Lyndon State College makes major upgrade to Meteorology Department

Next fall, the Lyndon State College Meteorology Department will welcome students with a new name, in new space, with completely networked computer labs and a new curriculum. The department will be known as the Atmospheric Sciences Department and will offer new courses that include a multi-faceted emphasis on weather, weather-related sciences and weather applications.
Figuring prominently in the changes is a sharper focus on climate. New courses being introduced are Space Weather, Weather Risk Assessment and Climate Change Dynamics. Space Weather will examine the interactions between the Earth and the Sun, Weather Risk Assessment will investigate weather and climate risks posed to society and industry and Climate Change Dynamics deals with the natural and anthropogenic impacts on the global energy budget, global carbon cycling and radiative forcings.
In the new (as-yet-unnamed) building at Lyndon, the Atmospheric Sciences Department will have two computerized classrooms, one more than they currently use. To outfit the additional lab, the department has received a $19,500 grant from UNIDATA. The grant will cover the purchase of 13 new computers that will be compatible with those already in use. Compatibility is critical for the labs to be operational.
UNIDATA is a program of the University Corporation for Atmospheric Research, which is sponsored by the National Science Foundation. UNIDATA provides data services, tools and cyberinfrastructure leadership that advance Earth system science, enhance educational opportunities and broaden participation.
Atmospheric Sciences students will have the same options as the Meteorology students have now weather broadcasting or weather research but they will be better-prepared and have a wider background when they graduate. For more information, contact Atmospheric Sciences Department Chair Bruce Berryman.