A Journey through NOAA's Cooperative Science Center in Atmospheric Science (NCAS) to a Career in Operations at the National Weather Service

For nearly 20 years, the partnership between the NOAA Cooperative Science Center (CSC) NOAA Center for Atmospheric Science (NCAS or NCAS-M) at Howard University and Jackson State University (JSU) has thrived. Howard University is the lead institution and JSU is one of the original seven partnering institutions. The CSC began in 2001 with funding through the NOAA Educational Partnership Program with Minority-Serving Institutions (EPP/MSI). The NOAA CSCs have provided a number of students and alumni with opportunities for networking, internships, and professional development. NCAS-M continues to serve as a unique pathway to a career in the atmospheric science industry. NCAS and NCAS-M have been the primary vehicles for facilitating NWS-relevant research and training that supports student and faculty development.

The primary goal of the EPP/MSI in forming NCAS and NCAS-M is to ensure that the next generation of workforce is diverse and properly prepared to carry out the mission of NOAA/NWS. Partnering with JSU is essential to meet this goal as JSU was the only MSI for over 30 years offering a meteorology degree. The JSU pipeline has produced a number of productive professionals across the spectrum of careers at NOAA/NWS, including meteorologists, hydrologists, oceanographers, engineers and physical scientists. In this presentation, a recent graduate of JSU will discuss her matriculation through the NOAA Cooperative Science Center program and her recent transition to a meteorologist at the NWS Jackson, Mississippi Forecast Office.