Tom McKenzie
President
tm106407@ohio.edu
Seth Warthen
Webmaster
sw317408@ohio.edu
Ryan Fogt
Faculty Advisor
fogtr@ohio.edu
Welcome to the official website of the Ohio University Chapter of the American Meteorological Society! OU-CAMS was founded in 2009 as an expansion of Ohio University’s former Meteorology Club and is now an official local chapter of the American Meteorological Society.
As the cornerstone of Ohio University’s Meteorology program, OU-CAMS consists of students interested in the fascinating field of Meteorology, whether they are planning to earn a degree in Meteorology, or just have a general passion for our atmosphere and how it works. With the help of the Scalia Laboratory for Atmospheric Analysis, we are one of the fastest-growing and most involved organizations on campus. Our mission is straightforward: to foster the academic and professional growth of students pursuing Meteorology or related fields through engagement in community outreach, educational, and social events. As we enter our fourth year as an official AMS Student Chapter, I would like to first reflect upon our achievements this past academic year.
During the Fall Quarter of 2011, OU-CAMS achieved one of its biggest goals by directly assisting Ohio University and the Athens community to earn StormReady status by the National Weather Service, becoming the third StormReady community in the state of Ohio and the first in the NWS Charleston forecast area! Additionally, OU-CAMS participated in the Ohio University Homecoming Parade for the second straight year and once again earned 2nd place overall for our “Follow the Red Brick Road” weather-themed banner!
To start off Winter Quarter, OU-CAMS represented Ohio University by sending 15 students to the 11th Annual AMS Student Conference in New Orleans, LA. Two of the 15 students served on the Student Conference Planning Committee, while nine students presented research at the conference and at the AMS Annual Meeting.
Spring Quarter was highlighted by the success of our 3rd Annual Spring Meteorological Symposium, in which meteorologists from the region presented their current research to the Ohio University and Athens community. To wrap up the academic year, OU-CAMS was awarded the highly prestigious Edwin L. Kennedy Leadership Award for Outstanding Community Service.
The upcoming academic year is anticipated to be one of our best years yet as a student organization. We will start off the year with our Peer Mentor Program to provide guidance to underclassmen of the chapter. We will also continue with our Peer Speaker Series to highlight research of our members as well as discuss the career paths of our upperclassmen. Additionally, we plan to establish a close relationship with the Career Leadership and Development Center to give members a better outlook on careers within the field of Meteorology.
Fall Semester will be highlighted by our participation in the Ohio University Homecoming Parade, themed “Better than the Best Ever!” Before we return for Spring Semester, we will once again send a group of students to the AMS Student Conference in Austin, Texas. Six of these students will also attend the AMS Annual Meeting held during the following week. Plans for Spring Semester include our 4th Annual Spring Meteorological Symposium, which is already anticipated to be our largest and most successful yet.
Other plans for the year include developing relations with Ohio University alumni, expanding community outreach in regional school districts, and increasing our participation in community service. In general, our goal is to expand our common focus in the field of weather. Our possibilities are limitless.
For those already involved in OU-CAMS, I would like to thank you for your interest in the organization and your continued involvement in the chapter. For those who are not members but may be considering joining, I welcome you to our chapter. I truly think that this organization will truly benefit you in your college and post-college careers. I think our members can agree that you will absolutely enjoy being an OU-CAMS member. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please feel free to contact us at president.oucams@gmail.com or tm106407@ohio.edu. Thank you for visiting!
Tom McKenzie
President, Ohio University Chapter of the AMS
