Hello to all you interested in weather and/or climate,

The American Meteorological Society (AMS) has local chapters and ours, the Smoky Mountain Chapter, meets once every couple of months. This is the facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/AMSSMC/   These meetings include a very brief business agenda and then a presentation. These groups are all run differently, and some are completely run by students at other universities.

Our group is meeting this weekend. This Sunday at 6:30 Geography’s own Dr. Grissino-Mayer will join the group and talk about wildfires in the National Park. He is a great speaker and I am sure it will be an enlightening talk. I have attached a flyer with more information.

I am emailing you to suggest that you go to the meeting and support the group and Dr. Grissino-Mayer and, perhaps more importantly, think about what this group could be for you and the other students in our program. The group has reached a turning point. It is currently run by only a few individuals including a couple of professors and some folks from the National Weather Service. Together we can brainstorm ways to make it more student centered. I need your help to do this! I see this as a way for the folks in the climate concentration or with weather/climate interests to join together in a common place to talk about the topic at a higher level than we get to in many of our classes, and to network with local professionals in the field.

Please go to the talk and then let me treat you to a cup of coffee (or drink/snack of your choice) some time in the next couple of weeks while we work together to imagine ways to make this group move forward and serve a purpose for our students. If you do end up going can you let me know? There is a chance I can not make it because it overlaps with the bedtime routine for my tiny tot at home, but I am going to do my best.

Cheers,

Kelsey

Dr. Kelsey N. Ellis

Assistant Professor

Department of Geography

University of Tennessee