. 20! The award honors a staff member
who has been with the College fewer than two years, who demonstrates
initiative and commitment to their unit, and has made a significant
impact within their short employment. All Penn State Meteorology faculty, staff, students,
and alumni are invited to an Alumni Reception
to be held at the Annual AMS Meeting in San Antonio, TX on Tuesday,
January 16 from 6-8:30 p.m. in
Salon J of the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel. Please
help us to spread the word to fellow Penn Staters! The Twenty-second Annual Graduate Exhibition will be
held from March 23-25, 2007. An online entry from and
complete guidelines for participants can be found on the Graduate
School homepage (www.gradsch.psu.edu/exhibition).
Entry forms will be accepted online beginning January
15, 2007 and continuing until 5:00 p.m. February 23, 2007.
An informal meeting for potential exhibitors will be held on
Wed., January 17, 2007 from 5-7
p.m. in 112 Kern Building. Graduating Students: Please remember to return
your keys to Rhonda Spychalski in 502 Walker before you leave
campus! Also, remember to give Linda Porta a bound and unbound
(on regular paper) copy of your thesis. Colloquium Cooking Challenge Continues into Spring
2007: Due to the overwhelming number of great treats
submitted to the "Colloquium Cooking Challenge" this
semester and several people expressing they would like an opportunity
to bake something for the contest, I have decided to extend
the challenge until Spring Break. Each Thursday afternoon with
a colloquium in the spring semester through Thursday, March
8, somebody will have a chance to win two free tickets to the
Meteorology Department's Spring Banquet on Wednesday, March
28 at 7:00 p.m. (reception at 6:30 p.m.) at the Atherton Hotel.
I have already placed a sign-up sheet outside my office (410
Walker)....anyone with an interest in baking something feel
free and sign up when you get a chance. For those who have already
entered a dessert and those who will in the future, the winner
will be announced on or around March 9. If you have any questions,
or would like to sign up via email, please contact Zack Byko
(zmb102@psu.edu) Spring 2007 GIS Training Workshops: The Graduate School, in cooperation with Penn State Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Council, is offering the workshops listed below in GIS training. These workshops are geared toward faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students interested in incorporating GIS into their research projects. Workshops begin in January. For more information, please visit
http://www.gis.psu.edu Nominations are being accepted for the Wilson Award
for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Earth and
Mineral Sciences. You are invited and encouraged to nominate
an EMS faculty member for the 2007 Matthew J. and Anne C. Wilson
Outstanding Teaching Award. Nominations are due no later than
February 15, 2007. Please visit:
http://www.met.psu.edu/dept/news/EMSWilsonTeachingAward.pdf
for a list of faculty members who have received the Wilson Award
for Outstanding Teaching and are ineligible to receive it again. New Commencement Schedule for Fall Commencement at
University Park: For the announcement visit: http://live.psu.edu/story/19285 Water Bottles are on sale in the Weather Station.
They are fantastic and make great gifts and great PSU Meteorology
souvenirs. They are $8 each. Just look for one of the PSUBAMS
officers to purchase one. January 2007 Candidacy Exam: The next PhD
Candidacy Exam will next be given during the week of January
8-12, 2007, which is the week before spring classes start. Dr.
Shirer will hold a meeting in late November, 2006 or early December,
2006 with those students taking the next exam to talk about
logistics, including setting the dates for the two sections
of the exam, and to answer any questions the students might
have. Registration is now open for scheduling classes for
spring 2007. If you need a drop/add form for restricted
classes, see Linda Porta in 502 Walker. WxChallenge: WxChallenge website: http://wxchallenge.com/ 32nd Annual Northeastern Storm Conference Call for
Papers. Deadline for submission of abstracts is January
12, 2007. The conference, sponsored by the Lyndon State
College chapter of the AMS and the National Weather Association
will be held March 9-11, 2007 at the Springfield Marriott in
Springfield, MA. [More
Info] Weekly forecast discussions will return on
Tuesday, January 23, 2007! These discussions
will take place each Tuesday afternoon at 2:45 in the Weather
Station Classroom during the spring semester. They will be informal,
last about 30 minutes, and will be lead by a Penn State, AccuWeather,
or National Weather Service forecaster. Everyone with an interest
in weather forecasting is invited! Feel free to drop in on the
discussions whenever possible, whether it is on a weekly basis
or just once or twice all semester. It is our hope that the
experts giving the discussions can teach us a little more about
weather forecasting and the audience engage and question the
forecast discussion leader. We are still in need of more forecast
discussion leaders for the spring semester, so if you have an
interest in leading a forecast discussion or know someone you
think would be interested, please contact Zack at zmb102@psu.edu. Deadlines and Important Dates: Dec 18-21 Mon-Thurs—Final Exams Dec 22 Friday—Commencement SPRING 2007 COURSES
Colloquium: There will not be a Department colloquium this Thursday. http://www.met.psu.edu/dept/events/MeteoColloq.html Congratulations to Rhonda Spychalski who won the "Future Star" Award at the EMS Staff Appreciation luncheon on Wed., Dec. 20! The award honors a staff member who has been with the College fewer than two years, who demonstrates initiative and commitment to their unit, and has made a significant impact within their short employment. Nominations are being accepted for the Wilson Award for Outstanding Teaching in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. You are invited and encouraged to nominate an EMS faculty member for the 2007 Matthew J. and Anne C. Wilson Outstanding Teaching Award. Nominations are due no later than February 15, 2007. Please visit: http://www.met.psu.edu/dept/news/EMSWilsonTeachingAward.pdf for a list of faculty members who have received the Wilson Award for Outstanding Teaching and are ineligible to receive it again. Each spring semester, EMS recognizes exceptional student achievement through several awards. This year's awards include the 2007 Ellen Steidle Achievement Awards, the 2007 Dean Steidle Scholar Award, the 2007 William Grundy Haven Student Paper Competition, and the 2007 GEMS Diamond Award (new!). Please visit http://www.met.psu.edu/dept/news/EMS_Student_Awards_2007.pdf for more information on each award. Nominations deadlines are February 15, 2007. Two students who participated in the summer 2006 Student Volunteer Program at the NWS in Baltimore/Washington presented their research through posters at the NWA conference in Ohio in October. Audra Henneke was awarded the "Best Poster by an Undergraduate Student" and Katie LaBelle, a senior, presented two aviation climatology posters at the meeting. [Read about Audra and Katie's accomplishments in the Fall 2006 edition of the Sterling Reporter, a newsletter of NOAA's National Weather Service in the Baltimore/Washington Forecast Office.] Summer Student Opportunity Listing on the AMS web site
Companies and radio/tv stations are advertising summer Graduation Reception: On Friday, December 22, graduating seniors and their families are invited to attend a reception in the Weather Station from 11-1 p.m. Lunch will be served. Colloquium Cooking Challenge Continues into Spring 2007: Due to the overwhelming number of great treats submitted to the "Colloquium Cooking Challenge" this semester and several people expressing they would like an opportunity to bake something for the contest, I have decided to extend the challenge until Spring Break. Each Thursday afternoon with a colloquium in the spring semester through Thursday, March 8, somebody will have a chance to win two free tickets to the Meteorology Department's Spring Banquet on Wednesday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. (reception at 6:30 p.m.) at the Atherton Hotel. I have already placed a sign-up sheet outside my office (410 Walker)....anyone with an interest in baking something feel free and sign up when you get a chance. For those who have already entered a dessert and those who will in the future, the winner will be announced on or around March 9. If you have any questions, or would like to sign up via email, please contact Zack Byko (zmb102@psu.edu) Spring 2007 GIS Training Workshops: The Graduate School, in cooperation with Penn State Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Council, is offering the workshops listed below in GIS training. These workshops are geared toward faculty, staff, graduate and undergraduate students interested in incorporating GIS into their research projects. Workshops begin in January. For more information, please visit http://www.gis.psu.edu Graduating Seniors: Please remember to return your keys to Rhonda Spychalski in 502 Walker before you leave campus! Please also see Rhonda prior to graduation--she has some forms for you. Among the forms, is a questionnaire about what your plans are after graduation. Be sure to let us know so we can collect accurate statistics about where our alumni find employment after they graduate. Prospective students and their families are very interested in this data! The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) is pleased to announce the RISE (Research Internships in Science and Engineering) Program will take place in the summer of 2007. Undergrads spend the summer working on a research project with a German Ph.D. student, who serves as a personal and professional mentor. Students receive a scholarship to cover living expenses, and the Ph.D. student will help find housing. Participants get exposed to advanced research and learn about Germany from the inside, make new friends and establish professional contacts, and spend weekends exploring the heart of Europe. Online registration and internship database open on Thursday, December 7. Online registration opened on November 1. The internship database will be activated on Friday, December 1. Find out about eligibility and the application process, and read reports from past participants, at http://www.daad.de/rise/en/index.html 32nd Annual Northeastern Storm Conference Call for Papers. Deadline for submission of abstracts is January 12, 2007. The conference, sponsored by the Lyndon State College chapter of the AMS and the National Weather Association will be held March 9-11, 2007 at the Springfield Marriott in Springfield, MA. [More Info] Important Deadlines/Dates: Dec 18-21 Mon-Thurs—Final
Exams There is still time to apply for Spring 2007 co-op positions with Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and the Naval Surface Warfare Center. Interested Meteorology students should register with the College of Science Co-Op Program by visiting: http://www.science.psu.edu/coop. A permanent link to the College of Science Cooperative program has been added to the Department's "Employment" page and "Undergraduate" page.
Water Bottles are on sale in the Weather Station. They are fantastic and make great gifts and great PSU Meteorology souvenirs. They are $8 each. Just look for one of the PSUBAMS officers to purchase one. Sixth Semester Advising Reminder: All sixth semester students should make an appointment with their advisor to review their academic progress and scheduling plans. IUG Open to All Students: The Graduate Council has recently approved the proposal to make the IUG program open to all students (as opposed to just Schreyer's Honors students). The new policy will go into effect in the Spring 2007. For those who aren't familiar with the IUG program, it is an integrated B.S./M.S. (IUG) program that is designed to allow academically superior students to obtain both the B.S. and the M.S. degree in Meteorology in five years of study. [More info] New Commencement Schedule for Fall Commencement at University Park: For the announcement visit: http://live.psu.edu/story/19285 WxChallenge: Chi Epsilon Pi Tutoring Services: For every undergraduate meteorology class and Math 140/140G and Math 141, a tutor has been selected who has extensive background in the topic. The idea is that this is a person you can contact if you feel you need more assistance with a course than the instructor and TA can provide. Most importantly, this service is completely free of charge! If you are struggling with a class this fall, please use Chi Epsilon Pi's tutoring services. The best way to contact tutors is via email, even though an impromptu visit to a tutor's office may be fruitful on some occasions. The tutoring list can be viewed at http://www.met.psu.edu/dept/courses/tutoringlist.html Weekly forecast discussions will return on Tuesday, January 23, 2007! These discussions will take place each Tuesday afternoon at 2:45 in the Weather Station Classroom during the spring semester. They will be informal, last about 30 minutes, and will be lead by a Penn State, AccuWeather, or National Weather Service forecaster. Everyone with an interest in weather forecasting is invited! Feel free to drop in on the discussions whenever possible, whether it is on a weekly basis or just once or twice all semester. It is our hope that the experts giving the discussions can teach us a little more about weather forecasting and the audience engage and question the forecast discussion leader. We are still in need of more forecast discussion leaders for the spring semester, so if you have an interest in leading a forecast discussion or know someone you think would be interested, please contact Zack at zmb102@psu.edu. 2007 Student Career Experience Program positions at the Meteorological Development Lab located in Silver Spring, MD. Please visit the following website for details about this COOP opportunity: http://www.nws.noaa.gov/mdl/coop/coop.htm Plan Ahead for Meteo 414! I thought I would give you some advanced notice concerning our plans for Meteo 414, Mesoscale Meteorology. By Spring '07 we are planning to schedule the course in a newly renovated room on the first floor of Walker that will have a maximum capacity of 36 students. This spring we were able to accommodate 40 students in the course, but we will not be able to do so in the future. If you were planning to take the course in Spring '07, but could take it in Fall '06, then please do so as there are currently spaces available. We wish to make the course available to each of you who wants to take it, but to ensure that you are able to register for the course, we ask that you plan ahead and take it at the earliest possible time in which there are openings in the class. Sincerely, Professor Shirer Become a student member of the AMS: http://www.ametsoc.org/memb/ SPRING 2007 COURSES
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Now available for students, faculty, staff, and alumni!
Have you recently received a fellowship or scholarship? Have you been invited to give a lecture, named as a fellow of a professional society, or won a competition? We want to share your accomplishments with the rest of the Meteorology family. Please use the button to the left to send us the information or email: persing@ems.psu.edu.
Send news items to persing@ems.psu.edu
Visit the weekly news ARCHIVES [click here].