OUCAMS officers and chairs for 2014-15: Kelsey Britt, Ashley Maupin, Megan Jones, Jackie Fain, Chad Goergens, Morgan Wentling, Alex J. Vorst, Sarah Lemelin.
The Ohio University Chapter of the American Meteorological Society was named “Outstanding Student Chapter of the Year” by the American Meteorological Society.
This award is given annually to the top student chapter that excels in education, outreach, and community service.
The citation the OHIO meteorology club reads: “For its commitment to community service, including hosting an annual symposium open to the public, support of StormFest, and outreach to local elementary schools.”
“Although we have applied for the award every year, this is the first year we’ve won the top national recognition. We’ve had the honor roll designation once,” notes Dr. Ryan Fogt, Associate Professor of Geography and the meteorology club adviser. “This is a huge honor and speaks highly of the caliber of our students and reflects strongly on our department and growing program.”
The OHIO meteorology club will be recognized at the national AMS meeting in January 2016 in New Orleans.
The Ohio University Chapter of the American Meteorological Society (OUCAMS) began in 2005 and was known originally as the Ohio University Meteorology Club. In 2009, the club became a local chapter of the American Meteorological Society and is to now be known as OUCAMS.
Members from OUCAMS volunteered time out of their day to attend the Athens Middle School’s after-school science program in April 2014. They taught students about the polar vortex, temperature density, the water cycle, updrafts and even pressure.
OUCAMS is for students with a passion for the weather. Students don’t have to have a meteorology major, or even a minor, to be a member of this chapter. The student chapter has grown tremendously throughout the years, and has been getting more recognition through many outreach programs in the Athens community and surrounding areas, with community, educational, and social events throughout the school year.
During the 2014-15 school year, the club joined the Adopt-A-Highway program in Athens. They also participated as a chapter in Athens Beautification Day. Another ongoing community service activity is outreach days with local schools. Members often go to a school, and sometimes school field trips come to campus to see OHIO students perform experiments to teach the younger students about the weather. They also traveled to Pittsburgh once again to help the California University of Pennsylvania with its annual StormFest program at the Carnegie Science Center.
Each year the club hosts a meteorology symposium, with the spring 2015 event featuring great speakers from a variety of places, including The Weather Channel, the National Hurricane Center, and FEMA. Some members also attended the American Meteorological Society Student Conference in Phoenix in January, and two undergraduate students presented their research during the student poster session.
“Our members love doing activities outside of club meetings,” adds this year’s club president, Megan Jones. “We had a variety of intramural teams this year: softball, volleyball, and kickball. Scary movies are always popular among members, as well as gathering weekly for TV shows. We went to OHIO sporting events as well, like football, basketball, and hockey. Some of our main club social events were game nights, the Opening Weekend Cookout, Fall Jamboree, and our annual Spring Cabin Trip.
“Another great aspect of our club is our Peer Mentor/Mentee program,” she says. “New members get paired with an upperclassman to help them with the transition into college life, as well as to get better integrated into the club. Mentors and mentees have special events as a group, plus they arrange things as a pair, whether it’s going to dinner, a movie, or getting help with homework.
“This organization has really helped make Ohio University home for me. It provides not only educational and networking opportunities that will help me in the future, but it gives me a family to have during my four years here. I encourage anyone who has an interest in the weather to come see what our club is all about,” Jones says.
Follow the club—and the local weather—on Facebook and Twitter.
Comments