houck2040/artisci huggingface dataset:
two weeks of chasing: aggies complete multi-state convective storms field studytexas a&m meteorology students recently completed a two-week long field experience studying severe weather forecasting storms and safely storm chasingjun 30 2021 in may of 2021 a group of aggie meteorology students set out on a two-week field study to forecast observe and study severe weather the study was led by dr chris nowotarski associate professor in texas a&m universitys department of atmospheric sciences who researches the dynamics and structure of severe weather nowotarski led a group of 20 undergraduate students across the great plains ranging from hays kansas to their home base in college station alongside atmospheric sciences faculty dr don conlee and dr erik nielsen they taught and trained students on how to properly conduct a storm chase the class consisted of structured weather briefings weather balloon launches and equipment training every student involved was able to both observe and learn from the veteran storm chasers rising junior annisa mccollom said her experience was beyond impactful because we got to forecast [storms] beforehand and go and actually see it happen in the field not only did the students learn how to operate meteorological equipment but they also provided invaluable data from weather balloon launches to surrounding national weather service offices the data collected helped forecasters at each office prepare the public for severe weather later that evening the 2021 convective storms field studyeven other colleges contributed to the success of this field study as western texas college and fort hays state university provided space on their campuses for the aggie weather briefings opportunities like these are very common in the college of geosciences at texas a&m these students have developed their meteorological technical skills and gained experience in properly communicating weather information it was an incredible experience for the undergraduates and dr nowotarski wishes to host a version of this course in the future and yes they did see some tornadoes by drew davis texas a&m college of geosciences
in may of 2021 a group of aggie meteorology students set out on a two-week field study to forecast observe and study severe weather the study was led by dr chris nowotarski associate professor in texas a&m universitys department of atmospheric sciences who researches the dynamics and structure of severe weather nowotarski led a group of 20 undergraduate students across the great plains ranging from hays kansas to their home base in college station alongside atmospheric sciences faculty dr don conlee and dr erik nielsen they taught and trained students on how to properly conduct a storm chase the class consisted of structured weather briefings weather balloon launches and equipment training every student involved was able to both observe and learn from the veteran storm chasers rising junior annisa mccollom said her experience was beyond impactful because we got to forecast [storms] beforehand and go and actually see it happen in the field not only did the students learn how to operate meteorological equipment but they also provided invaluable data from weather balloon launches to surrounding national weather service offices the data collected helped forecasters at each office prepare the public for severe weather later that evening
even other colleges contributed to the success of this field study as western texas college and fort hays state university provided space on their campuses for the aggie weather briefings opportunities like these are very common in the college of geosciences at texas a&m these students have developed their meteorological technical skills and gained experience in properly communicating weather information it was an incredible experience for the undergraduates and dr nowotarski wishes to host a version of this course in the future and yes they did see some tornadoes by drew davis texas a&m college of geosciences
isaac breedlove on his ring day in november 2020 (photos courtesy of isaac breedlove '21)the texas a&m geosciences costa rica trip in april 2018
for many of his formative years isaac breedlove 21 had two higher education dreams: attend the university of texas and study meteorology as fate would have it he graduated from texas a&m university instead with an environmental geosciences degree in may of this year and today hes grateful that his childhood plans didnt work out staying flexible my whole family grew up as longhorns breedlove said my parents both went to the university of texas and met there and my sister graduated from ut austin in 2020 so i grew up wanting to go to ut but i also grew up wanting to study meteorology as a high school student he applied to texas a&m and the university of oklahoma because he knew he wanted to stay in the region and study meteorology his senior year he received a houston livestock and rodeo scholarship to be applied to a texas public university and that cemented his decision to attend texas a&m as he began earning his degree at texas a&m in 2017 he had his sights set on meteorology i chose meteorology because i dreamed of becoming a storm chaser for years breedlove said i ended up switching my major at the end of my sophomore year to environmental geosciences i was still able to minor in meteorology and graduate on time environmental geosciences is an interdisciplinary major that offers students a lot of flexibility and includes course content drawn from meteorology geology oceanography and physical geography already having a significant amount of knowledge of meteorology being able to use that knowledge in other classes and bringing that knowledge into oceanography or geology perspectives has been really beneficial and exciting he explained that has helped me connect so many physical sciences aspects of the geosciences memorable moments in aggieland breedloves four years at texas a&m were full of extraordinary experiences he said at the beginning of my junior year one of my professors reached out to me about conducting undergraduate research he recalled that was such a blessing and really exciting to be able to work with dr casellas-connors and be able to assist with his research i was able to become more involved in the research side of academics and gain knowledge that i would not have gained in a regular lecture it also helped me build networking connections and skills with faculty his undergraduate research work involved analyzing deer in the northeast us specifically in massachusetts and new york i studied and conducted survey analyses on how the populations of those states felt about the deer population rising he said we also analyzed the effects of urbanization and how thats affected the deers habitat as well as humans lifestyles dr casellas-connors reaching out to me and giving me the opportunity to do research was very impactful
isaac breedlove at the antioch community church fall retreat in november 2019isaac breedlove at the men of god christian fraternity inc public induction ceremony
learning about environmental policy and planning in the course issues in environmental quality also left an impression on breedlove that course along with science and politics of global climate change were great policy classes that i most likely wouldnt have taken in meteorology and those allowed me to become even more knowledgeable about the social aspects of our science he said since graduating in may breedlove is now pursuing a career in environmental consulting or regulation advice for incoming students one piece of wisdom from his mother that breedlove wishes he would have taken to heart sooner is to ask for help my mom taught me this: its so important to know that its okay to ask for help its okay to not know he said the professors and teaching assistants are willing to help theyre not going to give you the answers but if you ask for help and are willing to think critically theyll be willing to help you participating in student organizations also made all the difference in his undergraduate career he reflected one thing that really impacted me was getting involved and i really encourage younger geoscientists to do that he said i was a part of the texas a&m student chapter of the american meteorological society (tamscams) wine to water a community emergency response team and outside of the major i also got involved with intramurals my church and big event – and those were all important supports and stress relief judy nunez college of geosciences director of recruitment was also a huge source of support and encouragement he said being in the wine to water first year seminar with judy nunez was one of the greatest experiences ive had at texas a&m he recalled learning about the global water crisis and then getting to go to costa rica that spring that was so impactful she also helped me decide what to switch my major to and that was such a blessing as well by leslie lee
bon voyage wished to the faculty and students by hal schade (top left) before setting off on the schade cruise (image credit: dr chrissy wiederwohl)
twelve undergraduate students in texas a&ms department of oceanography recently joined faculty and the crew of the r/v point sur on a research cruise in the gulf of mexico no typical four-hour tour this cruise spanned four days from june 1 through june 4 started in 2019 thanks to a generous donation from hal schade 67 the cruise is affectionately referred to as the schade cruise schade is passionate about the ocean and helping aggies find meaningful careers in ocean sciences from 2003 to 2009 he sailed in the western caribbean on his boat griffin in 2009 he moved back to college station and renewed his involvement with supporting texas a&m a texas a&m foundation representative came to meet me on my boat in port aransas texas schade recalled he asked: ‘where specifically do you want this money to go i thought about it while sitting on my boat in the ocean and that was it! i answered ‘see if they have an oceanography program today that gift makes the schade cruise possible giving undergraduate students the enhanced education and hands-on experiences necessary to fully grasp all aspects of oceanographic research experience the science envisioned as a cruise specifically for undergraduate students the schade cruise continues to afford valuable opportunities for undergraduates to do real research on a multi-day cruise it not only gives students oceanographic experience but also allows them to experience working and living on a ship as a team working closely together and developing strong bonds while doing meaningful work was a highlight of the cruise said charles larrouilh this hands-on experience exposed me to the reality of life at sea and has deepened my interest in this vocation the cruise was led by dr chrissy wiederwohl instructional associate professor of oceanography at texas a&m and dr shari yvon-lewis professor and department head for oceanography together they led their students in continuing the research started in 2019 students and faculty divided into two 12-hour shifts day and night working around the clock to accomplish the continuous sample and data collections throughout the trip the overarching goal is to provide students with the opportunity to put into practice what they learn either in their classes or during our shorter half-day field trips in galveston bay said yvon-lewis in class we discuss data and what the data can tell us about conditions in the ocean but this cruise drives home how we collect that data and can even make it more clear how we draw our conclusions from the data
faculty and students viewing incoming data from the control room on board image credit: gabriel luciostudents helping lower the ctd rosette into the water during the night shift image credit: gabriel lucio
similar to the cruise in 2019 they did several full water column profiles around the area of the tragic 2010 deep-water horizon oil spill to collect continuous data from the surface down to the bottom temperature salinity pressure dissolved oxygen and fluorescence were measured and bottle samples were taken of oxygen methane dissolved inorganic carbon (dic) total alkalinity nutrients and salinity additionally the students also took samples for dissolved organic matter and colored dissolved organic matter and even looked for polyfluoroalkyl substances this year as well were studying the hydrography of the area by looking at natural water mass motion in the area yvon-lewis said we collected additional water samples for tracers which are chemicals found in seawater that identify specific water masses so we can look at circulation overall this years cruise benefited from fair weather and calmer waters one of the challenges of a research cruise is learning to work in a variety of sea-states and weather conditions we had much better weather than last time which allowed the students to get their sea legs sooner wiederwohl said even those that were a little sea-sick were still eager to get their integral part of the science done
faculty and students mustered on deck of the r/v point sur image credit: dr chrissy wiederwohl
future oceanographers the undergraduate students on this cruise ranged from freshmen to seniors while it might have been the first cruise for many the students stepped up to the challenge the most important thing was how to time manage and keep yourself busy but also balance work and passing time said veronica burgos an oceanography junior i enjoyed that i could openly ask everybody questions and that i could physically see and even touch what we were learning about i was in charge of collecting samples for dic said chris martin a senior oceanography student i just joined the oceanography department last year and have only had online classes so it was awesome meeting people in my major and talking with dr wiederwohl and dr yvon-lewis theyre really knowledgeable and really care about this stuff larrouilh was given the large responsibility of overseeing the ctd rosette which measures conductivity temperature and depth at various points between the surface and the sea floor for these aggie undergraduates the schade cruise was a lot more than just a hands-on field experience they all received a healthy taste of what it is like to be a real oceanographer after over a year of teaching through zoom it was truly inspiring to watch our students renew and solidify their passion for being oceanography majors wiederwohl said it was amazing to interact with our students in person and dive back into sea-going research and training each student walked away with more knowledge and experience a new perspective of the science they learned in the classroom and a huge appreciation for schades generosity
students gathered around the ctd rosette image credit: dr chrissy wiederwohl
giving makes high-impact experiences possible mr schade there are no words that can describe how much this opportunity has firmly cemented my passion for oceanography and has opened my eyes to the importance of ocean advocacy larrouilh said your donation changed my life and i hope to thank you in person one day thank you very much for allowing me to have an amazing experience that will last a lifetime! your generosity and love of our school and our program is truly inspiring martin said while it is certain to produce life-long memories the schade cruise provides the integral hands-on experience students will need to take with them into the next phase of their careers i am eternally grateful for the opportunity you have given me burgos said thanks to you i never want to stop learning and i hope i can inspire others the way you have inspired me getting hands-on experience at the undergraduate level can help reinforce for people that theyve made the right decision schade said to see them doing the work the excitement on their faces and their enjoyment of the science is a real pleasure schade is also the benefactor for an endowed undergraduate scholarship available to oceanography students named in memory of his sister the peni m basse memorial scholarship by justin agan '18
hurricane hector pictured from the international space station aug 7 2018 (image credit: nasa)
geosciences researchers from all over the country recently published a ground-breaking perspectives article in nature communications recommending specific anti-racism action-steps for the geosciences field dr julia cisneros 15 a postdoctoral researcher in the department of geology and geophysics at texas a&m university co-authored the piece an actionable anti-racism plan for geoscience organizations presents a twenty-point anti-racism plan that organizations can implement to build inclusive equitable and accessible communities according to the authors dr hendratta n ali associate professor of geosciences at fort hays state university served as lead author of the paper and cisneros credited alis leadership for helping develop the actionable plan while many people understand and acknowledge that racism exists within society it can be more difficult to see the racism that is manifesting within spaces held dear the authors wrote yet geoscientists cannot continue to be complicit in racism discrimination and inaction in the summer of 2020 after recognizing the significant harm against black lives we all came together to stand by dr hendratta ali and demand action be taken within our organizations to fight racism cisneros said we wrote the ‘call for a robust anti-racism plan for the geosciences together in an online document and watching our cursors buzzing around the screen was one of the most fulfilling collaborative moments ive ever experienced this paper is a natural continuation of that plan and it urges our community to re-evaluate what really has been accomplished over the past year in terms of anti-racism and whether those actions amount to long-term change their recommendations have motivated many antiracism initiatives in departments and institutions across the country she said
dr julia cisneros '15 postdoctoral researcher in the department of geology and geophysics (photo credit: cisneros)constructs for effective anti-racism (figure credit: ali hn sheffield sl bauer je et al)
the next few years will be crucial in revealing how the geoscience community and other stem disciplines tackle the presence of racism and discrimination in their communities the authors wrote this plan is a practical roadmap cisneros recently returned to aggieland as a postdoctoral scholar she earned a bachelors degree in geology from texas a&m in 2015 and then completed her phd in geology from the university of illinois urbana-champaign in march so far im proud to see so many scholars appreciating the work and saying they will use it in their organizations she said i think the team did an amazing job in setting out a clear roadmap and i hope that we can create long-term action that systematically chips away at the structural racism that currently defines and determines who is a part of and thrives within the geoscience community in addition a good number of authors including myself are early career researchers and i hope other geoscientists are as excited as i am about the next generation of geoscience leaders a term coined by drs raquel bryant and benjamin keisling in 2019 cisneros ran a geosciences camp for girls in illinois to foster interest and knowledge in the geosciences for girls from underrepresented backgrounds in 2020 she co-developed the diversity equity and inclusion literature database an extensive resource specifically for the geosciences field later that year she was invited to present her work on the geosciences camp and be a panelist in the gsa 2020 pardee symposium the next generation of geoscience leaders: strategies for excellence in diversity and inclusion today her postdoctoral research is focused on morphodynamics of sand dunes in deserts and rivers and is funded by a national science foundation (nsf) division of earth sciences postdoctoral fellowship she will be jointly working with researchers at texas a&m the university of texas and texas tech university by leslie lee
texas sea grant welcomes new community engaged internsalexis guidroz and shadrach villafranca will be mentored by txsg professionals and gain valuable field experience through the new texas sea grant community engaged internship program (txsg-cei) jun 21 2021texas sea grant's new community engaged interns alexis guidroz (left) and shadrach villafranca (right)texas sea grant welcomes two undergraduate students alexis guidroz and shadrach villafranca as summer interns through the new texas sea grant community engaged internship program (txsg-cei) the community engaged internship is an opportunity for undergraduate students from underserved and/or underrepresented or indigenous communities to gain experience and mentorship in an area of interest specific to each student this internship is part of a national sea grant-wide effort to broaden participation in marine and coastal professions to the next generation of scientists and decision-makers guidroz an undergraduate student studying environmental biology at the university of houston-clear lake will work in galveston under the mentorship of texas sea grants distinguished extension agent julie massey to learn more about environmental research in the area my plans right now are to just get involved in the community and learn new skills especially gain field experience guidroz said im excited for all the diversity [in opportunities] because i dont know exactly what i want to work with villafranca an undergraduate student majoring in marine biology at the university of texas rio grande valley (utrgv) will work with texas sea grant extension agent tony reisinger along with texas sea grant extension planning specialist kate de gennaro to gain valuable field experience in restoration and conservation efforts throughout the rio grande valley especially with fisheries and aquaculture since im going into the field of marine biology [this internship] lets me work with professionals to get to know them and build connections villafranca said im excited to get out there and start communicating and interacting with all these different people both guidroz and villafranca will gain experience and mentorship from texas sea grant professionals in their chosen fields over the summer and participate in community engagement activities they will also complete a professional development series that focuses on networking and building relationships with local community members the internship also requires completion of a project that extends the knowledge of community stakeholders to address coastal issues of environmental economic and social importance both interns will plan to present on their respective projects at the end of their internship term in august -30- media contact: sara carney communications manager texas sea grant scarney@tamuedu 979-458-8442 by corley-ann parker 20
texas sea grant's new community engaged interns alexis guidroz (left) and shadrach villafranca (right)