Strengthening the Relationship Between the National Weather Service and the Academic Community in eastern North Carolina and Beyond

The relationship between the academic and operational meteorological communities is a vital link in preparing the next generation of meteorologists for a rapidly evolving workforce that requires greater flexibility and multifaceted skills than ever before. As one of the largest employers of meteorologists, this is certainly true for the National Weather Service. In some instances, this relationship is easier to maintain when a local National Weather Service office is co-located with a college or university that has a meteorology or atmospheric science program on campus. In other areas of the country, such as in eastern North Carolina, this relationship is much harder to foster because the local NWS office is not co-located with any academic institutions. Students have to travel farther for internship experience, it is harder to collaborate on operationally relevant research projects, and it may be more difficult for professors to remain in contact with the changing needs of the NWS and thus, the future needs of some of their students.

To bridge this gap, the NWS office in Morehead City, North Carolina, has adopted a multifaceted approach to engage with the academic community through some unique methods. Leveraging resources such as the NOAA Hollings Scholarship, the Educational Partnership Program with Minority Serving Institutions, and by developing a relationship with the Duke University Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, NC, students are offered a one-of-a-kind interactive experience that combines in-office learning with living in an on-campus environment. This allows students to overcome the economic hardship often experienced when trying to find affordable housing during an internship.

NWS Morehead City is also working with professors at East Carolina University to create an evolved curriculum for a Synoptic Meteorology class. This curriculumencompasses both the traditional theory and fundamentals essential for understanding the foundations of synoptic meteorology. Furthermore, it illustrates how these concepts are applied in operations at the National Weather Service. By incorporating leadership, communication, decision support, and briefing skills directly into the class, students gain a comprehensive understanding of these fundamentals and their practical application, right up to the customer service delivery level. This approach better prepares them for a future career in operational meteorology than traditional learning methods alone.

Finally, NWS Morehead City is working with NC State University and the Keenan Fellows Program for Teacher Leadership to connect with K-12 teachers in vulnerable areas across eastern North Carolina to provide them with a unique opportunity to explore the National Weather Service and other STEM related organizations. These programs aim to provide students in these areas with access to potential opportunities that they may not have otherwise known about.

While these efforts are not without significant sacrifice on the staff at NWS Morehead City, they have been rewarded with immeasurable return on investment. This comes in the form of local research projects provided by students, opportunities for collaboration with academic institutions, and talent identification and acquisition. Many of our students have since gained employment with the National Weather Service, which is the ultimate reward for the hard work and dedication required for these activities.