NIU AMS Student Chapter

Graduate Position Fall 2012 at Ohio University

2011-12-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Hello:

A friend of mine from Ohio University is trying to get the word out about this graduate assistantship at Ohio University that will be open next fall. You'll note from the announcement that this position is a bit unconventional, compared to most other graduate assistantships, as there is a strong operations component. Perhaps you could spread the word to students via your various channels of communication. Following is the text of the announcement ...

OPEN METEOROLOGY GRADUATE POSITION, FALL 2012

Department of Geography College of Arts and Sciences
Clippinger Laboratories 122 Athens OH 45701-2979 740-593-1140 phone 740-593-1139 fax
www.ohio.edu/geography/
The Ohio University Department of Geography in beautiful Athens, Ohio, is seeking a Master's (M.S. in Geography) level graduate student for the position of Associate Director of Scalia Laboratory. Scalia Laboratory is a student-run public service forecasting and researching lab in meteorology. The lab issues web-based forecasts (over 30,000 unique visits annually) and runs a 24-hour forecast hotline. To keep with the student focus of the laboratory, the Associate Director of the laboratory is a meteorology graduate student.
The Associate Director receives a nine-month stipend of $14,000, with additional summer teaching appointments and stipends. The stipend comes with a tuition waiver and medical benefits. Responsibilities of the position include: 1. Overseeing the student forecasters, normally about 3-4 undergraduates a year. The Associate Director arranges forecasting schedules, performs quality control on submitted forecasts, and ensures forecasts are submitted on time.
2. Teaching two courses per semester (as instructor of record): Geography 3030: Meteorological Observations, and Geography 3040: Practicum in Meteorological Forecasting. Both courses meet two hours a week, with approximately 10-15 students in each course. 3. Managing public relations between the lab and the community of users, which entails answering questions about our forecasting products and observations.
To apply, submit an application for the Graduate Program in the Geography Department at Ohio University. There is no set minimum for the GRE, but an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 is required (3.5 or higher preferred) for the position. The application deadline is February 15, 2012. With the unique setting in a Geography Department, several research specialties are available, including: Meteorology / Climatology, Human Dimensions of Climate Change, Environmental Geography, GIS with Environmental Applications, and Physical Geography (geomorphology and biogeography). The position provides excellent management-level experience for those considering careers with the NWS or in academia.
For further information, please visit the Scalia Laboratory Website (www.scalialab.com), the Department of Geography Website (www.ohio.edu/geography), The Graduate School (http://www.ohio.edu/graduate/apply.cfm), or by contacting Dr. Ryan Fogt (fogtr@ohio.edu). Interested candidates can also discuss the position in person during the Career Fair at the AMS Student Conference in New Orleans, LA, on January 21st, 2012.

All the best!

--Danny

Speaking opportunity

2011-12-08T12:18:00.001-08:00

Hey Everyone,

I know everybody's semester is winding down, and Winter Break is almost here; but I am searching for someone that may be able to help out a local Boy Scout Chapter with their merit badge meeting. Gilbert posted a little about it on Facebook, and I took the liberty of contacting Mr. Ray Gruber to see what they needed from a speaker. Most topics are Geog 105/106 level, well within the realm for most students in the Meteorology Department. It falls on the last Saturday of Winter Break ( 14 Jan, 2012), and there are two time slots available (8am-12noon, or 12:30-4:30pm). I would personally volunteer, but I will be on vacation till that Sunday. I really encourage students to partake in public speaking events like this; it helps tremendously in building confidence for public speaking, and this is a relatively straight-forward topic.Here are a few more details:

Define meteorology. Explain what weather is and what climate is. Discuss how the weather affects farmers, sailors, aviators, and the outdoor construction industry. Tell why weather forecasts are important to each of these groups.
Name five dangerous weather-related conditions. Give the safety rules for each when outdoors and explain the difference between a severe weather watch and a warning. Discuss the safety rules with your family.
Explain the difference between high and low pressure systems in the atmosphere. Tell which is related to good and to poor weather. Draw cross sections of a cold front and a warm front, showing the location and movements of the cold and warm air, the frontal slope, the location and types of clouds associated with each type of front, and the location of precipitation.
Tell what causes wind, why it rains, and how lightning and hail are formed.
Identify and describe clouds in the low, middle, and upper levels of the atmosphere. Relate these to specific types of weather.
Draw a diagram of the water cycle and label its major processes. Explain the water cycle to your counselor.
Define acid rain. Identify which human activities pollute the atmosphere and the effects such pollution can have on people.
Do ONE of the following:
a. Make one of the following instruments: wind vane, anemometer, rain gauge, hygrometer. Keep a daily weather log for one week using information from this instrument as well as from other sources such as local radio and television stations, NOAA Weather Radio, and Internet sources (with your parent's permission). Record the following information at the same time every day: wind direction and speed, temperature, precipitation, and types of clouds. Be sure to make a note of any morning dew or frost. In the log, also list the weather forecasts from radio or television at the same time each day and show how the weather really turned out.
b. Visit a National Weather Service office or talk with a local radio or television weathercaster, private meteorologist, local agricultural extension service officer, or university meteorology instructor. Find out what type of weather is most dangerous or damaging to your community. Determine how severe weather and flood warnings reach the homes in your community.
Do ONE of the following:
a. Give a talk of at least five minutes to a group (such as your unit or a Cub Scout pack) explaining the outdoor safety rules in the event of lightning, flash floods, and tornadoes. Before your talk, share your outline with your counselor for approval.
b. Read several articles about acid rain and give a prepared talk of at least five minutes to a group (such as your unit or a Cub Scout pack) about the articles. Before your talk, share your outline with your counselor for approval.
Find out about a weather-related career opportunity that interests you. Discuss with and explain to your counselor what training and education are required for such a position, and the responsibilities required of such a position.

If there are any questions, please let me know. And, if anyone is interested in helping out with this, please reply to this email, so I can put you in contact with Mr. Ray Gruber.

Thanks, and have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Jeff Kilburg

AMS Treasurer

2012 Great Lakes Operational Meteorology Workshop

2011-11-29T16:51:00.001-08:00

"This is a reminder that the 20th annual Great Lakes Operational
Meteorology Workshop (GLOMW) is scheduled for March 14-16, 2012, in
downtown Chicago.

The workshop will fill two full days on Wednesday and Thursday, then
conclude at noon on Friday. Abstracts from those who wish to deliver
presentations at the conference are being accepted through Saturday,
January 14.

Additional information about the workshop has been posted on the GLOMW
2012 webpage:

http://www.crh.noaa.gov/lot/?n=glomw

As the webpage states, these dates, and the location of the conference
in downtown Chicago, will allow attendees to enjoy all that the city
has to offer. For those able to stay an extra night, this includes
Chicago's world-famous St. Patrick's Day celebration on the Saturday
following the workshop.

There is no registration cost for those attending this workshop. Free
meeting space is being provided by the U.S. Citizen and Immigration
Services in their beautiful auditorium at 536 S. Clark Street.

Additionally, the historic Union League Club of Chicago has agreed to
offer hotel rooms at the US government per diem rate of $130 per
night, plus a 20% surcharge. This rate is available for those who
reserve a room prior to February 24. Because this is a private club,
no tax will be charged for the rooms. The mandatory surcharge covers
amenities such as a gourmet buffet breakfast, in-room WiFi connection,
access to the club's indoor athletic facilities (weight room, pool,
basketball court, handball/squash/racquetball courts), library, and
business center.

More information will be provided as the dates get closer. In the
meantime, we encourage you to read through the GLOMW 2012 webpage and
send any questions to me or to the other contacts listed on that page.
In addition, if you received this email via forwarding, we would be
happy to add your name directly to the address list. Please let us
know if this is the case.

Thank you -- and we hope to see you in March!!

Eric"

Meeting 11/10

2011-11-08T16:01:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,

Hope you all are staying dry and warm today! This is just a reminder that Mr. John Haase from NWS Davenport will be our guest speaker at our next meeting, this Thursday, November 10. The meeting will be held in Davis Hall 121 at 5 p.m. Following the meeting, we will be taking Mr. Haase out for dinner at Pagliai's
Pizza if anyone is interested.

NIU AMS

AMS T-Shirts

2011-11-04T19:54:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone!

Several students, and other members signed up for the shirt Pre-Sale that was at the Bake Sale booth. I doubt that everyone saw the Pre-Sale sheet, but just to let others know, we're going to be placing the order next week for the T-Shirts ($15 each). So, if you wish to get an AMS T-Shirt, please see Dawn Sibley in the Geography Office to give her the money. We need the money by Tuesday so we can get the order in as quickly as possible. For those that wish to purchase a shirt, please include your shirt size with the money that you give Dawn.

Thanks, and hope everyone has a great weekend!

NIU AMS

Bake Sale Reminder!

2011-10-26T21:27:00.001-07:00

As I posted on the AMS' page on Facebook, we have a few openings left.

The following is openings are available for 1 more person:

10/27: 9am, 11am, and 2pm

10/28: 10am, 11am

10/31: 10am, 1pm, 2pm

The following is open for 2 person(s):

10/28: 2pm

Matt Wojtowicz was kind enough to fill the 11am shift tomorrow, and he was able to arrange someone to work the 9am shift tomorrow. But, we still need a few more people. At the beginning and end of each shift, there will be an audit done on the money. There will be initials required for this verification. Also, there is a "log" for the baked goods to help keep track of the money better. Tim Herman gave Dawn Sibley $50 for our cash box: this is for change.

Also, we can always use extra baked goods. If anyone is willing to contribute to that, please let Bre Callear or I know. People have also written what they're baking on the sign-up sheet at the right hand corner.

Thanks for all the help!

10/20 Meeting Minutes

2011-10-20T22:39:00.001-07:00

Good evening everyone,

Thank you to all of you who could come out to the meeting tonight for some important announcements and great storm chasing footage! If you were not able to make the meeting, here is a summary of the topics we covered:

Dr. Trapp from Purdue will be speaking at the geography/graduate colloqium on April 6, 2012. He has conducted quite a bit of research on QLCS (Quasi-Linear Convective System) events, and we were thinking of expanding his presentation to include the AMS on April 5. Another idea that was presented by Matt Wojtowicz was to have a "mini-conference" with Dr. Trapp, as well as with a few other meteorologists who have done research on this topic. In order to work on making this mini-conference happen, we would like to form a committee to figure out just what it will take resource and funding wise to put on several presentations in one day for a larger audience. If you would possibly be interested in being on this committee, please let one of the board members know, or respond to this email.

Other important things to mark on your calendars:

This Saturday, Oct. 22- STEMfest at the Convocation Center from 10 am- 5pm

Oct. 27, 28, 31- Halloween-Themed Bake Sale Davis Hall, hours TBA

**November 1- Joint Meeting with Chicago AMS 7:30 p.m Davis Hall 121 ** Next official NIU AMS meeting

November 3- "Debate" between Gino Izzi and Paul Sirvatka regarding June 21 blanket tornado warning 7 p.m College of Dupage Rm. BIC 3500

**November 10- John Haase from NWS Davenport Davis Hall 5 p.m. **Voting for calendar pictures ends**

November 18- Geog/Met Career Day Davis Hall 121 12-4 p.m.

Remember to check the AMS wall in Davis 217 as well as the job/scholarship postings on the 2nd floor for great opportunties and internships. As Walker always says, FREE MONEY!

Sophomores- If you haven't already, be sure to check out the NOAA Hollings Scholarship. It offers a large scholarship and experience/research in atmospheric science. Looks great on a resume!

Have a good weekend,

NIU AMS

Reminder about bowling and Committees

2011-10-04T14:33:00.000-07:00

Hello, AMS Team:

I hope that everyone is having a good week and that you are all prepared for an exciting Thursday Night of bowling! Before we depart for Mardi Gras Lanes, we will have several announcements that will be made at 7:00 PM in Davis Hall, room 121. We plan to develop 3 committees that will provide you with the opportunity to become more involved in the AMS and in the department. We shall develop the following committees:

1. A Fundraising Committee

2. A Social Event Planning Committee

3. A temporary STEMfest Committee

Please note that even if you cannot attend the STEMfest event (to be held on Saturday, October 22 from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM), you are encouraged to join the committee if you have ideas for possible activities!

Please recall that NIU-AMS Dues of $20 are to be turned in by Thursday, October 20. If you have the money at this Thursday's meeting, then it is suggested that you pay at that time. Alternatively, you can pay the NIU-AMS Treasurer, Jeff Kilburg, at any time between now and the due date. It's also expected that another meeting will be held on the due date. Cash and checks are the acceptable forms of payment. Checks are to be made payable to the "NIU-AMS".

Additionally, Geography/Meteorology will be hosting an Open House for high school students and their families on Monday, October 10 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. If you are available and interested in volunteering, then please send us an email or let us know at Thursday's meeting. Don't worry--you wouldn't be doing any advising. You would simply be guiding department tours and speaking about your experiences at NIU. Do NOT pass up this excellent volunteer/leadership opportunity; this would look great on a resume!

Looking forward to seeing everyone on Thursday!

NIU AMS

Reminder about dues and bowling

2011-10-02T19:42:00.001-07:00

This Thursday (6 October), we are holding an AMS Bowling Night. Beforehand, we will meet at Davis Hall in Room 217. This will allow those whom don't know where the bowling alley is at to get directions; but more importantly, Thursday will be one of two meetings that we will be collecting AMS Dues. In case anyone missed it: dues are $20 for the year. The types of payments that we can accept is cash or check. If paying by check, please make it payable to the "NIU AMS".

Thanks, and hope to see everyone on Thursday!

NIU AMS

Announcements

2011-09-29T19:41:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone,

Hope you are all having a great week and are surviving the treacherous windy conditions outdoors. We have some important announcements:

Our next meeting will take place next Thursday, October 6th. We plan on going bowling at Mardi Gras Lanes on Sycamore Rd. at 7p.m. Please let us know if anyone needs a ride or can drive to the bowling alley.

Important dates to put on your calendar:

-October 22 - STEMFest at the Convocation Center 11:00 a.m. ~ 5:30 p.m.

-November 1- Joint meeting with Chicago AMS chapter Davis Hall 121 7p.m.

-November 10 (Tentatively) John Haase from NWS Quad Cities 5 p.m. Davis Hall 121

-November 18- GEOG/MET Career Day Davis Hall 121 Mid-Afternoon to evening

Other possible events that we would like to have your input on include tailgating at the home football games on October 8th and 15th. If you would be interested, please send an email back so we know how many people we have/where we can park to tailgate.

Finally, we would like to introduce the idea of having sub-committees that would allow student participation, and help the board members make AMS an enjoyable and fulfilling experience for all. Most importantly, we would like to put together a group of 3-5 people immediately to help plan what activties to present at the STEMFest. STEMfest is rapidly approaching in three weeks. If you would be interested in helping out with the STEMfest, please send an email with your name indicating your interest and possible ideas you may have. Other committees we would like to see include a fundraising group, so that we can do more things and possibly help fund trips (i.e. Des Moines Conference), as well as a social events planning committee.

This is a lot of information so if you have any questions, please feel free to email or contact one of the board members!

NIU AMS

AMS Meeting 9/22

2011-09-20T18:41:00.000-07:00

There'll be an AMS meeting on September 22nd. We'll be playing a game of Jeopardy. It'll be in room 121 of Davis Hall.

NIU AMS

AMS Meeting 9/8

2011-09-06T14:55:00.001-07:00

Hello everyone,

Hope you all had a relaxing Labor Day weekend. This is just a little reminder that we (AMS) will be holding a "re-do" of our meet and greet with free food and drinks this Thursday, September 8, at 5:00 p.m. behind Davis Hall. We will have a few announcements, but basically this meeting is for everyone to get to know each other and learn what AMS is all about. The weather looks to be decent, so feel free to bring any games/sports equipment for after we eat pizza. Hope to see you all Thursday evening!

NIU AMS

AMS Meeting Take 2

2011-09-02T19:22:00.000-07:00

This will be a general meet and greet meeting with pizza and fun outdoors! We'll meet behind Davis Hall by the fountains.
-NIU AMS

First meeting!

2011-08-21T05:57:00.000-07:00

**UPDATE: The meeting will now be at 6 PM.

I wanted to let it be known that we're planning on having the first NIU AMS meeting on campus on the second Thursday of the semester - September 1st. This will likely be a general meet and greet / exchange of information with some food and outdoor fun weather permitting. I hope everyone's first week goes well, and hope to see you all on the 1st!

-NIU AMS

New Email

2011-07-22T18:40:00.001-07:00

Our new email is niuamsofficers@gmail.com . Feel free to send an email if you still want to be contacted!

Banqeut RSVP

2011-05-03T12:11:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

We need a final count for the banquet A.S.A.P, so if you haven't already told us you were coming, please do so soon.

Also, if anyone is interested in helping out with Kids Day on Saturday, we could still use you. Let us know.

Online Voting Ends tomorrow!

2011-04-28T16:03:00.001-07:00

Hey all,
Just wanted to send out a reminder that online voting will end tomorrow night at midnight. Please send your votes to NIUAMS.election@gmail.com. Again, here are those running for each position;

President

Andrew Pritchard

Matt Wojtowicz

Daniel Brouillette

Vice-President

Don Heins

Matt Wojtowicz

Jessica Troike

Tim Herman

Secretary

Jessica Troike

Kristin Cwynar

Raitis Bocka

Treasurer

Jeff Kilburg

Melissa Schoenheider

Don Heins

Web Master

Robert Niesen

--
NIU AMS

Kid's Day Meeting Reminder!

2011-04-26T12:00:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,
Those of you that are helping with the Kids Day and haven't seen the facebook post from last week, I want to have a meeting Thursday at 5 to put final touches and assign people to whatever. If you can't make it, not a big deal. Just let me know if you want a particular job.

Thanks,
Alecia

--
NIU AMS

Online Voting

2011-04-23T11:25:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

If you were not at the meeting on Thursday and would like to cast your vote for the 2011-2012 AMS executive board, you may do so by sending your vote to NIUAMS.election@gmail.com. Voting will be open until Friday, April 29th at midnight. Below are the candidates running for each position.

President

Andrew Pritchard

Matt Wojtowicz

Daniel Brouillette

Vice-President

Don Heins

Matt Wojtowicz

Jessica Troike

Tim Herman

Secretary

Jessica Troike

Kristin Cwynar

Raitis Bocka

Treasurer

Jeff Kilburg

Melissa Schoenheider

Don Heins

Web Master

Robert Niesen

--
NIU AMS

Department Tours

2011-04-19T20:58:00.001-07:00

Hey guys,

Dawn is needing a few of us to give tours to high school juniors on Friday from 12:00-1:00. If you are free and wouldn't mind giving up an hour of your time, let me know so I can let her know.

Also, a reminder that nominations for next year's officers officially close at 10:00 PM tomorrow evening.

Night,

Alecia

--
NIU AMS

Softball Game!

2011-04-17T19:36:00.000-07:00

Hey guys,
This Friday will be a softball game between the Geography dept. and the Geology dept. If you have any sweet skills, come on out!

Friday, April 22nd @ 5:30 PM
Diamond East of Anderson Hall

If you have any questions, contact Trevor Edmondson at trevoredmonson@gmail.com

Let's represent!

--
NIU AMS

NIU Elections & Meeting!

2011-04-15T14:52:00.001-07:00

Good afternoon,

This email is to remind everyone about our next meeting and most importantly, ELECTIONS! Elections will take place at our next meeting on Thursday, April 21st at 5pm in DH217. Nominations for elections are to be emailed to NIUAMS.election@gmail.com. Those who are nominated WILL be giving a short speech (basically just who you are, what year you will be next year, and why you think you will be the best candidate for this position). For those interested, positions are: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and Webmaster. Nominations will be open until Wednesday, April 20th at 10pm.

Also at our meeting on Thursday, Andrew Pritchard and Walker Ashley will have videos for all of us to see of their awesome storm chasing experiences over the past years. Should be pretty cool!

For those of you helping out with Kid's Day on Saturday, May 7th, or if you just want to buy a t-shirt, we are collecting money and sizes for t-shirts. They are $15 and we would prefer to have the money by Thusday's meeting so we can get orders in so they arrive on time.

Formally, next Thursday will be our last meeting of the year. Don't forget a group of us are going to Tom Skilling's FermiLab on Saturday, April 30th at noon if anyone else is interested in going. Please let us know if you need a ride out there so we can coordinate departure times as well.

Our banquet has officially been booked! It will be Friday, May 6th (reading day) at 6pm at Lion's Park on Taylor Street. If you are heading south on Annie Glidden, instead of turning right to get into Schnucks, turn left and take Taylor Street down and the park will be on your right (not that far away from Annie Glidden). If you are unsure, let us know, we can either coordinate some rides out there or give you more specific directions. We need to have a specific count of the amount of people we expect to come, so if you have not RSVP'd on the Facebook group, send us a reply back letting us know you will be there. We will be having spaghetti for dinner and need to know how much to cook (I love leftovers, but I can't eat 8 people's leftovers in 1 day all by myself...). Preferably we would like to know within the next week or so if you will be going. This was the place of our banquet last year, so if you attended last year, you know that we will probably end up playing some football or softball after we eat (if it's nice outside, of course), so bring a change of clothes if you are dressing up and want to hang out for a bit after. I made that mistake last year and played softball in a dress...not a fun time.

I know that was a lot of information, but hopefully everything important is in there. See you next Thursday!

--
NIU AMS

Meeting Reminder!

2011-04-11T20:03:00.001-07:00

Good evening everyone,

This is just a reminder that our next meeting is TOMORROW, Tuesday, April 12th at 7pm in FARADAY HALL 144 for Spotter Training. We will have some announcements before we start the training.

Hope to see everyone there!

--
NIU AMS

Next Meeting and Banquet

2011-03-30T16:02:00.000-07:00

Hey again,

I apologize for all the emails sent out today, but I figured this was important. As some of you are on Facebook and received the event for the banquet, we wanted to make clear that the banquet is on FRIDAY, MAY 6TH and NOT May 7th. Kid's Day is May 7th! If you have not received an invitation on Facebook regarding the banquet, let me know, and we will give you one. If you plan on attending, please let us know ASAP so we can start purchasing food. Also, if you plan on attending now and that changes a few weeks down the road, please let us know ASAP as well. I love food and would gladly eat your meal, but for the sake of my health and the money in the AMS bank account, we would appreciate not having a lot of leftovers because people did not show up.

Our next meeting will be at Spotter Training on Tuesday, April 12th at 7pm in Faraday 144. Start thinking about whether or not you would be interested in running for a position on the AMS board, because it is close to the end of the year and we need to have nominations very soon. It's a great resume builder!

On another note, for those of you who were not at our meeting last week, there was an announcement made about Cooperative Weather Observers needed for this summer and next year. Danny Brouillette is the new Director for next year and is holding a training session at the Co-Op station (behind Barsema Alumni Center right by the Northern Television Center) on Friday, April 8th at 7am. For those of you who are not familiar with taking observations, he will be going over the standard procedure that morning for anyone interested. His email address is dbrouillette@niu.edu if anyone would like more information from him.

That should be it on most announcements. Thanks guys; have a good rest of the week and weekend.

--
NIU AMS

Next AMS Meeting Thursday!

2011-03-21T09:14:00.001-07:00

Good Morning,

Welcome back to campus for the start of the second half of the semester. Hope everyone had a great break and was able to recharge! This is just a reminder that our next AMS meeting will be THIS THURSDAY, March 24th at 5pm in DH 217. Gino Izzi from NWS-Chicago will be giving a pretty neat presentation. You don't want to miss this!

We hope to see everyone there.

--
NIU AMS

AMS Kids Day Planning

2011-03-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
We are going to have a short meeting on Thursday at 5:00 PM in room 217 to work out some details for your Kids Day in May. I know some of you have expressed interest in helping, so if you can please join us.

Thanks,
Alecia
--
NIU AMS

Joint meeting Update

2011-02-26T20:13:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

Here is the latest information we have received regarding the joint AMS meeting this Wednesday. If you are planning on going and need a ride, email us back and let us know and we will meet at Davis at 5:30pm and leave at 5:45pm. It takes about an hour to get to CoD, so please be on time!

Thanks and see you Wednesday,

Laura

C.O.D American Meteorological Society

UpComing Event

Wednesday March 2nd 2011 James Auten (National Weather Service Lincoln)

“ A look at severe weather operations from inside the National Weather Service.”

Room SRC 1450 A* @ 7pm

*Entering the SRC South side ground floor entrance turn left and enter the cafeteria hall go to the end of the hall and SRC 1450A is on your right.

Keep checking up with us for further Meeting arrangements here or check out our website at http://weather.cod.edu/ams/

On other news, Applications for the new COD Stormchase logo contest can now be submitted up to the time of this meeting so the deadline has been extended to 7pm Wednesday March 2nd. Emailed designs would preferred but quality sketches will also be accepted. Remember not only will the winning design be featured on our merchandise for several years to come but you will also win a free Hoodie and T-shirt with your design.

Regards Paul Downes and the COD AMS Officers

--
2010-2011 COD-AMS Student Chapter Officers
Paul Downes- President
Matt Piechota- Vice President
Cody Folz- Treasurer
Kristopher Rand- Secretary
Evan Anderson - Webmaster
cod.ams.officers@gmail.com

--
NIU AMS

Meeting Minutes

2011-02-24T17:29:00.001-08:00

Hello everyone,

If you didn't get a chance to make the meeting tonight, here are the important dates for the rest of the year:

-Wednesday, March 2nd at 7pm is the joint meeting with Chicago AMS and College of DuPage AMS at CoD; James Auten from NWS-Lincoln will be coming out to give a presentation on severe weather operations within the NWS. If you're able to go and able to drive, let us know ASAP, we will be leaving from Davis if people need rides at a time TBD. Look for a future email before Wednesday regarding more information once we know more.

-Saturday, March 12th is the St. Louis Conference, also the Advanced Spotter Training at CoD. Registration for CoD is $35 and it includes lunch.

-Our next "official" meeting is THURSDAY, MARCH 24TH AT 5PM IN DH 217; Gino Izzi (NWS-Chicago) will be coming out to give a presentation on the June 5th severe weather outbreak in Illinois (a WAY more detailed presentation than what we had today!). It should be pretty good so this is a meeting you do not want to miss.

-Saturday, March 26th is the Great Lakes Conference in Valparaiso, IN from 10am-7pm. We passed around the flyer today at the meeting, if you are interested in going, let us know and we will email you with more information.

-Thursday, March 31st to Saturday, April 2nd is the Iowa Conference. It's $75 to register. We need to book our hotel rooms ASAP and start coordinating rides out there, so PLEASE let us know ASAP if you are interested in going.

-Tuesday, April 12th at 7pm in FH 144 is Spotter Training. For those of you who do not know, this is a certification to be an "official" storm spotter. It expires each year, so if you went last year, consider going again this year to get re-certified!

-Saturday, April 30th is Tom Skilling's Fermilab Presentation in Batavia Illinois.

-Kids Day is planned for Saturday, May 7th. We will be joining up with the Geography Club to host activities for kids for Geography/Meteorology Awareness. We're planning on having it outside in back of Davis Hall. If you would be willing to help with this (the more people, the better!) please let us know so we can determine how many different activities to have planned. We were thinking only having it either in the morning (sometime around 8am-12pm) or the afternoon (12pm-4pm). This should be a fun day!

-Lastly, our end-of-the-year banquet has not been set yet, but we were thinking it should be one of the last Thursdays or Fridays in the semester. More information will be available later in the semester.

I know that was a LOT of information, but these are the last events of the year! Just remember, besides our joint meeting next week, our next "official" meeting will be Thursday, March 24th at 5pm.

Below is a link for travel opportunities for the rest of 2011. I figured I would pass them onto everyone if anyone is interested in going out of town and seeing some presentations.

http://www.ametsoc.org/amsstudentinfo/studenttrvgrant/studenttravelopps.cfm

Again, thank you all for those of you who came out to the meeting tonight, and we will see you all again (officially) on March 24th.

Have a good weekend!
--
NIU AMS

Case Study for tonights meeting

2011-02-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

Hey guys,

The case study presentation that we will be looking at is a "guess what day this is!" activity, so please bring colored pencils and a sheet of paper with you. We will be handing out surface plots and will ask you to analyze the presented material. Hope to see you all there tonight at 5pm!

Thanks.

--
NIU AMS

AMS meeting Thursday!

2011-02-21T21:50:00.001-08:00

Good evening everyone,

It's been awhile since we've had our last meeting, so it's time for another one. We will meet THIS Thursday at 5pm in DH 217. We need to go over our very busy schedule in March, and we will also be listening to a case study presentation.

I'd also like to remind everyone about our joint meeting with CoD on Wednesday, March 2nd at 7pm. This will be a meeting combined with CoD and Chicago AMS chapters. James Auten from NWS-Lincoln will be giving a presentation on severe weather operations inside the NWS. We will be coordinating rides out there, so if you know you want to go and would be able to drive, let us know on Thursday.

We will address other important dates on Thursday as well. Hope to see everyone there!

--
NIU AMS

Bake Sale Reminder!

2011-02-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

Hey all,
Just a reminder that our bake sale is coming up this week (Tues-Thurs 10AM-2PM). Below is a list of people that have signed up to work. If you haven't signed up and would like to help we'd really appreciate it. Also, we are sort of low on people to bake. We really cannot have a successful bake sale without bake goods! For those of you that are baking something, please try to have your goodies in the office by 9:30 AM on Tuesday.

Also, I've left the Northern Star forecast sign-up sheet in 217. If you are interested in forecasting please feel free to sign-up for a week that is free.

Tuesday:
10:00-11:00: Danny Brouillette
11:00-12:00: Kristina Rohrbach
12:00-1:00: Laura Schutte and Alecia Osborne
1:00-2:00: Kim Thomas

Wednesday:
10:00-11:00: Laura Schutte and Alecia Osborne
11:00-12:00: Suzi Voss
12:00-1:00: Kristina Rohrbach and Alecia Osborne
1:00-2:00: Jessica Troike

Thursday:
10:00-11:00: Melissa Schoenheier
11:00-12:00: Kristina Rohrbach
12:00-1:00: Laura Schutte and Alecia Osborne
1:00-2:00: Kim Thomas

Thanks,

--
NIU AMS

Forecast Contest for the "Snowmageddon"!

2011-01-30T18:46:00.000-08:00

Hey AMS folks,

We've decided to be a little adventurous and we have a contest for all you guys. As you all know, northern Illinois is going to be hit with a bunch of snow Tuesday-Wednesday (as if I even needed to add that into here). The contest is........for anyone who can predict the correct (or closest) amount of snow we will receive total from this storm. From 7am Tuesday until 7am Thursday is when we will be measuring this snow. Forecasts MUST be in by 6PM MONDAY NIGHT (yes, this is tomorrow night). You can't give a range of values (such as 10-15 inches), it must be an exact measurement. The winner will receive a prize of some sort and will be announced Thursday sometime.

This will also be posted on our Facebook page (for those of you that do not know, just search NIU AMS and you will find us) so post your forecast to that wall or reply back to this email (we would prefer if you put it on Facebook though).

Good luck, and if you have to travel during this time frame...PLEASE drive with caution!

--
NIU AMS

Advanced Spotter Training with CoD

2011-01-27T13:01:00.001-08:00

Hey guys,

Just got word of an Advanced Spotter Training (oooo!) on Saturday, March 12th with College of DuPage. Unfortunately, March 12th is the start of spring break for us, but that doesn't mean you guys can't go! The website for more information is http://www.dupagesevereweather.com/. It's $35 to register and it's from 8am-3:30pm. Based upon the website I'd say this will be a pretty sweet opportunity! Let us know if you would like to go and we can start thinking about transportation!

--
NIU AMS

CoD AMS Trip & Email Information

2011-01-24T15:16:00.001-08:00

Good afternoon,

I have received some information from College of DuPage's AMS Chapter, and they would like to know if anyone from NIU would be interested in going to tour Argonne's National Laboratory on Friday, February 4th. They plan on leaving between 3 and 5pm, and would like to know ASAP if anyone is interested. If you would like more information, email us back or check out CoD's AMS website. http://weather.cod.edu/ams/club.html

Also, as we mentioned at the last meeting, we are in the process of cleaning up our contacts list. If you would no longer like to receive emails from us or your email address has changed, please let us know ASAP so we can make the appropriate changes.

Thanks.
--
NIU AMS

First meeting of the semester!

2011-01-18T16:33:00.001-08:00

Good Morning Everyone,

Welcome back to campus for the start of the spring semester! We hope everyone had a great break. A new semester means we need to hold our first meeting! We will be meeting THIS THURSDAY, January 20th in DH 217 at 5pm. We will be having pizza and doing a case study contest with prizes! It should be a really fun night, so we hope you all can make it!

We also need to have a rough estimate of how many people are interested in going to the Iowa Conference this year. This year it is being held March 31st-April 2nd. We will be sending out more information within the next few days on this, but if you are thinking of going, let us know ASAP so we can start thinking about hotel rooms and transportation.

One last note, we plan on having another bake sale in February. The dates are not set in stone yet, but we would like to have it February 8th-10th (Tuesday-Thursday). If you would like to bake anything tasty, please let us know!

Thanks everyone, and we hope to see you all this Thursday at 5pm!

--
NIU AMS

Last meeting for the fall semester this Thursday!

2010-11-30T17:46:00.001-08:00

Hey everyone,

As we all know, this is the last week of the fall semester and the dreaded finals week is next week. Why not take a break and come hang out with the AMS crew? This Thursday, December 2nd at 5pm in DH 217 we will be having a......what? FREE PIZZA AND MOVIE NIGHT! We will be watching Night of the Twisters and chowing down on some pizza. This is probably the best way ever to procrastinate even more, so why not come on out? You know you want to!

Hopefully see you all this Thursday!

--
NIU AMS

Thursday's meeting and T-Shirts are in!

2010-11-14T19:48:00.001-08:00

Good Evening!

This is just a reminder for our upcoming meeting this Thursday, November 18th at 5pm in DH ROOM 121 (not 217!). Matt Friedlein will be giving a pretty sweet presentation on the June 17th, 2010 tornado outbreak across the upper plains/midwest.

Also, T-SHIRTS ARE IN! Yahoo! If you haven't picked yours up yet, contact Alecia.

Attached is the flyer for the meeting on Thursday(see the image below this post). Spread the word around campus, you won't want to miss this!

--
NIU AMS

AMS Presents!

2010-11-12T08:16:00.001-08:00

Spring Opportunity!

2010-11-08T20:22:00.001-08:00

Hey all,

The next Annual Regional Science Fair will take place on March 12, 2011 at Holmes Student Center. The Science Fair coordinator is looking for a volunteer in the NIU AMS chapter to judge and present AMS and NOAA awards to science/weather projects produced by middle school and high school students. The judging will last for the entire morning and the award ceremony will take place in the afternoon. It is optional for the judge to present awards to the winning projects.

This is another excellent opportunity to build your resume!

Please contact Ian Chang at atmoschang@gmail.com if you're interested in volunteering.

--
NIU AMS

Open House Help!

2010-11-04T08:28:00.001-07:00

Good morning all,

On Thursday, November 11, there is an Open House on campus for high school students and their families. Our department will be open from 11:00-2:00 pm. You won't have to do any advising. I will need your help from 12:00-1:00 pm with department tours and you can talk about your experiences here at NIU. If you could let me know who will be here by Wednesday, November 10, I would appreciate it.

Dawn
--
NIU AMS

Resume Writing Workshop!

2010-11-03T18:42:00.000-07:00

Hello all,

This is just a reminder that the Resume Writing Workshop is coming up on Wednesday, November 10 from 12:00-12:50 and 3:00-4:00 pm in DH 103. Hope to see you there.

--
NIU AMS

Reminder!

2010-11-01T08:59:00.001-07:00

Hey all,
Just a quick reminder that our joint meeting with the Chicago AMS chapter is tomorrow evening. We will be meeting at Davis Hall at 5:15pm and leaving by 5:30. Please those of you that have signed up to drive be prepared to do so. See you all tomorrow.

--
NIU AMS

Geography Awareness Week Nov. 15th - 19th

2010-10-26T17:18:00.001-07:00

The Department of Geography would like to invite you to the activities listed below for Geography Awareness Week, November 15-19, 2010.

On Monday, November 10, we will be hosting a Resumé Writing Workshop and Internship Seminar. Bob Norwood from Career Services will be presenting helpful tips on writing your resumé. He will also discuss Internship opportunities. This event will be from 12:00-12:50 pm and 3:00-4:00 pm in Davis Hall room 103.

On Wednesday, November 17, we will be hosting a Brown Bag Panel Discussion, “Opening the Door to Graduate School.” Dr. Mike Konen will be discussing the Graduate School Application process, taking GRE, applying for research or teaching assistantships and do’s and don’ts. This event will be from 12:00-1:00 pm in Davis Hall room 103.

On Wednesday, November 17, we will be hosting GIS Night. This event is part of GIS Day, a global event where thousands of users of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) showcase real-world applications of this exciting technology to schools, businesses, and the general public. This event will be from 6:00-8:30 pm in Davis Hall room 114.

On Friday, November 19, we will be hosting our annual Career Day. We invite past alumni to come back to talk to students about their career fields and how their education from NIU has helped them in their careers.This would be a great opportunity for you to attend to see the different career fields for your major. This event will be from 1:30-4:00 pm in Davis Hall room 121.

We hope you will be able to attend these activities. If you have any questions, please email Dawn Sibley atdsibley@niu.edu or call the Department of Geography at 815-753-0631.

--
NIU AMS

10/21 Meeting Minutes

2010-10-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

Just in case some of you who wanted to come to the meeting tonight and couldn't make it, here are the important topics covered during the meeting:

-Tuesday, November 2nd is our joint meeting at Lewis University, we will be leaving from Davis at 5:30pm if you need a ride. PLEASE make sure you are there by then, otherwise we will be leaving without you!

-Thursday, November 18th at 5pm in Davis 121 is our next "official" meeting, Matt Friedlein from the Twin Cities' NWS will be giving an exciting talk about Minnesota's tornado outbreak on June 17th, 2010

-Career Day is Friday, November 19th

-Thursday, December 2nd at 5pm in Davis 217 will be another meeting with PIZZA! We will either be having a movie night, or Mike will be coming out to give his post-poned talk

-If anyone is interested in doing forecasting for the Northern Star, please contact Alecia or email us back ASAP, we will be setting up a schedule for everyone interested, you will be forecasting for a week at a time,

Forecasts should be sent in Sunday-Thursday night for the next two days, for example, Sunday night you would send:

Monday: Partly Sunny, high 65, low 36

Tuesday: 30% Chance of rain, high 70, low 40

-(Your name here)

-(Your year) Meteorology Student

Thursday night make sure you send Friday, Saturday AND Sunday's forecasts (if this changes, we will let you know).

PS- This looks awesome on a resume, and it's pretty cool to get your name printed on the FRONT page of the Northern Star!

Thanks to everyone who attended tonight's meeting, and especially to Matt who stepped up and gave an awesome presentation!

Hope to see everyone at our next meetings in November!

--
NIU AMS

Meeting 10/21

2010-10-20T09:42:00.001-07:00

Hey all,

We'd just like to remind everyone about the upcoming meeting tomorrow, Thursday, October 21st at 5pm in Davis Hall 217. Matt Wojtowicz will be giving a talk about bow echos. This is also our Halloween meeting, so dress up if you would like!

Another important announcement, to ANYONE who plans on graduating in DECEMBER or MAY with a double major (MET and GEOG), minor in Geography, or GIS Certificate, please go see Dawn ASAP because there needs to be a change made to your account. She would like to get everyone in before November 1st. This needs to be done if you want to graduate!

Hope to see you all tomorrow evening!

--
NIU AMS

Forecasting and GIS

2010-10-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Just a couple of items to pass along.

First, all calendar and t-shirt orders and money need to be turned in by tomorrow. Just put them in the AMS mailbox in the dept. office.

Also, we are going to start forecasting for the Northern Star again. This is an awesome opportunity for everyone to get some forecasting experience as well as something to add to their resume. If interested let us know. I will be posting a sign-up sheet in room 217 for those interested to sign-up for a weeks time. Forecasts should be emailed to northernstarweather@gmail.com. What they would need is a daily forecast the night before publication date (i.e. we would need the forecast for Monday and Tuesday by Sunday night) by 6 p.m. The format we have typically used includes a short descriptive forecast for the date of publication as well as the following day, along with specific high/low temperatures for both of those days (also please include student identification info for us to include in the forecast as well). An example:

Monday: Mostly Sunny
High: 83
Low: 61

Tuesday: Partly cloudy
High: 78
Low: 53

- John Smith
senior meteorology major

For those of you pursuing a GIS certificate, Phil Young is currently looking for students A.S.A.P with GIS background (a must) to assist on a grant with Argonne. If anyone is interested, please stop by Phil Young’s office in Davis, which is located across from the main office to discuss it with him.

Thanks
--
NIU AMS

Open house help

2010-10-08T13:41:00.001-07:00

Hey all,
There is a need for a few Meteorology students to assist in tours during the Open House on Monday from 12:00-1:00. Please if you can help at that time contact Dawn Sibley at dsibley@niu.edu. You will need to be at the dept. office by 11:45 AM on Monday.

Thanks,

NIU AMS

Important reminder!

2010-10-05T21:11:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
Just a reminder that this Thursday at 5:00 we are meeting at Mardi Gras Lanes for Bowling. We will be providing the first game, you will need to purchase your shoes and 2nd game. A few of us will be in front of Davis around 4:45 for people that needs a ride.

We have decided to extend the deadline for shirts and calendar orders. You now have until October 14th to place your order. You can turn your order into the AMS mailbox in the dept. office. If you need an order form, email back and we will send you one.

A couple of other items:

Dawn is looking for a few people to help for our Open House on Monday, October 11th. She needs a few people from 12:00-1:00 pm to help with department tours to talk about your experiences here at NIU. Please let us know if you would be willing to help. She needs to know by this Friday.

The STEMFest will be held at the NIU Convocation Center from 10 am-5 pm on Saturday, October 23rd. (http://stemfest.niu.edu/stem/fest/).

The department is looking for volunteers to assist with the department's table in this event. Your assistance can help increase the awareness of geography in our everyday life and attract future geographers. If you can fill one of these time slots, let us know.

10:00 am - 11:00 noon _________

11:00 am - 12:00 pm _________

12:00 pm - 1:00 pm _________

1:00 pm - 2:00 pm _________

2:00 pm - 3:00 pm _________

3:00 pm - 4:00 pm _________

4:00 pm - 5:00 pm _________

other (please specify time) ______________________

Also, those that have not paid there dues, you can still pay them. You may leave them in the AMS mailbox in the dept. office.
--
NIU AMS

Reminder!

2010-09-23T20:29:00.001-07:00

Hey all,
A big thank you for those that helped out with the bake sale in anyway. We made $175 this week. Also I wanted to drop a quick note to remind those that are planning on attending our Oct. 7th meeting (bowling) to let us know so we can have enough lanes reserved.

Also reminder that dues are due by Oct. 1st and are $15. Fell free to drop them by the dept. office and put them in the AMS mailbox.

Calendar pictures and T-shirt design voting ends by midnight Oct. 1st. Please join our facebook group to vote. Also I've attach a copy of the t-shirt and calendar order forms. Feel free to print those out and place your orders in our mailbox in the office as well. T-shirts are $20 for short sleeve, $22 for long sleeve, and calendars are $15. You can make checks out to NIU-AMS. All t-shirt and calendar orders must be submitted and paid for by our Oct. 7th meeting.

Thanks,

October meetings

2010-09-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hey all,
We wanted to pass along a couple dates for October.

Thursday, October 7th @5:00 PM - We will be having a fun get together at Mardi Gras bowl lanes here in DeKalb. We have free game tickets for everyone's first game. You will need to bring money for shoes and a 2nd game. Let us know if you are coming so we have enough coupons for everyone. Also if you need a ride, please let us know. We will meet at Davis Hall at 4:45 PM (those that need rides).

Thursday, October 21st @ 5:00 PM- Mike McClure will be coming out from NWS in Davenport and will be giving a forecasting workshop. This will be a great meeting, so please plan on coming. Also, this will be our Halloween meeting so dress up!! Prizes for the best costume! Afterwards we will be taking Mike out to Fatties if any would like to join us.

Also, remember our bake sale is coming up on Sept, 21st, 22nd, and 23rd. We still need to people to bake and work the table. Please let us know if you can do one or both. We need all the help we can get. The more money we raise, the more we can do this year.

Have a great week,

--
NIU AMS

Recap from meeting

2010-09-10T15:27:00.000-07:00

Hello again,

For those of you who came out to our meeting last night, we hope you all had a good time! Here are a list of the annoucements made at the beginning of the meeting.

-The Weather Challenge Forecast Contest is starting in a few weeks, if you are interested in signing up, please contact Chris Lippold

-For those interested in taking weather observations this year, training will be held on Tuesday, September 14th at 7am at the Co-Op station on campus, please contact Alecia or Danny if you have any questions

-There will be an AMS Bake Sale from September 21st-23rd in Davis Hall, a sign up sheet is located in room 217 if you are able to bake anything or work it

-If you are interested in broadcast meteorology, please contact Nicole Gill for information about NTC

-T-shirts and calendar voting is online on Facebook until October 1st, all you have to do is "like" the best photos in the group, order forms and money for both are due by the October meeting

-Two November meetings will be held on Tuesday, November 2nd at 7pm and Thursday, November 18th at 5pm

-November 2nd meeting is a joint meeting at Lewis University in Romeoville, if you can go please contact Alecia for information since we will all be meeting and traveling together

-Career Day is November 19th

-And most importantly....DUES ($15) must be turned in by October 1st!

Any further questions, feel free to send us an email. See you in October!

--
NIU AMS

Reminder!

2010-09-09T12:10:00.001-07:00

This is just a reminder that our next AMS meeting is TONIGHT at 5pm in Davis Hall 217. We will be doing some isoplething, so please bring some colored pencils with you!

See you tonight!

--
NIU AMS

Meeting 9/9 & dues!

2010-09-07T13:21:00.001-07:00

Hey everyone,

For those of you who made it out to our first meeting two weeks ago, we hope everyone had a good time and enjoyed some pizza! Our next meeting will take place Thursday, September 9th at 5pm in Davis Hall 217. We will go over some more details of future events, and we plan on having an isoplething activity along with Weather Jeopardy!

Remember, dues ($15) need to be turned in by October 1st if you haven't already done so.

We hope to see you there this Thursday!

--
NIU AMS

First meeting 8/26!!!

2010-08-23T16:51:00.000-07:00

Hello AMS crew!

First of all, welcome back to NIU for another exciting year!

Yes, it's that time again, our first AMS meeting is coming up this Thursday, August 26th, 2010 at 5pm in Davis Hall 217. We will be meeting there for announcements about this upcoming year with........FREE PIZZA AND SODA!! Following our feast, we will be heading outside for some bags, frisbee and softball right behind Davis Hall.

We encourage everyone to come on out this Thursday, even if you are not a meteorology major, and are just interested in the weather. Bring your friends too! Pass the word along to anybody you think would be interested in joining the club. Come on, who can pass up free pizza!?

Look for signs hanging up around Davis Hall and other places on campus too, and SPREAD THE WORD!

Hope to see you ALL this Thursday at 5pm!

--
NIU AMS

Announcements

2010-04-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Two important announcements:

First of all, congratulations to our new exec board! The 2010-2011 exec board will be:

President-Alecia Osborne
Vice President-Heather Brinkmann
Secretary-Laura Schutte
Treasurer-Sara Schultz
Webmaster-Rob Niesen

Congratulations to our new executive board!!

Second announcement - Don't forget the banquet on Thursday! It is at 6:00 pm in Lions Park. If you can't drive, the Huskie Bus Rt 2 has a stop across the street at Asbury Apartments.

Keep lookin' up!

2010-04-13T16:48:00.000-07:00

Hello AMSers!

Just wanted to remind all of you about our AMS meeting this Thursday @ 5pm in DH201. We are having a special guest speaker named Steve Drews from Impact Forecasting LLC. He is the Associate Director and Lead Meteorologist there! This meeting should be as he will talk about Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Hail, and Severe Straight Line Winds within the Catastrphe Modeling World. Fun fun for everyone!

This meeting is also our last regular business meeting of the semester, so we will be holding elections. If you are not there, then you cannot vote for next years executive board!

Also, VERY IMPORTANT REMINDER: Thursday, April 29th at 6:00 PM we are having our end of the year banquet for AMS. If you are coming please RSVP by simply just replying back to this email. As this event is catered, also please give us your main entree choice between chicken, roast beef, or a pasta dish. Many have RSVP'd but have not told us what they would like to eat so if this is you please send us another email saying what you would like to eat. If not, you will get the mystery meat! (jk) The location is Lions Park. If you aren't driving and cannot get a ride, the NIU Huskie Bus rt. 2 has a stop right across the street at the Ashbury Court apartments (how convenient!).

Hope to see you all Thursday!

End of the Year Banquet

2010-04-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Here are the details for our End of the Year Banquet. It will be Thursday, April 29th at 6:00 PM at the Lions Park building. Lions Park is located on Taylor street between 1st street and Annie Glidden Road. We are having the dinner catered and need to know within the next week how many people are planning to attend. Please let us know if you are coming (and if you are bringing someone) and if you would like either chicken, roast beef, or a pasta dish.

Also for those that live on campus and do not have transportation, the #2 bus stops right across the street. If you need a ride please don't hesitated to ask one of us and we will gladly come by and get you. We want this to be a nice event for everyone.

Please R.S.V.P as soon as possible to niuams@gmail.com

Thank you!

Fermi-Lab THIS Saturday!

2010-04-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Just wanted to send a quick reminder that Tom Skilling's Severe Weather Seminar is this Saturday at Fermi lab. There is a session at noon and another at 6 PM. Also if you plan to ride with the AMS group you need to let us know A.S.A.P so we can plan on the number of drivers. We are attending the noon session and will be meeting at Davis at 10:15 AM and leaving by 10:30 due to limited sitting.

Again, if you are riding along with the group, let us know A.S.A.P if you have not already done so.

Thanks

T-Shirts

2010-04-01T13:42:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone

We just wanted to let you know, that the t-shirts are in, but the order was not placed correctly. If you ordered a short-sleeve shirt they are ready, and can be picked up. The t-shirts are $20.00 each. We will bring them to class on Friday, and will be in DH217 from around 9:00 to 1:30. However, if you ordered a long-sleeve shirt we have your shirt, but in a short-sleeve shirt. If you ordered a long-sleeve shirt and still would want the long-sleeve shirt let us know ASAP and we will get them ordered!!!! Also, anyone that has not ordered a shirt, and would still like one you need to let us know by 8:00A.M. tomorrow as we are going to try and place another order!!!!

Thanks a lot
Alecia and Kristina

Spotter training!

2010-03-29T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hey folks!

Just reminding you that TOMORROW night, there is a Storm Spotter training class at 7:00 PM in Faraday 144. Not thursday, but TUESDAY! This is a great and interesting opportunity to become a trained storm spotter! Bring a friend, as well, this event is open to everyone!

Also, if you haven't done so already, email your nominations to niuams@gmail.com before April 8th at midnight. This is open to both self-nomination and nominations of someone else you think would be good in office. The positions are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Webmaster.All candidates will be followed up with, and should have a speech prepared for voting at the meeting on April 15th. This looks great on a resume!

Keep lookin' up!

April 2nd Open House

2010-03-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

Just a heads-up, the Geography department is having an open house soon, and they would like if some of the AMS members could help:

"On Friday, April 2 there is an Open House on campus for high school students and their families. Our department will be open from 11:00-2:00 pm. You won't have to do any advising. I will need your help between 11:45-1:00 pm with department tours and you can talk about your experiences here at NIU. If you could let me know who will be here, I would appreciate it. If you have any questions, please let me know. Thank you all for your cooperation."

It's really easy to do, plus if you have good things to say about the department, here is your chance to say it to prospective students. Any help would be appreciated. If you are interested, please let us know.

Thanks!

Announcements!

2010-03-23T16:20:00.000-07:00

Hello AMSers!

Thanks to all who came out this past Thursday as Travis (NIU Alum) gave a special talk.

For those who did not attend there are several IMPORTANT pieces of information that you should know about:

1) On March 30, 7:00 PM, Faraday 144 there is a Skywarn Storm Spotter training class. Feel free to bring a friend along as well!

2) Our next AMS meeting will be April 15, 5:00 PM, Davis 201. We will be having a guest speaker, Steve Drews from AON. He will be coming out to talk about his work in disaster assessment. Also, since this is our LAST AMS meeting of the year, we will be holding elections for the officers.

3) As you could have probably guessed this 3rd point, if you are interested in being a cabinet member for AMS next year, please send us an email at niuams@gmail.com expressing your interest. The positions are: President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Webmaster. Election nominations close on April 8th at midnight. Also, all candidates will be announced, and asked to prepare a short speech on why they should win **Let it be known that holding on of these positions looks great on a resume!**

4) Saturday April 10th is Tom Skilling's Severe WX Seminar-12:00 P.M. and 6:00 P.M Fermi Lab. We will be going as a group to the 12:00 p.m presentation. Please reply back if you are interested in going with the group so we can work at transportation.

5) Saturday April 17th-NIU Cares Day. If you are interested, register here. Volunteers can now register for their NIU Cares Day teams by visiting the online registration page. All participants must register with a team(Students signing up as individuals should join 'Team-NIU Cares.')

6) Mark your calendars for the AMS Final Banquet that is on April 30th. Details TBA

We hope everyone has a great week and hope to see you all at the Storm Spotter Training Class!

Thursday March 18th

2010-03-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Hey all,

We will be having an AMS meeting this Thursday, March 18th at 5:00P.M. in Davis #201. NIU graduate, Travis Carlson will be presenting a tornado case study! This will be a great meeting, so don't plan on missing it!

Also if you are going to the Des Moines conference, please plan on attending the meeting. We need to make sure we have everyone in a room, and we also need to coordinate the time we will be leaving. We also need to make sure that we have enough drivers. If for any reason you cannot attend the meeting, please let either Alecia or Kristina know that you are still planning on attending the conference.

Hope to see y'all Thursday evening!!

2010-02-25T19:20:00.000-08:00

Hello AMSers!

Here are a few bits of information that you need to know about:

1) Our next meeting is March 18th in Rm201. Travis Carlson (NIU Alum) will be coming out to do a case study, which should be very interesting. This will also provide insight into a severe weather forecast. Want to know the event? You'll have to come to find out!

2) Spotter training is March 30th at 7PM in Faraday West 144 (This is a TUESDAY night!!)

3) Whoever signed up for the bake sale for March 4th and 5th. Please check the sign up sheet for times.

4) If anyone wants to be involved in NIU Cares Day, please contact Alecia Osborne.

5) Friday, March 12th, we are taking a group out to the NWS in Davenport for a tour and a balloon launch. We need to get a head count of who is going. We will be leaving Davis at 1:45 PM. Please let any of the eboard members know if you are coming, and also if you'd be willing to drive. We need to make sure we have enough room for everyone.

6) Also, register for the Des Moines Severe Storms & Dopplar Radar conference if you are intending on going. It's $75 for students if you register before March 13, 2010, it's $85 after then.

Have a great night!

--NIU AMS

Meeting 02/18

2010-02-18T12:48:00.000-08:00

Hey folks,

Sorry for the late notice, but there IS a meeting tonight. Hope to see you all come out!

-NIU AMS

Geography Open House

2010-02-14T18:18:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone,

NIU will be having an open house tomorrow, February 15. There may be opportunities to assist in the department. The department will need some students to basically show prospective students and their parents around and answer questions. Students will be eeeded between 11:45 AM-12:30 PM. If anyone is interested, talk to Dawn or Barb in the Geography office.

January 28th Minutes, and other announcements

2010-02-03T16:11:00.000-08:00

Hello AMSers!

To who were there on Thursday, thanks for coming out! You know how well Gino helped develop our winter weather forecasting skills!

Make sure you check the links in the previous post for some internship and scholarship opportunities!! Deadlines are quickly approaching!

To those who were not there, here is some information that was shared at the meeting:

1) Next AMS meeting is February 18th @ 5pm. For that meeting we are trying to get a few students who have done (or are currently in) internships to share their experiences with everyone... so please let one of the board members know if you would like to share!

2) Special Fundraiser event for AMS!! We are having a BAKE SALE March 4-5th 10 A.M.-2 P.M Sign-up sheets are in Rm 217 if you would like to join! If you are interested, please sign up for a time slot to work and to bake some goodies... it would be greatly appreciated!

3) Mark your calendars for:

- The 2010 Severe Storms & Doppler Radar Conference- Des Moines, IA March 25-27th
if you want the details go to: http://www.iowa-nwa.com/conference/

- Sky Warn Spotter Training- March 30th Faraday 144 7:00 P.M

- Tom Skilling's Tornado and Severe Storm Seminar- April 10th at Fermi Lab

- NIU Cares Day- April 17th contact Alecia if you are interested in helping the community

(Last but not least!)

- AMS Banquet- April 29th (More info at a later date)

This list is what we have planned for the rest of the semester! Fun fun for EVERYONE!!

January 28th Meeting and other info

2010-01-25T19:35:00.000-08:00

Hello AMSers!

Just wanted to give you all a heads up that we are having an AMS meeting this Thursday, January 28 at 5pm (usually meeting place). This meeting will be a special one! We are having Gino Izzi from the Chicago NWS as our guest!! He will be talking about winter weather forecasting. Being one of the best forecasters in the area, expect to learn lots this Thursday on how to better understand and forecast winter weather. HE IS A BIG DEAL.
Who? Ginoooooo
When? This Thursday @ 5pm
Where? Usual classroom on the second floor
Why? Because you love winter weather and you love Gino
Hope to see you all there!

Internships:
Tis the season for internship applications! Just a few good internships you can apply for.

REU: http://www.caps.ou.edu/reu/ Deadline: February 17, 2010

SCEP: http://www.uvm.edu/~geograph/SCEP%20APPLICATION.pdf Deadline: February 15, 2010

NASA DEVELOP: http://develop.larc.nasa.gov/ Deadline: February 22, 2010

Argonne: http://www.dep.anl.gov/p_undergrad/summer.htm Deadline: February 1, 2010

Scholarship:

Hollings scholarship (Lots of $$!!): http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/Hollings_info.html Deadline: January 29, 2010 (Apply online)

NIU Scholarships/Awards: http://globe.geog.niu.edu/scholarship/Scholarships.shtml You can get the application from Dawn. Deadline: February 10, 2010

Winter Break

2009-12-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays, AMSers! We hope you're enjoying your break, and watching this system!

See you in January!

Meeting December 3rd

2009-11-30T18:57:00.000-08:00

Hey AMS'ers,

Just a quick notice, we will be having AMS this Thursday at 5 pm in Davis Hall 217. Come on out and take a break from studying.

Remember about these scholarships/internships!!

National AMS ScholarshipYou do need to be a national member, but that does not cost very much for students (well worth the investment of $20). Here is the link:
http://www.ametsoc.org/amsstudentinfo/scholfeldocs/index.html

This deadline is coming up soon!!

Next is from the United States EPA. This is a BIG money program, as in you'll get good money for this internship. Here is its link:United States EPA Greater Research Opportunityhttp://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2010/2010_gro_undergrad.html
http://pull.xmr3.com/p/2375-E480/80802653/clickto1_r-rfa-2010-2010_gro_undergrad.html

--------Remember this is a BIG money internship!!---------

Tuesday, November 5th

2009-11-01T21:43:00.000-08:00

Hey, AMSer's!

Just a reminder that this Tuesday we have a joint meeting with the Chicago AMS chapter. TAKE NOTE! This meeting is at 7:30 in Davis 121, as opposed to our normal time and place.

The big topic is Tim Marshall's talk "Tornadoes: The Big, The Bad, and The Ugly". Tim Marshall worked with VORTEX2 this past summer and is a very experienced storm chaser.

We also ask that since this is a meeting with the Chicago chapter, that you dress business casual if you can.

Please try to make this meeting if you can, you won't regret it!

October 28th Meeting, and Joint Chicago AMS meeting November 3rd

2009-10-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hey AMS'ers, Just a few quick things here.

We are meeting tomorrow (Thursday October 29) with an informal get together. Since it is the week of Halloween, we will be watching Twister for fun. Feel free to come in costume (just keep it appropriate). Did we mention, free pizza?

Our next official meeting is TUESDAY, November 3. It is at 7:30 PM in Davis Hall 121. This is the joint meeting with the Chicago AMS chapter. We will have guest speaker and NIU alumni Tim Marshall presenting for us. His presentation will be "Tornado chases 2008: The good, bad, and ugly". Tim has filmed over 200 tornadoes, and worked with the VORTEX2 group this past summer deploying pods. You should definitely come to this meeting, as it looks to be a really good one.

There are some opportunities out there that you can (and should) apply for.First there is the

National AMS Scholarships and travel grants. You do need to be a national member, but that does not cost very much for students (well worth the investment of $20). Here are the links for those:http://www.ametsoc.org/amsstudentinfo/scholfeldocs/index.html http://www.ametsoc.org/MEET/annual/studentassistantprogram.html#

Next is from the United States EPA. This is a BIG money program, as in you'll get good money for this internship. Here is its link:United States EPA Greater Research Opportunityhttp://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2010/2010_gro_undergrad.html ( http://pull.xmr3.com/p/2375-E480/80802653/clickto1_r-rfa-2010-2010_gro_undergrad.html )
--------Remember this is a BIG money internship!!---------

That's all for this time. Hope to see you at the meetings!

Meeting Notes 10/8

2009-10-13T18:04:00.000-07:00

National AMS Fellowship/Scholarships/Travel Grants
http://www.ametsoc.org/amsstudentinfo/scholfeldocs/index.html

http://www.ametsoc.org/MEET/annual/studentassistantprogram.html#

United States EPA Greater Research Opportunity

http://www.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2010/2010_gro_undergrad.html ( http://pull.xmr3.com/p/2375-E480/80802653/clickto1_r-rfa-2010-2010_gro_undergrad.html )

-Remember this is a BIG money internship!!

Informal Halloween "Funtimes" Meeting October 29. Regular time/place. Spice it up in the e-mail/blog post however you want. (with the other info in Ryan's funny exec. e-mail).

Next Official Meeting: November 3. 7:30 pm. Davis 121. Joint Meeting with the Chicago AMS. Tim Marshall will be presenting. (And more than likely chasing presentation).

Make sure to include a notice that any weather pictures, including the ones that didn't make the calnedar, can be sent to <ntc@niu.edu> to get a chance to be seen on air.

Reminders

2009-10-07T18:30:00.001-07:00

Hey AMS'ers

Just a quick reminder that our meeting is this Thursday at 5pm in Davis 217. We will be voting on T-shirt designs and calendar pictures. Also, anyone going to the COD conference should come, because we are going to meet after the meeting to discuss accomidations and rides to and from the conference.

Speaking of the past few things, remember Wednesday is the last day we are accepting T-shirt designs and calendar pictures. Please send your designs/pictures to niuams@gmail.com. Also, you should pay for COD soon if you are going. We want to know for sure who is going at this meeting. See http://sws2009.cod.edu/ for more details, but notice, the 16th is the last day to register!

See you at the meeting!

9/17 Meeting recp

2009-09-22T20:46:00.000-07:00

Hey AMSers!

Just recapping what went on this past Thursday's meeting! First off, congratulations to Alicia and Kristina for being nominated as vice-president and treasurer!

As was mentioned at the meeting, we have a special guest (NIU Alum) named Tom Karl that will be coming to talk around 10:30am this coming Friday in the MET classroom on the 2nd floor. Tom is a big deal as he is the national president of AMS and is one of the top guys at the national climate center! So if you are free try to make it out!

For those who are interested in the conferance at COD, please note that the deadline for registration is October 7th. Here is the link: http://sws2009.cod.edu/index.html

What is also due on Oct. 7th is T-shirt designs and calendar pictures. We still really need both, especially T-shirt designs, so get creative! Email both to THIS address.

Anyone who is signed up for the national forecasting challenge be aware that it is $3 per semester so please get ahold of Chuck. email gocubfan@yahoo.com or cell phone (618)960-1704.

Last but not least, our next meeting is October 8, 5 pm DH 217. People who are going to COD are definetely encouraged to come since we will have a quick get together after the meeting. We will also be voting for t-shirts and calendars.

Hope you have a great week and hopefully see you Friday!

--
NIU AMS

09/17 Meeting reminder

2009-09-15T23:05:00.001-07:00

Hey AMS'ers

This is just a quick reminder that our second meeting is this Thursday at 5 pm in Davis Hall 217. We will be holding elections, and playing some Weather Jeopardy! Our nominees for Vice President are Alecia Osbourne, Evan Bing, Victor Gensini, Marius Paulikas, and Kristina Rohrbach. Nominees for treasurer are Kristina Rohrbach, Justin Pletsch, and Phillip Jagielo. Candidates, please have a quick speech prepared for the meeting. If a candidate can not make it, please send us a quick speech via e-mail, sending it to niuams@gmail.com. See you all at the meeting!

09/03/09 Meeting Minutes

2009-09-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

Hello AMSers!!!!

Thank you for coming to all who were at the meeting this past Thursday! We had a great turnout, lots of fun, and filled up on some pizza! Much was accomplished, as well, as we introduced ourselves and passed around lots of sign-up sheets for different events and opportunities. If you did sign up for something, know that we will either address it in our AMS meetings or by email depending on when it is and its importance.

Our next meeting is next Thursday, September 17th @ 5pm. We will have elections for two new cabinet members (vice-president and treasurer) and will have more details on upcoming events.

See you all on the 17th!!

Northern Star Forecasting

2009-09-03T22:30:00.000-07:00

They want the forecasts by 6:00 pm the night before. For example, for Monday, submit it by Sunday night by 6:00 PM for Monday & Tuesday and then the same for Monday night but for Tuesday & Wednesday.

The forecasts should be sent to: northernstarweather@gmail.com

Here is a template of what they would like:

Monday: Partly Cloudy. Hi 56, Low 42
Tuesday: Chance of Shower. Hi 50, Low 44

Your Name, NIU Meteorology Student

09/03/09 Meeting

2009-08-27T19:45:00.000-07:00

Hey AMSer's!! Letting you know, the first meeting of the semester is next Thursday, September 3rd, at 5:00 PM in DH217. There will be free pop and pizza, so you're going to want to make it out. We're going to play a couple of games, get to know each other, eat pizza, and just generally have a great time!

As some of you may know, Eddie unfortunately had to step down from the Vice Presidents position for personal reasons. We're going to miss having him around this semester, but in the mean time, we do need to elect a new Vice President. We're going to hold nominations the first meeting, and then have an actual election the following meeting, so start thinking if you would like to be a part of the AMS executive board.

We've got a lot of great things planned for this semester, so we really hope to see you all there!

Keep looking up!

04/30/09 AMS Awards Banquet

2009-05-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Our AMS Banquet cake

On Thursday, April 30th, our AMS exec board, members, and faculty enjoyed a cookout behind Davis Hall. Despite the threat of rain earlier in the day the weather cleared out just in time for a evening to celebrate the end of the academic year among classmates and friends. Hamburgers, hot dogs, and a delicious cake were all served at our banquet. Congratulations to all our AMS award winners and our graduating students. Thanks to all that attended our banquet and for making this a very successful year for our AMS chapter here at NIU.

04/16/09 Meeting Minutes

2009-04-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, here are the announcements from last night's meeting.

Case study winners
Congrats to the winners of last night's case study: Jeremy Spencer and Erik Janzon! Thanks to everyone that came and to Gilbert and Travis for presenting.

Officer Election Results
President: Chuck Richie
Vice President: Eddie Wildermuth
Secretary: Ryan Oates
Treasurer: Tierney Manning
Webmaster: Rose Sengenberger

Fermilab Severe Weather Seminar
We are going to Tom Skilling's severe weather seminar at Fermilab on Saturday, April 25. If you want to go but didn't get a chance to sign up, e-mail us at niuams@gmail.com and we'll put you on the list. We will be meeting in front of Davis Hall at 10:00 am. The seminar will probably last until about 5:00.

AMS banquet
Our annual AMS Banquet is a cookout this year. It is on Thursday, April 30 behind Davis Hall. If you have a grill you are willing to bring, please let someone on the exec board know. Rain date is Friday, May 1.

Have a great weekend everyone! Enjoy the warm weather!

04/16/09 Meeting

2009-04-15T15:33:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, our next AMS meeting will be tomorrow, April 16, at 5:00 pm in DH 217. We'll be doing another case study, similar to the one that Victor did with us last month. We'll also be having officer elections for next year, and we'll have Pizza Hut pizza, so come hungry! Be sure to bring colored pencils since we'll be doing composite charts.

NTC Weather Photos
The NTC is still looking for weather photos! If you have any cool pictures, send them to ntc@niu.edu and put "NTC Wx Pics" in the subject line.

T-shirts
If you haven't picked up your t-shirt yet, and you ordered one, bring $20 tomorrow and pick up your shirt.

Upcoming events
-Fermilab: On Saturday, April 25, we'll be going to Fermilab for Tom Skilling's Severe Storms seminar. We're going to the morning session, departure time from DeKalb is TBA. Walker is speaking, so be sure to come and see him speak!

-AMS Banquet: Our annual AMS banquet/cookout is on Thursday, April 30 behind Davis Hall. It should be a fun time, so save the date! If the weather is uncooperative, we can maybe move it to Friday.

Internships
-The Midwestern Regional Climate Center is offering a 12-week internship this summer. It is open to current sophomores and juniors. Information is attached; applications are due by April 21.

-KELO-TV, in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, is looking for a summer weather intern. Information is attached.

See you all Thursday!

03/27/09 Meeting Minutes

2009-03-31T09:50:00.000-07:00

T-shirts

If you haven't picked up your t-shirt yet and you ordered one, or if you still need to pay, please bring $20 to the next meeting.

Des Moines

For those going to Des Moines next week, we will be meeting in front of Davis Hall at 7:00 am on Thursday, April 2.

NTC weather photos

If you have any weather photos you would the NTC to show, send them to ntc@niu.edu

Have a great weekend everyone!

03/20/09 Meeting Minutes

2009-03-20T13:05:00.001-07:00

Here are the announcements from last night's meeting.

T-shirts
Our t-shirts are in! If you couldn't make it last night and ordered a shirt, bring $20 to the next meeting and you can pick up your shirt then.

NTC Weather pictures
If you have any weather pictures you would like to share, the NTC would like them for their weather photo segment. Send any pictures to ntc@niu.edu.

2009-2010 Exec Board
If anyone is interested in running for an exec board position in next year's AMS, a sign up sheet will be available at the next meeting.

Next meeting
Our next meeting will be Thursday, March 26 (next week!) at 5:00 pm in DH 217. We will be having a guest speaker on how weather impacts the economy.

Have a great weekend!

03/19/09 Spring Fundraiser: AMS T-Shirt

2009-03-19T18:35:00.001-07:00

Front

Along with a bake sale last month we also sold AMS T-Shirts to raise funds for our student organization this semester. Our members designed our very own T-Shirt design for the American Meteorological Society. This was yet another success and we'll proud of how they turned out. A very special thanks to Competitive Edge & Graphics in Dekalb for their help screen printing our design and there expertise over the last couple of months.

Back

03/19/09 Meeting

2009-03-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, hope you all had a great spring break and enjoyed the recent warm weather. First and foremost, our t-shirts are in! If you ordered one, bring $20 to the meeting Thursday night (5:00 pm in DH 217) and you will receive your shirt. They look great! We do have a few extras, so if you didn't order one and still want one, you may still be able to get one.

For those of you planning to go to Des Moines in April, we will be having a quick meeting after the conclusion of the AMS meeting. If you can't stick around, please see one of the exec board.

We will be watching Storms of 2008 at the meeting, so be sure to come out! Hope to see you all tomorrow!

--
NIU AMS

03/05/09 Meeting Reminder

2009-03-04T20:42:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, spring is around the corner and it's time to sharpen up your severe weather forecasting skills! This Thursday, we will pair up more "experienced" forecasters with some of the more amateur students to spread out the experience and knowledge base, so everyone has a chance to learn. Victor has put a lot of effort into making this a very worthwhile activity, making this a perfect opportunity to learn more about forecasting for severe weather. There will also be awesome prizes! Don't forget to bring your colored pencils...The workshop may run past 6 P.M., but prizes will be awarded before then so if you have class at 6, you need not worry. See you Thursday!

Also, NIU has a financial need tuition scholarship available. To qualify, you must be nominated by an NIU faculty or staff member. The qualifications are listed below:

-be an undergraduate
-be enrolled as a full-time student with a minimum of 12 semester hours during the semesters to
which the award is applied
-demonstrate financial need
-not have received another FULL tuition dollar scholarship during the same academic year
-maintain a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or higher during the semesters to which the award is to be applied

Nominations are due by March 18.

Science Fair Judge Needed!!!

2009-02-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

Attention everyone who is not planning to go to Des Moines in April: The Illinois Junior Academy of Science is holding a regional science fair at NIU on Saturday, April 4. They would like someone from NIU AMS (preferably a junior or senior) to help judge and present awards. This is an awesome opportunity for community service! Unfortunately, it conflicts with our trip to Iowa, which is why we need someone who is not going to Iowa to help out with this. If anyone is interested, contact Walker at washley@niu.edu.

02/20/09 Meeting Minutes

2009-02-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, here are the announcements for the week...

Northern Star forecasting
There are still weeks open for Northern Star forecasting. Forecasts need to be e-mailed to dmbfan825@gmail.com by 4:00 pm the day before the forecast period. The sign up sheet is available in DH 217. The Star pays AMS $6 per forecast, so this is a great way to earn money for AMS.

AMS road trip!
The 13th Annual Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Des Moines, Iowa, will be held the weekend of April 2-4, 2009 at the West Des Moines Sheraton Hotel and Convention Center. Register before March 20 to receive a $10 discount! Discounted cost is $70. When you register, be sure to put "NIU AMS" as your organization. Register at www.iowa-nwa.com. We also need drivers, so if you have a car and are willing to drive, please let us know. If you plan to attend, please sign up outside DH 217 so we know how many drivers we need.

Free money!
The Pam Daale Memorial Scholarship in Meteorology is now available. This is a $1000 scholarship awarded to a sophomore or junior student in meteorology. It is presented at the Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference in Des Moines. For more information, visit www.iowa-nwa.com for more information.

Forecast Contest
The forecast contest for the first 70-degree day is still going on. For $2, you can pick a date when you believe the first 70 degree day will be. The winner gets a free AMS t-shirt.

NTC weather photos
The Northern Television Center (NTC) is looking for weather photos. Send them to ntc@niu.edu and put "NTC Wx Pics" in the subject line. Pictures can be from anywhere in Illinois, but the more local, the better.

Bake Sale
Don't forget, the AMS bake sale is next week! The bake sale will be in Davis Hall on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 23 and 24, from 11am to 1pm (note: this is a change from the original 11-2 time slot). If you can help, a sign up sheet is available on the bulletin board outside DH 217. If you plan to bring food to sell, talk to Dawn in the geography main office and she will show you where food can be stored.

Next meeting: Forecasting Workshop
At our next meeting, 3/5/09, graduate student Victor Gensini will be hosting a forecasting workshop. Bring your colored pencils!

Upcoming events
Here are some upcoming events for the remainder of the semester:

3/19/09 Movie night

3/26/09 Guest speaker - effects of weather on corn, soybeans, wheat, crude oil and natural gas

4/16/09 09-10 officer elections

4/25/09 Fermilab Severe Weather Seminar

4/30/09 AMS spring banquet/cookout

Have a great weekend everyone!

02/19/09 Meeting Reminder

2009-02-19T19:40:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, please don't forget spotter training tomorrow (Feb. 19) at 7:00 pm in Faraday West 200. Please note that this is not our normal meeting time. This is an awesome event regardless of if you've been before, so check it out! It will last about 1.5-2 hours.

Also, advanced spotter training will be held at Wheaton College on March 14, 2009. AMS will not be going to this event because it is over our spring break; however, if you are interested, feel free to attend. Visit www.dupagesevereweather.com for more information and to register.

Have a great week everyone! Stay warm!

02/09/09 Upcoming Events

2009-02-09T19:39:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, hope you are all enjoying the warm weather! Enjoy it while it lasts, because it won't last long! A couple of quick notes:

*A sign up sheet is now available on the bulletin board outside DH 217 for Des Moines. Please only sign up if you know for sure you are going, so we know how many drivers we need. Don't forget to register online at www.iowa-nwa.com by March 20 to receive the $10 discount. (organization: NIU AMS)

*A sign up sheet is also available to work at our bake sale. The bake sale will take place on Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 23-24, from 11am-2pm in Davis Hall.

*NIU is having an open house on Monday, Feb. 16. The department is looking for some students to talk to prospective students and families about their experience at NIU. The open house is from 10:30-1:30. If you're interested, talk to Dawn or Dr. Changnon.

Have a great week!

02/05/09 Meeting Minutes

2009-02-05T19:37:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone! Just a few quick notes from last night's meeting:

Des Moines
Sign up soon to go to Des Moines for the 13th Severe Storms and Doppler Radar Conference! It is April 2-4, so you'll miss some class, but it'll be worth it. Cost is $70 if you register before March 20, otherwise it is $80. When registering, put NIU AMS as the organization. For more information and to register, go to http://www.iowa-nwa.com/registration/. Sign up sheets will be available on the bulletin board outside DH 217 on Monday. If you are planning to go, sign up so we know how many drivers we need.

Next meeting
Our next meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 19 at 7:00 in Faraday West room 200 for spotter training. It will last about two hours. Even if you've been before, it's fun; plus, who doesn't like discussing severe weather in February?

Storm Chase with COD
Dr. Ashley will be leading a storm chase trip for the College of DuPage on May 29-June 7. For more information, including a FAQ and details on associated costs (approximately $1250 for tuition, travel, hotels, and hopefully big wedges), visit this page: <http://weather.cod.edu/chasing/chasing2/trips.html> Please note that only a handful of seats remain open for Dr. Ashley's trip. Contact Dr. Ashley (washley@niu.edu) if you are interested and he'll put you in touch with the appropriate people at COD. Also, if you can't make the late May chase, seats remain for COD's Trip 5 chase, which often features storm chasing in Canada.

Have a great weekend and enjoy the warm weather!

Meeting tomorrow, 2/5

2009-02-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, just a reminder that we will be having a meeting tomorrow, Thursday, Feb. 5 at 5:00 pm in DH 217. Travis will be presenting a case study to get us all in the mood for severe weather.

Hope to see everyone there! Happy National Weatherperson's Day! (yes, that's a real holiday: http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=lot&storyid=21403&source=0)

01/22/09 Meeting Minutes

2009-01-29T09:12:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone, here are the minutes from last night's meeting. Thanks to all who showed up!

Northern Star forecasting
AMS needs people to do the forecasts for the Northern Star. Information on the forecast, such as what to include in the forecast, can be found on our blog (niuams.blogspot.com). Forecasts should be sent to dmbfan825@gmail.com by 4:00 pm the day before the forecast period (for example, for a Monday and Tuesday forecast, the forecast should be in by 4:00 pm on Sunday). AMS gets money for each forecast done, so this is a great way to improve your forecasting skills and make money for AMS!

Severe Storms and Doppler Radar conference
The 13th annual Severe Storms and Doppler Radar conference is April 2-4 in Des Moines, IA. Registration is $70 if you register before March 20 and $80 if you register after March 20. More information and registration is available at www.iowa-nwa.com.

Scholarship
A $1000 scholarship will be presented at the Severe Storms and Doppler Radar conference to a junior or senior student. For more information, visit www.iowa-nwa.com.

Forecast Contest
We are holding another forecast contest! For $2, you can pick a date when you think the first 70 degree day will occur. The winner will get his or her AMS t-shirt for free.

Severe Weather Seminar
College of DuPage is hosting its annual Severe Weather Seminar on Friday and Saturday, March 14 and 15, 2008. AMS will not be attending as a group because it is over spring break, but if you will be in the area and would like to attend, you will be welcome. Visit weather.cod.edu and click on "Multi County Skywarn" on the left for more information.

Cooperative Weather Observers
We need people to take observations at the NIU cooperative weather station. It is located behind the Barsema Alumni and Visitor Center (by the football stadium). Being a weather observer looks great on a resume and it's fun too! If you are interested, contact Walker at washley@niu.edu. Observers are needed for this spring, summer, and fall.

Internships/Scholarships
Scholarships and internships are a great way to gain free money and experience. Check the bulletin board outside DH 217 or our blog (niuams.blogspot.com) for postings.

Next meeting
Our next meeting will be on Thursday, Feb. 5, 2009 at 5:00 pm. Travis will be presenting a case study of a storm that occurred last summer.

Upcoming events
-AMS is once again hosting spotter training. This year, it will be on Feb. 19 at 7:00 pm. Location TBA, but it will most likely be in Faraday (in between Davis Hall and the psych building).
-AMS will be holding a bake sale the week of February 23. We will need people to bake as well as sit at the table to sell the items. More information will be coming at a later date.

Have a great weekend everyone!

01/22/09 AMS T-Shirt Design

2009-01-28T20:03:00.000-08:00

(Front)

Last semester our AMS members voted on T-shirt designs designed my members of our student organization. These 2 designs were the winners!

(Back)

Thanks to all that submitted a design. If you didn't submit an order on our order sheet during our first meeting email niuams@gmail.com with your size and quantity you request. Currently, the cost is $15 and they will be black T-shirts pictured (above).

Meeting tomorrow 1/22/09

2009-01-21T20:36:00.000-08:00

Hi AMS! This is just a reminder that our first meeting of the semester will take place on Thursday, Jan. 22 at 5:00 pm in Davis Hall room 217. We'll be going over our plans for the semester, as well as watching an episode of Storm Chasers (the Discovery Channel series). We will have a sign-up sheet for t-shirts available. They will be $15 each. We are also having another forecast contest; for $2, you can pick a date when you believe the first 70 degree day will occur. We have a lot of exciting events planned for the semester and it's supposed to be warm(ish) tomorrow so be sure to join us!

Free money and experience (yes, it's that time of year again)!
The REU program (Research Experience for Undergraduates) at the National Weather Center is now accepting applications for summer 2009! The REU program is for any student with an interest in meteorological research. For more information, visit http://www.caps.ou.edu/reu/. Applications are due Feb. 11.

NOAA's Ernest F. Hollings scholarship program is accepting applications for the 2009 scholars. This program provides two years of scholarship funds (roughly $8000/year) and requires a (paid) summer internship at any NOAA facility in the United States. You must have two remaining years as an undergraduate to be considered; that is, you are eligible if you graduate in spring 2011. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/Hollings_info.html. Applications are due Jan. 30, 2009.

The SOARS program through UCAR is accepting applications as well. This is a 10-week summer internship program in Boulder, CO doing research. SOARS proteges are assisted by a community of mentors to assist in any and every aspect of research. The program pays for transportation and housing, in addition to the ever-important paycheck. Best of all, you can spend multiple summers with them. You must have at least one remaining semester after completion of the internship to be eligible. For more information, visit http://www.soars.ucar.edu/protegeoverview.php. Applications are due Feb. 1, 2009.

The Department of Geography is offering scholarships and awards! Information is available in the Geography office (DH 118). Applications are due February 6.

Enjoy the double digit temperatures and sun! Hope to see you all Thursday!

Northern Star Forecasting Info:

2009-01-12T13:55:00.000-08:00

Northern Star forecasting
The Northern Star needs students to do their forecasts! A sign-up sheet is available in DH 217. To sign up, you must have at least started MET 300 (preferably successfully completed MET 300). You will need to provide a 2-day forecast and e-mail it to the Star by 4:00 pm the day before the forecast period. For example, your first forecast should be submitted on Sunday of your week, and you would be forecasting for Monday and Tuesday. This is what it should look like:

Forecast for xx-xx-09 (the next day's date)

Today: Snow likely. High xx, Low xx

Tomorrow: Mostly Sunny. High xx, Low xx

NIU meteorology student (your name)

The forecast then needs to be e-mailed to Mike Van Der Harst at the Northern Star @ dmbfan825@gmail.com.

AMS gets $6 per forecast, or $30 per week, so it is a great fundraiser for us!

Fall 08 Fundraiser: AMS Student Chapter Calendar

2008-12-04T17:51:00.001-08:00

This year our AMS members created a student calendar for a fundraiser composed of pictures from NIU students and faculty. This was a huge success! We collected photos from our members and faculty and voted on what pictures were our favorite. We sold them to our AMS members and alumni during Career Day. A special thanks to Office Max in Dekalb for the help as well. A perfect Christmas gift for the holidays no doubt. Thanks to all our AMS members this semester. We'll see you all next semester. Happy Holiday's and good luck on finals!

meeting minutes from 11-13-08

2008-11-17T12:16:00.000-08:00

Field Museum Extreme Weather
AMS is going to the Field Museum this Saturday! If you didn't sign up at the meeting but would still like to go, please talk to one of the exec board members.

Calendars
AMS Calendars are in! Cost is $15. Talk to Travis if you would like one (or more! We can get however many you need).

Northern Star Forecasting
There is one more slot for Northern Star forecasting! If you're interested, sign up in DH 217. E-mail niuams@gmail.com if you have any questions. Remember, this helps pay for all the cool activities we do!

Scholarships/Internships
It's never too early to be thinking about scholarships and internships! These are a great way to get free money/experience. Check the bulletin board outside DH 217, the NIU AMS blog, or these e-mails for scholarship/internship announcements.

Ernest F. Hollings Scholarship
Attention spring 2011 graduates! NOAA is again offering a scholarship that will provide $8000/year for two years, plus a paid internship ($650/week for 10 weeks) at a NOAA office. For more information and to apply, go to
http://www.oesd.noaa.gov/Hollings_info.html. The deadline is usually early February, but it's never too early!

10/30/08 NIU-AMS Visits Romeoville's NWS Office

2008-11-08T20:47:00.000-08:00

On Oct 30, the NIU AMS-NWA Student Chapter visited the National Weather Service Office in Romeoville, IL where we received a tour of the forecast office. We were also treated with snacks and a presentation "Introduction to the NWS" by Eric Lenning the (SOO) Science & Operations Officer at their forecast office. We learned many interesting facts and useful information at our visit such as what positions are in the NWS and what each of them entail, how to become a intern, how a salary of a NWS employee is determined, and a brief look at what a typical day is like at the National Weather Service. Bill (pictured above) shows us the AWIPS system (Advanced Weather Interactive Processing System) that is used to issue forecasts.