Outreach Efforts Resume at Annual AMS Meeting in Atlanta

 
Published: 15 February 2010
Many visitors to the ARM display asked about solar power and the ARM Mobile Facility.
Many visitors to the ARM display asked about solar power and the ARM Mobile Facility.

Over 3200 scientists from academia, government, and private organizations participated in the 90th Annual Meeting of the American Meteorological Society at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, January 18-21. This year’s meeting offered 1200 presentations and 600 posters focused on the theme of “Weather, Climate, and Society: New Demands on Science and Services,” many of which presented ARM data. Congratulations to a number of ARM-related scientists who were elected as AMS Fellows this year:

  • Pat Minnis, NASA Langley Research Center
  • Bruce Albrecht, University of Miami
  • Bob Cahalan, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
  • Qiang Fu, University of Washington
  • Ruby Leung, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

The annual meeting also debuted The Front Page, an AMS blog for meeting news, videos, and tweets, which took the place of the Daily BAMS and made the meeting a little “greener” and accessible to those not attending.

Once again, the ARM Climate Research Facility joined 100 other organizations in the Exhibit Hall to share the availability of ARM data and research facilities. Nearly 200 visitors stopped by to chat or pick up an annual report, ARM calendar, program and campaign fact sheets, research highlight summary, or brochures for ordering data and proposing campaigns (all available online from Public Information Materials). Visitors continue to be interested in learning that anyone can propose to use the ARM mobile and aerial facilities and that ARM data are freely available.

Both kids and adults at WeatherFest were interested to learn about ARM's climate research sites.
Both kids and adults at WeatherFest were interested to learn about ARM’s climate research sites.

Before the meeting got into full swing, ARM outreach staff participated in the public science fair—WeatherFest—held on Sunday, January 17. With over 5000 teachers, students, and families attending, this year’s WeatherFest was the largest on record and the second time held in Atlanta. Weather enthusiasts browsed through 60 interactive displays that included making a weather forecast, meeting local television meteorologists, creating a water cycle and table, and many other hands-on demonstrations. During the four-hour event, ARM provided nearly 1000

education materials including lesson plans, activity books, and newsletters, and helped people take pictures of themselves with a nearly life-size cutout of ARM Education’s first

mascot, Professor Polar Bear.