During the summer of 2002, the New England Air Quality Study (NEAQS) was conducted along the coastal and offshore regions of New Hampshire and neighboring states. Conventional weather observations were augmented with additional profiler and/or radiosonde data on land and sea. The latter data were taken from the NOAA R/V Ron Brown. Additional detailed air quality measurements were also taken aboard the ship, as well as on land and in the air by research aircraft.

Plymouth State College (PSC) Meteorology Program faculty and students provided the forecasts and weather data to support this field program. Forecast weather conditions were used to plan various ship tracks and measurement activities. In order to provide this support, a 24/7 center was set up for this month long campaign to prepare detailed forecasts and met watch for the various NEAQS activities. This paper will report on the details and outcomes of this important undergraduate support to a major field campaign, which provided a real operational experience to the participating students.