Description:

Meteorology has many dates of significance: those that mark inventions, discoveries, and shifts in trajectory for the science of the skies. Others mark the emergence of people who forever change our understanding of phenomena once mysterious and illusive. Dr. Tetsuya “Ted” Fujita was such a person. Born in Nakasone, a small village in Kyushu Prefecture, Japan, on Oct. 23, 1920, Fujita rose from challenging, war-time circumstances to become a star pupil in his high school and a revered teacher and scholar at Meji University. His move to the U.S. in 1953 would lead to a significant set of research paths that altered how people understood atmospheric phenomena. In this panel, an interdisciplinary cadre of admirers—two former PhD students, a filmmaker, a biographer, and the head of a memorial association created in his name in Japan--will come together to honor his life and contributions. Please join us in celebrating the 100 year anniversary of his birth.

Before joining us at the annual meeting, we invite you to watch the one-hour PBS documentary on Dr. Fujita’s live called “Mr. Tornado:” at https://www.pbs.org/video/mr-tornado-upsuu9/

• Roger Wakimoto, Vice Chancellor of Research at UCLA and former PhD student, will talk about his work with microbursts.
• Greg Forbes, Retired Severe Weather Expert at The Weather Channel and former PhD student, will talk about his work with tornadoes, focusing on Fargo.
• Jen Henderson, Research Scientist at CIRES and Assistant Professor at TTU, will talk about his development of a damage assessment approach to tornadoes.
• Michael Rossi, filmmaker and creator of the PBS documentary “Mr. Tornado” will talk about what he learned about Dr. Fujita through the making of the film.
• Akira Kaneuji, President of the T.T. Fujita Memorial Association in Japan, will talk about their efforts to collect and preserve both his materials and his legacy in his hometown.