For all those students who have a particular interest in the crash of thunder or the terror of a hurricane, tonight you'll have the opportunity to hear John Scala speak from his own personal experience as a severe storm meteorologist for the Weather Channel.
Coincidentally, Scala received both his masters and doctorate degrees in environmental sciences from the University.
Scala's graduate research took him to the Amazon rain forest of Brazil in 1987, where he helped design and implement a data network for sampling the environment of thunderstorms that developed over the jungle.
Further project research has led Scala to Cape Canaveral, North Dakota, Colorado and Lake Michigan. Storm chasing and storm photography also are a direct outcome of Scala's desire to witness weather in its most powerful form.
Tonight, Scala will give "his insight as an on-air meteorologist at the Weather Channel," said Michelle L'Heureux, a fourth-year College student and last year's secretary of the Environmental Sciences Organization. "He talks about what it's like being on camera and shows a little blooper wheel of him screwing up, which is always funny."
Last year Scala also showed clips of himself during some major thunderstorm emergencies, such as the one in Panama City, Fla.
"Scala is on the air, but he's not an anchor," L'Heureux said. "He's the storm analyst. If they want an expert opinion, they go to him. A lot of people at the Weather Channel aren't trained in meteorology. They can just smile and read the teleprompter, but he actually has his degree."
Everyone expects a meteorologist to give the perfect forecast, L'Heureux explained. But they can only use the models and tools they have in order to provide the best possible forecast. Therefore, Scala also will discuss the accuracy with which meteorologists can predict storms.
Because Scala's discussion isn't overly technical, his speech is intended to appeal to all interested students.
"It's just kind of neat to see that person in real life, not just on TV," L'Heureux said.
The event is sponsored by the Environmental Sciences Organization, which exists primarily to help facilitate the undergraduate careers of environmental sciences majors.
"I'm a big weather dork myself so I've seen him at weather conferences," L'Heureux said. "He's an excellent speaker."
Whether students are looking for some educational meteorology insight or just a few good laughs from on-air bloopers, Scala will provide a combination of the two at tonight's discussion.
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