Space Science and Engineering Center University of Wisconsin-Madison

Later this week on July 31^st and August 1^st, the Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) is hosting the 27^th Satellites and Education Conference at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

This year’s conference highlights the uses and benefits of satellite technologies for earth and climate studies. It is intended for middle and high school science teachers to take the information back into their classrooms and for Science on a Sphere (SOS) docents to incorporate the content into their globe presentations.

While registration is closed, organizers have made it possible for anyone to view the talks for the July 31^st afternoon session, including the keynote by Dr. Louis Uccellini, Director of the National Weather Service (NWS) and a UW-Madison alumnus (more on that remote viewing possibility below).

The conference also draws in Satellite Educators Association (SEA) members, satellite remote sensing researchers, broadcast meteorologists, UW-Madison Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences students, NWS meteorologists, and NWS storm spotters. Attendees will spend the first day learning about satellite-related resources and tools, from mobile and web-based apps to the CIMSS iPad Library to information about current and upcoming National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and NASA satellite programs. The afternoon will culminate with Uccellini’s keynote talk about “Building a Weather-Ready Nation: Taking Forecasts and Satellite Data to the Next Level.”

The program continues into the evening with a poster session and a second keynote talk, delivered by Space Science and Engineering Center (SSEC) Director Hank Revercomb. His talk, “A Suomi Story: The Gadget Guy” chronicles the work of Verner Suomi, an SSEC founder, who is known as “The Father of Satellite Meteorology.”

The second day consists of concurrent sessions in the morning, with one track focusing on presentations by GOES-R Educators from Wisconsin, New Jersey, and Florida (GOES-R is the next generation geostationary satellite, which is scheduled to launch in 2016). Presenters in the second track will discuss lesson plans and an educational, interactive online game called the Young Meteorologist Program, as well as give advice on how to develop a geoscience and remote sensing lab. In the afternoon attendees will take a field trip to a nearby SOS facility, the Aldo Leopold Nature Center.

The conference is sponsored by NOAA, the U.S. Navy, SSEC, and SEA. SEA is a nonprofit professional organization focused on encouraging student engagement in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) through space-based technology.

SEA launched the first Satellites and Education Conference at West Chester University in Pennsylvania before moving it to California State University in Los Angeles. This year’s conference marks the beginning of a three-year rotation that includes both coasts and CIMSS serving as hosts, with the goal of serving the broadest audience of educators possible.

How to attend remotely

In the spirit of reaching the broadest audience possible, local organizers of this year’s conference have enabled remote access to the talks for the July 31^st afternoon session (3:00pm-5:00pm CDT):

• 3:00 – GOES R – Tim Schmit, NOAA NESDIS STAR
• 3:30 – Suomi NPP & VIIRS Data – Kathy Strabala , CIMSS
• 4:00 – Building a Weather-Ready Nation: Taking Forecasts and Satellite Data to the Next Level –  Dr. Louis Uccellini, NOAA NWS Director

To access this session remotely via WebEx

1. Go to: https://esipfed.webex.com/esipfed/j.php?MTID=mef7c463978926b05d3a9996dfa80252d
2. If a password is required, enter the Meeting Password: 23140358

This remote capability is being offered in collaboration with the Federation of Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) Education committee.

by Leanne Avila