A Personal Perspective on the Continuing Importance and Value of Doctoral Education in Synoptic-Dynamic Meteorology

The call for abstracts for this symposium leads off with the statement, “The Daniel Keyser Symposium celebrates the field of synoptic–dynamic meteorology through the lens of Dan’s career and his contributions to science and education,” and later includes the statement, “The Symposium will explore and integrate three dimensions of Dan’s career,” the third of which is “his commitment and dedication to atmospheric-science education.” The call for abstracts concludes with the statement, “Importantly, the Symposium offers the participants the opportunity to reflect on the field of synoptic-dynamic meteorology, by exploring its foundations and development, its present state, and its continuation into the future.” These successive statements motivate me to express the perception, held by some in the synoptic-dynamic meteorology research community, that in recent years there has been a devaluation of the importance of doctoral education in synoptic-dynamic meteorology as practiced in research universities. The devalued importance of doctoral education in synoptic-dynamic meteorology may be attributed to the maturation of numerical weather prediction, the proliferation of climate science, and the emergence of disciplines such as artificial intelligence. Symptoms of the devalued importance of doctoral education in synoptic-dynamic meteorology are a reduction in the representation of synoptic-dynamic meteorology faculty in meteorology and atmospheric science departments in research universities, and the notion that university education in synoptic-dynamic meteorology should be restricted to bachelor’s and master’s degrees, with a focus on the professional preparation of weather forecasters. In this presentation, I will offer a personal perspective on the continuing importance and value of doctoral education in synoptic-dynamic meteorology, which not only prepares graduates to conduct original research in this discipline, but also provides them with the ability and confidence to transition to related and emerging disciplines as their careers progress.