Meet our 2023 Summer Interns at the Weather Program Office!
Alekya Srinivasan
Institution: Penn State University
Major: Meteorology & Atmospheric Science
Interesting fact: I have travelled to 12 countries!
What’s something you can’t live without? My friends, family, cat, and chai tea.
Alekya will become the first student ambassador for the Unified Forecast System (UFS). This will include evaluating the new Rapid Refresh Forecast System and/or the latest version of the Short Range Weather (SRW) application for its usability in an academic setting, and provide recommendations to inform future training, tutorials, and user support for that application. Alekya will work on developing an engagement and outreach plan tailored to encouraging students to become more involved with the UFS, provide a student-based perspective to UFS and EPIC-based strategies, and inform the development of the second annual Unifying Innovations in Forecasting Capabilities Workshop (UIFCW). Alekya will also moderate one of the sessions at UIFCW.
Anthony David, Jr.
Institution: Harrisburg University of Science and Technology
Degree: B.S. in Enviornmental Science and Sustainability
Interesting fact: I love going to concerts.
What’s something that makes you happy? Spending the day in nature.
Project Title: Societal Data Insights Initiative (SDII) at the Nexus of Weather and Climate
Anthony joins the Societal Data Insights Initiative (SDII) to complete a summer research project that integrates social science data and weather/climate. Working with the Social, Behavioral, and Economic Science (SBES) team in WPO, mentors from the National Weather Service (NWS), and NOAA’s Performance, Risk, and Social Science Office (PRSSO), he will develop a web-based ArcGIS application that helps communicate SBES findings to diverse internal and external audiences. Anthony’s project is expected to focus on integrating data on some aspect of social vulnerability, such as food insecurity, and weather/climate data in a geospatial analysis.
Cameron Bennett
Institution: Jackson State University
Major: Meteorology
Interesting fact about you: I am an Eagle Scout
What’s your go-to karaoke song? Anything Keith Sweat really.
Cameron will complete a summer project designed to use GPLOT software to test visualizations derived from post-processing of the Hurricane Analysis and Forecast System (HAFS). This testing will be especially timely to show the effectiveness of the HAFS’ performance when this model might be needed most–during a potentially active 2023 Atlantic Hurricane Season. In particular, Cameron will perform post-processing data analysis of a historical hurricane event (i.e., analyzing output from an already completed model run), and assess the viability of HAFS in the context of today’s forecasting environment. He will also provide insight into visualization best practices to help NOAA create useful and usable products.
Emily Glenn
Institution: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Major: Earth, Society, & Environmental
Interesting fact about you: I listen to a wide variety of music – lately I’ve enjoyed Japanese heavy metal and K-pop. I do gymnastics, dance, and martial arts in my free time, and I have a scrunkly dog back home in Los Angeles named Louie.
What’s your favorite place on Earth? I love visiting butterfly gardens!
Emily will complete a summer project designed to analyze customer experience and satisfaction survey data for WPO’s 2023 weather research funding competition. This includes developing a focus group moderator guide and providing research-guided recommendations on how to enhance outreach and education materials related to the Weather Program Office’s (WPO) future funding opportunities. Emily will also assist WPO staff in developing new webinar materials, as well as her perspective on improving and modernizing WPO’s approach to engaging the public.
Laura Dailey
Institution: University of Delaware
Major: Meteorology and Climate Science
Interesting fact about you: I am classically trained in ballet and have danced for the last 16 years.
What’s one TV show/movie that you could watch over and over? Interstellar
Laura will provide research to help set guidelines for how WPO and the weather community as a whole measure innovation. She will help identify opportunities in WPO to better align research with its mission of improving Earth prediction systems, such as the UFS, and gaining new perspectives from all members in the community. Her work will also emphasize additional activities and efforts that WPO can implement to better foster innovation and help to draw in the rising generation. She will explore concepts of innovation, risk, perception of projects in terms of their potential for transition of innovations to operations, and benefits to NOAA and society.
Interested in our Internship Programs?
The William M. LaPenta NOAA Student Internship Program is offering paid summer internships for the 2024 summer season targeted towards current 2nd and 3rd-year undergraduate and enrolled graduate students to work in areas that will provide robust research and/or operational experience to prepare the student for further study in NOAA fields, application to fellowships or the NOAA-mission workforce. We are accepting graduate and undergraduate student applications from October 1, 2023, to January 3, 2024.
The NOAA Educational Partnership Program (EPP) with Minority Serving institutions (MSI) Undergraduate Scholarship provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to study a wide range of STEM and social science disciplines related to NOAA’s mission and objectives. Appointment as an EPP/MSI scholar involves full-time study during the 9-month academic year, an 11-week internship during the first summer at NOAA headquarters in Silver Spring, MD and, if reappointed, fulltime study during a second 9-month academic year and a second 10-week summer internship.
The Hollings and Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI) Undergraduate Scholarship applications will close on Wednesday, January 31, 2024.