On October 28, the NYC/Long Island Chapter of the American Meteorological Society held it biennial meeting on career opportunities in Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology here at MSRC. Targeting the undergraduates in the B.S. program for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, six speakers highlighted possible career directions from TV meteorology to forecasting opportunities with the military.
Lisa Bastiaans, a professor at Nassau County Community College, spoke first about careers in teaching meteorology and climatology. Bastiaans emphasized that it is important to teach good science and challenge students to think regardless of the level you teach at.
Carrie Ann Paukowitz, with Meteorological Evaluation Services Co., Inc., followed with information on consulting firms and employment opportunities in the private sector. Paukowitz is particularly interested in air quality monitoring and her clients include utility companies, power plants, and government agencies. Internships are key in securing future employment, and she cautioned students not to underestimate the importance of such experiences and the need for good communication skills.
MSRC Professor Brian Colle outlined options for research and university opportunities in Atmospheric Sciences, including pursuing an advanced degree. “While a B.S. is the minimum requirement for a forecasting job,” Colle explained, “an M.S. can improve your employment opportunities. For those students seeking to further understand the outstanding questions in weather and climate a Ph.D. allows you to do basic research to understand how the atmosphere works.”
The fourth speaker of the evening was George Wright with WLNY, TV55. He noted that broadcasting is probably the hardest area to get into requiring a lot of drive, flexibility, and working odd hours – at least initially. For students interested in this direction, he recommended www.tvjobs.com as a resource.
Jeffery Tongue, with the National Weather Service, highlighted military opportunities with the Air Force and Navy. Options ranged from space weather forecasting for Department of Defense agencies to combat weather teams that actually deploy with a military unit. Meteorological positons are available. For both active military personnel and civilians.
The last speaker of the evening was Michael Wyllie with the National Weather Service. The National Weather Service has career options available in meteorology and hydrology at several different levels. Volunteer summer internships are available as long as students are enrolled at least part-time at an academic institution. Importantly, the internships may lead to future paid positions and longer term employment.
The evening ended with a 30-minute panel discussion and questions from the audience. The discussion focused on how atmospheric students should: 1. take frequent advantage of internships on Long Island and research opportunities at MSRC, 2. obtain more background with computers and programming, and 3. perhaps combine their meteorology background with other courses or internships in business, communications and teaching.
Brian Colle, who serves as the undergraduate advisor the B.S. program in Atmospheric Sciences (ATM), noted that enrollment in ATM at Stony Brook has doubled over the last four years. “The job market in atmospheric sciences,” he added, “has really expanded during the past five to ten years, especially in the private sector, and it will continue to expand.”
