The SUNY Oswego Undergraduate Radar Curriculum Experience: A Summary of Successes and Recommendations for Future NSF-FARE Requests

The SUNY Oswego Undergraduate Radar Curriculum Experience (SOURCE) is an NSF FARE funded program to deploy a Doppler on Wheels (DOW) radar platform to the campus of SUNY Oswego for an eight-day period from 1 April, 2024 through 8 April, 2024. SOURCE aimed at engaging with more than 80 meteorology and physics students through a variety of methods, including four intensive observation periods, redesigned course material, in person lectures by radar experts, a seminar series, and a career panel. Local K-12 audiences interacted with SOURCE through a school visit and STEM Community Day, involving over 300 students and family members. Twenty-four meteorology students in upper division courses were responsible for designing research objectives based on potential meteorological conditions using the available equipment. The four intensive observation periods were conducted at various locations around Lake Ontario during unique meteorological conditions, including the total solar eclipse utilizing the DOW in student directed scanning modes, ten radiosonde launches, and surface observations collected by various systems. Following the collection of data, students were educated on the processing of radar data through three in person workshops lead by a Python ARM Radar Toolkit (Py-ART) developer and the processing of radiosonde data through in class exercises. Students designed and presented research posters based on their individual interests from SOURCE. Evaluations on radar curriculum and the scientific method were conducted throughout the semester to identify misconceptions and capture improvement in understanding.