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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

Production:

Writing: SOARS staffEditing: SOARS staffExternal review: Karen Smith-HermanPhotos: UCARDesign: Nicole Brinn, Core Design Works, inc

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