A Message from the Chair

WHEN I FIRST ARRIVED ON CAMPUS DURING SUMMER 1986, I WAS TASKED TO TRANSITION THE SYNOPTIC METEOROLOGY program to a more modern era—turn off the fax weather map machine, let’s use computers!

I discovered immediately that the vintage, wooden Applied Research Building housing the synoptic lab had an attic completely full of chemically-treated fax maps accumulated during the past decades just waiting for a spark to burn down the entire building (and maybe campus). It was definitely a time for change, and many more changes have continued in our Department since then. Now is a great opportunity for us to reflect on the accomplishments provided by all the people involved in the Department of Meteorology and Department of Atmospheric Sciences during the past seventy-five years.

More is to come! The merger of the College of Mines and Earth Sciences with the College of Science reflects increasing interdisciplinary opportunities. For example, we’ll be moving into a new building to be shared with Physics and Astronomy in 2025. The new Earth and Environmental Sciences major, Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy and Storm Peak Laboratory are more examples of new directions for our Department. Instructional methods, research opportunities, and ways to serve students and the public locally and worldwide continue to evolve and grow.

I hope you enjoy learning here about our past, current, and future activities. Serving as Chair during the past five years has been a great, yet challenging experience, particularly during the COVID years. I’m really happy that our new Chair (to be announced soon) will begin supplying new energy and direction for the Department. I have been around for nearly half of the Department’s seventy-five years and hope to hang out for a couple more. Although there is a lot of fun research and teaching left to do, I am a bit envious of many of you alums from my era who have retired before me!

John Horel

Chair of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences