P1.12
Teaching Online Meteorology in the Lower Rio Grande Valley
Terrence G. Miller, South Texas College (formerly South Texas Community College), Weslaco, Texas
During the Spring semester 2005, South Texas College, formerly South Texas Community College will offer the Online Weather Studies Course developed by the American Meteorological Society. South Texas Colloge serves a rapidly growing Hispanic population which is going to meet the needs of the area's increasingly diverse technological employment base. As one of only 3 community colleges in Texas granted authority to offer a 4-year degree , the Bachelor of Applied Technology Degree, the timliness of the meteorology course offering is evident.Online education is relatively new to this region, but is growing rapidly in popularity and neccesity. Students enrolled in the weather course will be able to apply in the workplace the principles of atmospheric science. During the course they will also be afforded an opportunity to visit the NWS Forecast Center in Brownsville near the mouth of the Rio Grande River, and will see the developing network of wireless weather stations South Texas College has committed to installing for the purpose of training weather observers to gather and disseminate weather data to the NWS facility in Brownsville. In this process it is anticipated that for some of the students a career path will be considered. Located in the Tropical Storm zone along the western shores of the Gulf of Mexico, the Online Weather Studies students will not only be better informed but be better prepared for the annual arrival of what is sometimes referred to as "Hurricane Season".
Poster Session 1, Education and Outreach Initiatives
Sunday, 9 January 2005, 5:00 PM-5:00 PM
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